Metallica and Lou Reed's 'Lulu': Listen to the preview here!

Throughout their respective careers, both Lou Reed and Metallica have spent a healthy amount of their creative energy challenging their audiences.

Enthusiasts of both have sometimes had to embrace extreme sounds and ideas that are both deeply noncommercial and passionately counterintuitive. But people keep tuning in because the personalities behind the music are so strong and compelling that they dare you to look away.

So it's no surprise that a chance collaboration during a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anniversary concert has now resulted in a full-length album featuring both entities. Lulu hits store shelves on November 1, but there are previews of each one of the songs below.

They're a strange marriage of Metallica's turned-to-11 thump, Reed's catty delivery, and lyrics that tell the story of a dancer who rises through society only to end up a poor prostitute (a tale originally told in a pair of plays written by German playwright Frank Wedekind). Give the tracks a spin below.

With the bulk of its 10 tracks clocking in at over six minutes, listening to Lulu is certainly going to be an investment. The boys in Metallica seem to especially be stretching themselves, bending to Reed's every twist and turn.

The single "The View" didn't give us very much hope for the rest of the album, but what do you think of the samples? Are you excited for Lulu? And is this collaboration more or less surprising than Reed's hook-up with Susan Boyle? Unburden yourself of your heavy thoughts in the comments.

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