First Metallica live dates of 2008 unveiled

Metallica's first two live dates of 2008 have been confirmed by Metallica's fan club. The band will play at the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals in the German towns of Nurburgring and Nurnberg on June 6th and 7th. Joining Metallica will be Rage Against The Machine, Bullet For My Valentine, Nightwish, Motorhead, Babyshambles and more to be announced. The festivals also represent the first European shows for Rage Against The Machine since the group reunited earlier this year to play several U.S. gigs.

Metallica traditionally plays a few European festivals every year, but these newly announced shows could well coincide with the release of the band's ninth studio album, which is expected to surface by mid-2008.

The group has been recording its latest effort in Los Angeles and San Francisco with producer Rick Rubin.