Lars Ulrich reveals that the Rolling Stones saved Metallica from breaking up

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Metallica may have gone off to Never-Neverland if it weren't for the Rolling Stones.

Lars Ulrich revealed that after a huge rift in 2004, the band nearly broke up for good.

"You can’t keep people guessing forever and, if you try to, you look silly so trying to maintain a mystique went out of the door for us a while ago," the drummer admitted to The Sun. “For us, it’s all about inviting ­people in and making ourselves as ­accessible as possible to fans. That period certainly wasn’t easy for us and, since then, we have learned boundaries and where our breaking points are."

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"That was the last time we had a real break," he continued. "We haven’t shut down the band in 14 years, but we disappeared then for about a year."

Then the legendary British rockers reached out and changed everything.

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"And then the Rolling Stones called us up and said, ‘Come and play some shows with us in ­California,’" Ulrich recalled. "And we sort of agreed: You’re not going to say no to the Stones. So that was it."

“It gave us the way to start it back up again. Whether you’re a team in an office or a bunch of dudes in a rock and roll band, at some point people have to figure out how to get along and work as a team," he explained.

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“If you don’t care, it’s easier to walk away, but fortunately we cared enough about Metallica on behalf of ourselves and  the fans to figure out a way to make it function," Ulrich said. "I’m happy that we did.”