Lou Reed: Metallica's Fans "Are Threatening to Shoot Me, and That's Only Because I Showed Up"

If you think Lou Reed was completely unaware of the backlash from Metallica fans surrounding their upcoming collaboration, Lulu, think again.

Speaking to USA Today, Lou acknowledged the fact that most of the metal band's fans hated the album long before they had actually heard it.

"[Metallica's fans] are threatening to shoot me, and that's only because I showed up," said Reed. "They haven't even heard the record yet, and they're recommending various forms of torture and death."

Lou seemed in good spirits though, even taking a jab at himself, saying: "I don't have any fans left. After Metal Machine Music, they all fled. Who cares? I'm essentially in this for the fun of it."

Reed is of course referring to his 1975 album, a wildly experimental affair largely made up of guitar feedback and industrial noise.

No strangers to fan criticism themselves, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich seemed unfazed by the latest batch of naysayers.

"In 1984, when hard-core Metallica fans heard acoustic guitars on Fade to Black, there was a nuclear meltdown in the heavy-metal community," said Ulrich. "There have been many more since then."

You can read the full interview here.