On April 4th, Metallica will march into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when they’re inducted alongside Run-DMC and Jeff Beck. But tonight on Fuse, the band charts its journey to the Rock Hall in a new special called Metallica: In Their Own Words (it airs at 9 p.m.). The doc mixes brutal onstage footage with the band’s reflections on its lengthy and prolific career. Click above to check out a clip from the show, where frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich muse on staying on the road for 20-plus years. (Get reacquainted with the band’s career in Metallica: Through the Years in Photos.)

“When people talk about longevity they go right to the Rolling Stones,” Hetfield says. “No disrespect, they’re not doing what we’re doing, it’s that simple,” Lars Ulrich adds. Hetfield continues, “They’re not head-banging, they’re not playing 100-miles-an-hour songs.”

Flea will induct the San Francisco metal legends on April 4th in Cleveland, where the band will perform with former bassist Jason Newsted. “Lars is ready to rock,” Newsted told Rolling Stone last week. “He sounded like a kid again talking about the induction, and I felt pretty much like that, too. Getting fired up to rock after that many years… it’s pretty special.” Rock Daily will have more from Newsted tomorrow, and full coverage of the Hall of Fame induction live from Ohio on the 4th, so stay tuned.

Related Stories:

• Rolling Stone’s Essential Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Coverage
• Metallica, Run-DMC, Jeff Beck Lead Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009
• Jason Newsted on Metallica’s Rock Hall Induction: “The Black Album Band Will Be Back”