Metallica’s Ulrich defends new CD

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has a few words for fans who are griping about the sound quality of the new “Death Magnetic” album.

In response to the debate over the CD’s sonics, which has spawned an Internet petition now carrying more than 13,000 signatures asking for an improved version to be released, Ulrich tells Blender: “Listen, there’s nothing up with the audio quality.

“It’s 2008, and that’s how we make records. [Producer] Rick Rubin’s whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it to sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I’ve heard that there are a few people complaining. But I’ve been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds . . . smokin’.”

Amid the audio brouhaha, “Death Magnetic” logged its third week on top of the national sales chart after selling 132,000 copies last week. That puts the album’s three-week total at just less than 1 million. The collection’s momentum should push it past the platinum sales plateau by this weekend.

At No. 2 was another entry from the Disney stable: Demi Lovato, who figured prominently in the “Camp Rock” film along with the Jonas Brothers, sold 89,000 copies of her debut “Don’t Forget.”

-- Randy Lewis