Metallica drummer becomes father for the third time

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and his girlfriend, Danish actress Connie Nielsen, welcomed a baby boy named Bryce Thadeus Ulrich-Nielsen into the world on May 21st in San Francisco. Ulrich has two children -- eight-year-old Myles and five-year-old Layne -- from a previous marriage while Nielsen has a 16-year-old son named Sebastian. A post at the band's web site stated that "mother's doing well, Dad's in awe, and brothers Layne, Myles, and Sebastian are psyched!"

Ulrich and Nielsen have been together for two years.

Nielsen recently played Detective Dani Beck on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and is perhaps best known for starring with Russell Crowe in the Oscar-winning 2000 film Gladiator.

Metallica has been recording its ninth studio album with producer Rick Rubin and will take a break to play some European festival shows in June and July. The new CD is not expected out until early 2008.