Metallica is set to start work on a new studio album.

Billboard.com reports the metal band will begin recording the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger" with producer Rick Rubin on March 12.

"We really have to feel secure about the music and know it's good," Rubin told Billboard in December. "Then in the studio, we're free to only worry about performance and not worry about writing a song. Hopefully, we've done our homework."

Metallica has lined up seven European shows this summer for its semi-annual "Sick of the Studio" tour.

"We kinda sorta figured that by the time June rolled around, we would be ready for a break from recording (escape??)," the group said on their official site. "And since we had so much fun in Europe last summer, we thought, why not go back for some more fun and games?"

Metallica's European tour dates:

July 1: Werchter, Belgium (Rock Werchter Festival)

July 3: Athens (Rockwave Festival)

July 5: Vienna (Rotundenplatz)

July 10: Oslo (Valle Hovin Stadion)

July 12: Stockholm (Stadion)

July 15: Helsinki (Olympic Stadium)

July 18: Moscow (Lushniki Stadium)