London, February 25: Heavy metal band Metallica were saved from splitting up by the Rolling Stones, when they were in limbo after releasing their 2003 album `St Anger'.
Drummer Lars Ulrich, a founding member of the band, has admitted that their future seemed "pretty bleak" when frontman James Hetfield took months off to fight his addiction to alcohol.
He even revealed that he was preparing himself for "something different".
However, he added, an invitation from the Rolling Stones to perform with them saved their band from meltdown.