Triumphant return

Metallica's China debut in Shanghai in 2013 drew more than 20,000 fans. [Photo by Liu Bing/China Daily]

"We didn't really have much expectations going into China, because it's a new place and we try not to expect too much," says lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.

"But once we got there, we were very surprised how well-versed the fans were with our music. They knew the songs really really well.

"The pure enthusiasm that we saw everywhere－before, during and after the show－it was like just a very, very cool thing to see how much the Chinese audience appreciated the fact that we were there. There were people who were crying in the audience because they were so happy. At least, I think that's why they were crying," adds Hammett.

The band continued its relationship with China by teaming up with Chinese pianist Lang Lang at the annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan 26, 2014. They performed Metallica's classic song One, the first single from their 1988 album, and Justice for All.

Because the Grammy broadcast aired on TV in Shanghai and radio in Beijing, the performance caused a stir among Chinese fans.

Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica has become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 110 million albums worldwide.

The band released its 11th studio album, Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct, on Nov 18. The two CD/two vinyl set earned the band its sixth No 1 album on the Billboard Top 200 and debuted at No 1 in 23 countries. The new album was recorded entirely in HQ, a first for the band.