I'm optimistic about Metallica's new album though - they have admitted that they think everything new they have done for the last 10 years is crap and are going back to their roots.

Yeah, a statement which in itself is designed to push more records. Every artist who releases a new album claims that this new one breaks new ground, is a complete departure from what they did... You never hear an artist say "well, what I tried to do with this album is replicate the sound from our last album, and try to make more money off of the same tripe." Every artist is "going back to their roots" right before an album comes out. Especially weathered acts like Metallica, who can no longer count on bringing in new fans, and really need to reach out to former Metallica fans to get the kind of sales they need.