Metallica's Hetfield Becomes Father For Third Time

SAN FRANCISCO (Top40 Charts) - Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield became a father for the third time on Thursday (January 24), when his wife Francesca gave birth to a healthy baby daughter, Marcella Francesca Hetfield. She was born in San Francisco, weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 21-and-a-half inches. Marcella joins 3-and-a-half year old sister Cali Fee and 20-month-old brother Castor in the Hetfield clan.

Drummer Lars Ulrich and Hetfield are both family men. Ulrich told that fatherhood has changed the band dramatically.
"I think the difference now, at least, for myself is that 10 years ago Metallica was the only thing in my life and isn't anymore. That's not a negative thing. That's a positive thing. I think we have much better sense of balance in this band. Hetfield and me having kids at the same time roughly has even brought us closer together.
I think we just see much more eye-to-eye about things in terms of touring schedules and all that type of stuff. But I think the other thing that�s happened is that projects--recording projects, creative projects--are much more, I think, both vital and interesting than they were in the earlier days."

Metallica has been writing songs for its next studio album.