Metallica's Lars Ulrich has told an American radio station that Lou Reed found the barrage of criticism directed at their Loutallica collaboration "difficult".

Speaking to Washington rock station DC101, Ulrich spoke (through what sounds like gritted teeth if you consider The Quietus' own past history of Metallica, reviews, and the internet) about the online reaction to the album: "Obviously, it's fantastic in 2012 that the internet gives everybody access to voicing their opinions, and I think it's an incredible medium to communicate and to bring the world closer," he said.

Ulrich went on to add, "but obviously, as an artist, or somebody who is creating something, you've gotta be careful how deep you dive into what everybody's talking about, because it could really screw with your mind. I've always been in a place where I'm pretty thick-skinned, so it doesn't bug me that much." Pppppffffffttttt!

Though Metallica might be tough as old boots, says Ulrich, Reed struggled with reviews like ours that delivered a delicately flavoured slice of the shoe pie: "It was difficult for Lou Reed because he takes everything very personally, and I think he was very surprised," Ulrich told the radio station. "We told him all along: 'Listen, there are some very, very, very hardcore metal fans out there that like everything pre-packaged in a particular little box that looks like this, and the minute that you slightly veer outside of that, then they have a hernia.' And that's fine – I'm fine with that..."