Lars Ulrich (/ˈʊlrɪk/ ⓘ; Danish: [ˈlɑːs ˈulˀʁek]; born 26 December 1963) is a Danish[a] musician who is the drummer and a founding member of American heavy metal band Metallica. Along with James Hetfield, Ulrich has songwriting credits on almost all of the band's songs, and the two of them are the only remaining original members of the band.