According to reports from The Pulse of Radio, it appears as if Metallica will be departing from Warner Bros. Records following the release of their upcoming album. Their split with the label would mark the end of a remarkable era, as the band has been with the label in some form or another since 1984. Metallica were signed to Elektra, an imprint of  Warner's, shortly after the release of their second album, Ride the Lightning. Elektra took them from being an underground sensation to the international superstars they are today. The new album will make the final release required by the band's current contract with the label.
























Here is my question: What if, rather than resigning with Warner or another major label, Metallica started their very own record label? Lars Ulrich clearly has the business sense (and $) to run such a venture. They could provide a lot of underground and unsigned bands with some great exposure. If you had a band, who would you want to work for - a bunch of stuffy record execs or one of the greatest bands of all-time? Of course, this might just be a pipe dream, and probably won't ever happen - it would be a lot of extra work! Metallica aren't especially known for predictability either. It wouldn't shock me if they just signed a bunch of really lame American Idol finalists to cash in on.

What do you think? Should Metallica start their own record label? Would it be successful?
Whatever you think about Lars, you gotta admit the guy's got a sense of humor. Check out this hilarious new studio footage of Lars from MissionMetallica: