In the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the world’s biggest metal band gave us a glimpse into one of the ugliest periods of their career. Metallica survived the making of St. Anger and now drummer Lars Ulrich claims his relationship with frontman James Hetfield is “the best it’s been.”

The tension between Hetfield and Ulrich throughout Some Kind of Monster nearly ended Metallica as Jason Newsted’s departure and Hetfield’s stay at rehab left the band on shaky ground. The cutthroat arguments between drummer and frontman have become modern legend, as has the side-splitting Kirk Hammett facepalm.

Hetfield and Ulrich worked together extremely closely for Metallica’s 10th studio album, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, perhaps Metallica’s strongest album of the 21st century. The camaraderie between the two founding ‘Tallica members may have been a catalyst for Hardwired, as Ulrich discussed in a new interview with Sonar FM.

"I think it's the best it's been now,” Ulrich says about his relationship with Hetfield. “I think we know where each of us are, we know much more about who each other is, and we know how far we can push each other, and I think there's much more of a partnership going on than there used to be. Now we're not fighting to win an argument. We rarely argue over anything, and we try to see each other's point of view much more. It's called growing up. [Laughs] So it's in a very good place — much more mature than it's been forever, basically."

Metallica will embark on a massive North American tour beginning this May with support from Avenged Sevenfold, Volbeat and Gojira.

See Kirk Hammett in the Top 66 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time

10 Unforgettable Kirk Hammett Moments

More From 97.9 WGRD