Metallica to Reunite with 'Zen guru spirit' Rick Rubin on Next Album

Metallica will team up with Rick Rubin again when the time comes to record their next album, bassist Robert Trujillo has said.

Rubin, who was at the helm for the band's last album, 'Death Magnetic,' will reacquaint himself with the metal legends who, according to Trujillo, see the producer as having a "Zen guru spirit."

Speaking to 93.7 KCLB Rocks! Radio (via Contactmusic), the bassist explained, "Yeah, I love working with Rick. Rick, to me, he's sort of a Zen guru spirit that Metallica needs right now. Not to say that we need it, because we're getting along incredibly well, we're really excited to write some new music. There's no shortage of riffage in Metallica world right now. And I think it's only gonna get better."

Before turning their attentions to the studio, Metallica will be jetting around the globe for some special shows. Dubbed 'The Big Four,' the band will be joined by Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth on the trek that will see them play in Europe, Latin America and Southern Asia -- the first date took place in Indio, California at the weekend.

The final destination is India which will mark the band's first visit to the country, a prospect Trujillo is clearly excited by. He said, "We are going to play India in October. That should be interesting, playing a place we never thought in our wildest dreams we'd go to play."

He concluded, "It's an honour for all of us that we get to be a metal band and share our music with fans in India. We love travelling and experiencing other cultures."

Watch the video for Metallica's 'Cyanide'