Metallica's Kirt Hammett Close To Quitting The Band

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett admits he nearly quit the band so he could embark on a solo career instead.

Hammett was going to drop out of the group following their 2003 album 'St Anger' due to the tension caused by the recording sessions.

"Honestly, I was ready to start working on a solo album," says Kirk. "I had a bunch of music I was sitting on. I was going to ask Lars to play drums on it."

Despite this, Metallica have just released their latest album 'Death Magnetic' this month.