Yes, Metallica do plan on recording a new album, but frontman James Hetfield has reiterated his bandmates' recent statements that the process of putting together the disc has been a slow one. In fact, he reveals that the songwriting portion has yet to even begin.

"We haven't even started writing it," explained Hetfield to Abu Dhabi's That's Entertainment in a video segment (seen below). "We're going through riffs. We have, like, 800-and-something riffs we're going through -- lots of ideas. We're really excited about it, but doing concerts here and there, trying to get back in the studio and get some stuff done, it's all really exciting. But it gets done on Metallica time, which is not really scheduled. When it's done, it's done and when it's good, then it will be done."

Drummer Lars Ulrich recently stated that he would be surprised if the band's next full-length album arrived before 2015, citing the band's full schedule as part of the reason for the delay. Meanwhile, guitarist Kirk Hammett offered in a separate interview, "We're recording stuff here and there, but it's a pretty slow process."

Though Metallica fans may be without a new album for quite some time, they can still be anxious about the band's upcoming 'Metallica Through the Never' 3D film, which is due in theaters this fall. The movie incorporates a lot of the props from some of the band's most popular tours, and Hetfield says he sees it as a way to bring the younger generation up to speed.

He concludes, "The idea behind it was a best-of concert. A lot of younger fans haven't got to see all of the things from the past like the 'And Justice for All,' the 'Ride the Lightning' … all of the stage props that we had, the destruction scene, 'Master of Puppets' crosses … lots of things like that. [So we came up with the idea of] doing a best-of concert and touring that. And then we thought, 'Well, if we're gonna do that, why don't we film it?'"

'Metallica Through the Never' will screen in IMAX theaters on Sept. 27.

Watch That's Entertainment's Interview With Metallica's James Hetfield

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