Lars Ulrich On Rick Rubin: "He's Forced Us To Rethink..."
Band Photo: Metallica (?)
Rolling Stone magazine interviewed Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich about the songwriting process for the super-group's forthcoming untitled album. Lars said of the song titles that "Right now, most of them are called cities, I kid you, not! Caspar, Fresno, Munich, Glasgow - that seemed the easiest way to identify them." The band began to work on the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger" backstage before each show of their tour over the past year. "We did something we'd never done before: We carried a ProTools (recording) system with us," informed Lars, "Twenty minutes before stage time, we would go into a room and play, to get the machinery moving. They were jams, riffs, fun and games. And they were recorded. That's where ninety-five percent of this record came from," said the drummer. "The working titles are the geographical locations where they came up."
On the topic of the group's new producer Rick Rubin (Slayer, System Of A Down, Audioslave, Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Lars said that Rick wants to make the group sound "like the Metallica that made them Metallica without going backward", and that Rick is doing it by challenging old habits: "He's questioning what key we should play in," said Ulrich. "We've played in E flat since the beginning of the '90s. Nobody questioned it. All of a sudden, Rick is going, 'Maybe the stuff has more energy and Hetfield's voice sounds better in E.' He's forced us to rethink big-picture stuff, something we haven't done in years."
Rubin is also making the bandmates rehearse and learn the material until, as Ulrich puts it, "we can play these songs in our sleep, standing on our heads. With Bob (Rock, Metallica's previous and controversial producer), we'd go into the studio when we had some concrete ideas. But Rick wants us to take care of all the creative elements first. He wants us to capture these songs in a recording environment instead of creating them there."
Source: Blabbermouth
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70 Comments on "Ulrich On Rubin: 'He's Forced Us To Rethink...'"
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Former Contributor
5. writes:
Tool - alt metal, don't count. LoG? You don't even want to know what I think about them... yes I know about TTTSNB, I've learnt it, but back in the day Metallica had the creative gusto not to get lazy and simplistic, qualities which I think drop D promotes.
I can count the number of metal bands that play in drop D that I like on one hand... Nile, Pantara, SJR, Moonspell...Opeth?
However, I couldn't count the number of watered down "groove metal"/nu-metal rockstar wannabes on all the hands in China. Drop D is sh**.
7. writes:
What is all this babble about..?? You guys tune your guitars..?? Ha..!!
Seriously tho, I cant stand the whole drop D thing...!!!
and to the antihippy: I have played some Mudvayne tunes that are in drop C... it just feels way to uncomfortable for me...too sloppy. I dont care for it either...!
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10. writes:
i have nothing negative to say...this was actually a good article....and don't tell my cynical tough guy metal buddies this....but i wonder if it will be good......hmmmm
hee hee hee....
currently listening to guru guru's lp ufo...super psychadelic mega long acid rock jams from the early 70's
11. writes:
psythe writes:
I want to hear everyone play in B Sharp. Now that would be funny sh**. Particularly if the band were a bunch of idiots. Oh, how I love irony.
B sharp? That would be C my friend. Drop tuning maybe considered lazy, but it gives the old ring finger a break. A friends band used to play in drop C like this...
D
A
G
C
G
C
Essentially drop C tuning with the G string tuned up a full step to G. They could do barre power chords on the four bottom strings. How lazy is that?
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Supporter
15. writes:
My last band played in drop B
B,F#,B,E,G#,C#
Slipknot's early sh** was in this tuning, Mudvayne's first CD was in this tuning, Machine Head plays in this tuning now, Sevendust play in this tuning, Soilwork play pretty close to this, Kataklysm, Kings X, Soulfly, Sepultura, I believe In Flames. And godlike, it probably felt sloppy because if you tune it down you should move up the string gauge.
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Supporter
18. writes:
yes STD, this is a concept that I am aware of.. but I just dont play enough of that music to change...
I have been using the same string guage for 25 years...Lights- 10-46
Perhaps I am just old and set in my ways..hahaha
I did however, try some DR coated strings.. These are great, but way to damn expensive...I have a set of black ones on my Nightswan...they look great, but the coating wears off quite quickly from picking...
all this talk of tunings an strings and such...has anyone tried stringing up a stop tailpiece like the mighty ZW does...with the strings stuck through backwards and wrapped around the stop tailpiece... Its an odd look and I would think that it adds a little more sustain, but its also gonna strip the finish off the bridge and I like keeping my babies looking nice..!! I dont change strings all that often to have gotten around to trying it yet....
With 5 guitars, I find myself playing the two with Floyds more anyway...Hell, I havent taken my Gibson out of its case in months.. hence the reason I dont change strings that often...
