Metallica's James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo talk Guitar Hero

Metallica confirmed last week at its website that the long-rumored Guitar Hero: Metallica will tentatively arrive in the first half of 2009. The group is only the second act to get its own version of Guitar Hero, following this year's Aerosmith game. Metallica frontman James Hetfield told us some of the reasons why his band has embraced the video game phenomenon: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "A lot of kids that maybe wanted to play guitar, or even, especially adults that wanted to play guitar and never did, they're getting a chance to somewhat live a little bit of that in their living room or whatever it is. And it's a good way to get your music out there. With all the big record stores closing up, getting music to people, it's getting a little limiting. But there are many places, new places to explore, and one of them is Guitar Hero."

Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo told us about the extensive motion-capture process that the band has to go through in order to make them come to life in the game: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "We're basically in wetsuits, and you've got all these little tassels, what would be like tassels on your body, that helps trigger the image in the computer. It's like a performance in a wetsuit, so you're very hot, you're up there, you're headbanging, you're under the lights, but it's a workout. You know, they usually want you to do a song, like, five times or more, so it's a lot of work."

The post at the Metallica website revealed that the new game "allows you to play as us in either single instrument or band career game modes in your choice of some famous settings or new venues with in-the-round staging."

The game will include 28 Metallica songs, as well as tracks from Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, Queen, Slayer and others.

According to gaming site 1UP.com, Guitar Hero: Metallica will include a new difficulty level for drummers, featuring double bass drum pedals, along with new Metallica guitar tones.
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