Metallica scared Glasvegas will beat them to Number One?

Metallica's new album, 'Death Magnetic', has gone on sale two days early in the UK, despite its worldwide release being scheduled
for tomorrow (September 12).

NME.COM spoke to several British shops, including branches of HMV and Zavvi, who said they were selling physical copies of the album yesterday (September 10).

It has been speculated that the early release was because 'Death Magnetic' leaked online earlier this month - however, the the band have declared they were unconcerned with the leak and outlets outside the UK are still sticking with the worldwide release date of September 12.

Music industry insiders, however, have instead suggested that the veterans are worried about losing out on the Number One slot to newcomers Glasvegas.

The Scottish band released their self-titled debut album on Monday (September 9) and, according to midweek charts, it has sold over 100,000 copies already this week.

"Metallica have lost nearly half a week in sales on Glasvegas so it's going to be close on Sunday when the chart is announced," a source told NME.COM. "This is a big comeback for Metallica and their label, they really want to top the charts so it wouldn't surprise me if they decided to put their album out a few days early in the UK when they saw how well Glasvegas were doing."

A spokesperson for Metallica repeated that the official release date for the album was still September 12.

Check NME.COM on Sunday (September 14) at around 7pm (BST) to find out who tops the UK Albums Chart.

Visit the NME Office Blog to view a selection of classic Metallica performances.

Read our Glasvegas/Metallica chart blog on the NME Office Blog now.