Lou Reed says he’s received a number of death threats from Metallica fans over Lulu, his collaboration album with the thrash giants.

Supporters were shocked when the controversial coupling was revealed earlier this year, and many have remained unimpressed with what they’ve heard. Most reviews have been lukewarm too.

But Reed says he doesn’t care – because he only did it for fun.

The veteran art rocker tells USA Today: “They are threatening to shoot me, and that’s only because I showed up. They haven’t even heard the record yet and they’re recommending various forms of torture and death.”

But he’s not upset by the explosive reaction. “I don’t have any fans left,” he says. “After Metal Machine Music they all fled.

“Who cares? I’m essentially in this for the fun of it.”

The 69-year-old describes Metallica as his “metal blood brothers” and has no regrets about recording Lulu – and although he accepts there’s unlikely to be a follow-up, he’d love to make one.

“No one wants Lulu Part 2,” Reed observes, “But on Radio Lou, in my head where I hear these songs, I want more of it.”

Meanwhile, Alice Cooper has said he’s desperate to hear the album, and describes the shock factor of the pairing of Reed and Metallica as “like Iggy Pop and ABBA.”