World spared new Metallica album after guitarist Kirk Hammett loses iPhone containing 250 riffs

James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett (Getty)

Metallica's recording plans have been derailed somewhat after guitarist Kirk Hammett lost his iPhone containing hundreds of new ideas, only about eight of which he can remember.

Hammett failed to back up his phone to the cloud, meaning the riffs are either lost or being ripped off/banished to hell (depending on their taste) by whoever found the phone.

"I put riffs on my iPhone, but something very unfortunate happened to me about six months ago. I lost my iPhone [containing] 250 musical ideas. And I was crushed. It didn't get backed up," Hammett told Jamey Jasta.

"I can only remember, like, eight of [the ideas]. So I just chalked it down to maybe it just wasn't meant to be and I'll just move forward with it."

Metallica are set to headline Reading and Leeds this summer, where they will no doubt be looking to try out new material.

A tenth album is still on the cards, pending new riffs, with Hammett adding that it would be "super riffy, super heavy".

He continued, somewhat confusingly: "It's a lot similar to Death Magnetic but different in certain parts. And, you know, there's a couple of songs that remind me of something on And Justice for All, but the album doesn't sound like And Justice for All."

H/T Guardian