We already know Justin Bieber is a major Metallica fan. But do the members of the band return his feelings?

Q Magazine (via Blabbermouth) posed the question during a recent interview with the group, asking whether they considered themselves among the singer's army of "Beliebers." Not surprisingly, drummer Lars Ulrich proved most willing to expound on the subject, responding, "Is it possible to have respect for him without being a Belieber? I think the kid's really talented, and obviously to go through what he's going through at that early age must be a mindf---. So the fact that he still goes out there and does it, I admire that and I think he's super-talented, so I guess I am kind of a Belieber. If he likes 'One', and Liam Gallagher likes him, OK, there you go."

Other members of the band had less to say in response to the question, with bassist Robert Trujillo shrugging, "As long as he stays out of trouble, I'll be a Belieber," and frontman James Hetfield simply saying, "Are we Beliebers? Yes."

Bieber has pledged his affection for the band's music in the past, and, as we previously reported, was recently filmed performing 'Fade to Black' in a brief backstage jam session with his musical director, which inspired Q's offbeat line of questioning. And while it's easy to make fun of the kid for straying from his pop roots, we're more inclined to give him props for having a broader palette than many might have guessed. We should all be willing to try different things once in awhile, right?

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