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24. writes:
These guys need to stop messing around in different countries and come back to America. I have nothing against these other countries but Metallica hasnt toured in north America in quite some time. I am really anxious to hear their new stuff. I think they need to go back to E tuning. Some of their drop tuning is not their greatest efforts. Its pretty good but just doesnt compare to E.
Supporter
28. writes:
There will be no repairs needed whatsoever if Metallica can produce an album that doesnt reak like ass. Im sad to say St Anger saved me through one week where i had no music but that one album and i had to jam it out everyday(the circumstances are very eligible trust me). But I think if Rick can slap them around like Lars understates in his interview. Rick isnt causing them to suddenly rethink thier sound. Hes got a gun to thier heads and a finger on the trigger. Im more than sure Rick and the world said f*** St Anger, where is my Metallica? He wants them to be a band, turn emotions into music, stop talking to the psychologist and turn those angers and sarrows into melodys and solos. The last rumor i had heard was they were using the drum kit from LOAD and the main music build around was Ride the Lightning. I didnt know Rick was producing till now. He has a good history of good bands. SoaD and Mudvayne? good history right there, two the best bands out right now. I have a feeling were going to see a spark weve craved for years. Good by St Anger, Hello holy gospel of Metallica.
Member
30. writes:
A band as big as Metallica, in my opinion, can definitely redeem themselves. Although their last few albums have not been the greatest, they are still considered, to many, to be one of the greatest rock bands there ever was. While I know St Anger was painful for us all to endure, I'm sure they regret that one more than we know, and I'm sure they are bent on NEVER letting that happen again.
31. writes:
Hell yeah! finally, maybe metallica will get their sh** back on track. in any event, at least rick's tryin to get them back into good form. they can only improve after st. anger.....right?....RIGHT?
i heard the song to what i believe is called 'munich', and the riffs were sounding pretty cool. the vocals and melody needed some attention, but it was an encouraging groundwork.
Member
32. writes:
7dustrulesall, are you sure about E tuning? I think if maybe Metallica put as much effort into Drop tuning as they did back in the day, they'd still kick ass...
Like, my solos when I play in the band, Also Nergal ov Behemoth plays AWESOME GUITAR in Drop tuning
Member
37. writes:
Metallica should play in Drop Q tuning and instead of guitars, they should use Ukeleles, and they should hire a few slipknot-esque keg-bangers in halloween masks, and they should get a dj with a turntable, and a keyboard player, and instead of bass, they should have a third guitar. Actually, you'd have James Hetfield, and Kirk Hammet, and another guitar player, maybe Joan Jett, or someone dumb like that. And then they'd have Trujillo on bass, make that a 2-string bass, since it doesn't matter, and then they could exhume Cliff's body and string it up like those skeletons on that Grateful Dead video. Oh, while we're at it, we could take Vince Neil, the Wu-Tang Clan, and, oh, I don't know, the lead singer of GORGUTS and give all of them a mic and let them all yell during the songs. Then they could set up the drums so the seat would rise up five feet into the air so Lars can reach his cymbals, and sparks will shoot from his drumsticks, and lasers and lights'll be going off the whole time and they'll set off a whole Taiwanese warehouse worth of explosives on James face every night, and then the orchestra comes out and plays a eighteen-minute version of Dyer's Eve, like anyone would want to hear that, and then they all go to the center of the stage at the end of the show, and they all take a bow, then they rip each other's diapers off and suck each other off onstage, rolling around in their wheelchairs and with sh1t and c** on their faces. You could flame me for making a mockery of Metallica, but I think they've done a fine job themselves. All the pro-tools and producer money ain't gonna save 'em and everyone knows it. These f***s might as well put Fred Durst on their new album.
39. writes:
Wanna know what makes no sense? The whole second half of Metallica's existence.
It's like if you had a fish in an aquarium, and you loved the fish a lot, and the fish died, but instead of saying your goodbyes and flushing him down the toilet, you leave his ever-rotting fish corpse in the aquarium and then you show him off to everyone you know. Not only does nobody care, but everyone actually feels pretty bad for you.
