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Rex Features
The record, which will be released on September 22, is the LA metal veterans' ninth studio release.
Speaking about the album, singer James Hetfield told NME: "It started out as kind of a tribute to people that have fallen in our business.
"Like [Alice In Chains frontman] Layne Staley and a lot of the people that have died, basically - rock and roll martyrs of sorts. And then it kind of grew from there."
Hetfield explained that the band were keen to confront the "big white elephant" subject of death with the new album.
"The concept that we're all gonna die sometimes is over-talked about and then a lot of times never talked about - no one wants to bring it up," he said.
"It's the big white elephant in the living room. But we all have to deal with it at some point."
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