METALLICA have paid tribute to Bruce Sinofsky, director of controversial band documentary Some Kind Of Monster, after he died yesterday.

Oscar-nominated Sinofsky passed away in his sleep from complications stemming from diabetes. He was 58. He's best known for his work on West Memphis Three trilogy Paradise Lost, begun before he teamed up with METALLICA for the 2004 movie that captured their turmoil while working on their St Anger album.

The band say: “We lost a valued member of our family today. Smart, funny and dedicated, Bruce was with us almost every day in the early 2000s and was an integral part of helping us to navigate the rough waters during those times. Although not very welcomed at times, he was there through some of the darkest times of Metallica.

"He became a dedicated comfort and visual lifeboat, while objectively observing the unraveling and rebuilding of our inner and outer selves.

“We were blown away by what Bruce and Joe Berlinger accomplished with the Paradise Lost trilogy of films. Bruce went on to do more brilliant work on the Sundance Channel series Iconoclasts, and History's 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America along with numerous other film and television projects."

The band describe Sinofsky as "a courageous man with deep empathy and wisdom, who wasn't afraid to dig deep to tell the story."

His son Tristan has replied to METALLICA's statement, saying: "My dad loved you guys. He told stories of your shenanigans well into the end and looked upon his time working on SKoM with happiness. Thanks for sharing his story with your fans."

The film was re-released in a 10th anniversary edition last year, featuring an additional 25-minute feature that saw Sinofksy working with the band one more time. Frontman James Hetfield admitted Some Kind Of Monster was still hard to watch for himself and the band, while drummer Lars Ulrich revealed the project prevented the group’s meltdown from becoming a total collapse.