40. writes:
Ive listened to Metallica since i was 5. At first it wasnt by choice but i liked it. Im honest and can say i enjoy pritty much every album but St. Anger, even though it saved me one week. My favorite album is Ride the Lightning. What happend was they just got to the point were they became metal "gods", up there with Sabbath and Pantera. For someone to get a nail through thier concrete noggins is a great step. They need to know how f***ing bad they have gotten. But you see it yourself. St. Anger was made by tracks recorded 20min before everyshow. This is why the album isnt so good, its just simple jam session sold in stores. Someone got the idea that recording off the noggin jam sessions would be good, but blah no way. I want to see Metallica redeem themselves, because what happens if they do make a sick album. What are all you trash talking old school fans going to do. Im not saying your all wrong for disliking the new sh**. but to say Metallica is all out bad, go home and dumb out Kill em' All, Ride the Lightning, Puppets, Justice for all...or whatever albums you still consider good..and be done with Metallica, and never look on them again. Because to disrespect a band and call them sh**, man at least cover with positives. This is a good reason why they fail so hard, peolple just call them sh**, not like.."blah blah st anger blah blah gayness blah blah" where "st anger was aweful to the success of previous albums in the past, the style has become to agressive for a band more based around sarrow struggle and pain. If they were to revert to sounds of the past with and combine with a more down to earth written lyrics, they may have a chance to become something new and still rock out like the old...Metallica would be redeemed." hmmmm doesnt look so much worse, i know its a little more to write, but hell at least its not ignorant ranting.
41. writes:
Good point, Mudknot, I would love to see Metallica return to form, but that's about as unlikely as Alice in Chains returning to form. The life and soul of Metallica has been dead for years. They're just another big name adrift in a sea of summer tours and a lackluster scene, anyways. It should also be noted that they will go to any length to disrespect their fans. Metallica should know that just because they're from California, they're not on top of the youth movements like they used to be. They're just tired old men in tight jeans riding second-hand Harley Davidsons. Who cares. The next Metallica album, even if it's their best in years, still won't be as good as the newest Tool release, or ANY Haunted album. Quit wasting time on bands like Metallica. They're just lumbering, clumsy dinosaurs that are stabbing around in the dark, looking for that next big "wave" to wash them back up onto the shores of relevance. That's all there is to it.
Former Contributor
43. writes:
I'm holding out hope for the next Metallica album, but I'm not holding my breath.
If I like whatever bits of it they share before release I'll pick it up, if I don't care for it, they can pump other Metallica loyalists for another beachhouse....I'll always have RTL and MOP, two of the most important albums ever.
Member
45. writes:
James H. can i give you tip please. sing like the old James, wrenching down your f****in throat voice. Sing the way you do on songs like nothing else matters songs and the metal voice on songs intended for it. Your still my favorite band with Trivium. Kirk your the greatest guitarist.
47. writes:
Fvck Rick Rubin. That fat bastard should be hung for leaving Slayer out in the rain for Metallica. Fvck Rick Rubin AND Metallica. I hope all of them are on a bus and it flies off a f***ing cliff. And Azazel, YES, I am serious. f*** Metallica. The Haunted's worst album is better, and LESS PLAYED OUT, than any recent Metallica offering. Tool's new album is a masterpiece, and the Haunted's new album, while boring and pretentious, is NOWHERE near as boring and pretentious as Load, Reload, Metallica, S&M, Garage Inc., hell, even Ride the Lightning was pretty ridiculous. If people can rip on the Haunted for changing up their sh**, then Metallica should be ripped on for writing so many songs about war when the closest any of them old a$$ fvckers even got to war was watching "M*A*S*H*" on WGN. I hope Metallica retires really soon because they are ruining heavy metal the more they hang around. Fvck Metallica forever. And for the record, someone needs to choke Lars Ulrich to death because I'm sick of fvckin' hearing about him. Rick Rubin didn't force you to rethink sh1t. Rubin showed you that your band is still comercially viable since some metalheads are too bullheaded to expand their tastes, and instead of checking out a cool new band, they'd rather buy anything that says "Metallica" on it. Metallica fans are the new KISS Army. Crusty old hasbeens no longer have to try to succeed. They just rely on the name and watch the cash roll in. Rubin sucked Johnny Cash's c0ck dry before he died, and now he's doing the same to Metallica. For shame.
Member
Former Contributor
49. writes:
Crawford
9 times out of 10 I'm right with you....but I think most of us have expanded well beyond the confines of Metallica.
This is the band that set alot of people toward loving real metal. Be it Death, Behemoth, Unlord etc. everyone starts somewhere and alot of people have a soft spot in their heart for this band.... Even if every cd since 1990 has been goose sh**.
Ride the Lightning-AJFA were critical to me getting into metal when I was 7 years old. I'd love to see them surprise everyone, even though I'm certain it won't happen.
Sort of like cheering on the home team even though their 3-15.
Member
51. writes:
Yeah, I am pretty much with the last two posts. I would LOVE to see Metallica come back with a great album again, although I don't think it will happen. They are the band that even GOT me into metal when I was younger. Metallica is my favorite band, but my taste has expanded far beyond them...and I'm not bullheaded about other music. If Tool were to come out with a few bad albums, would you say screw them even though you knew they were once great? Excuse us fans for being loyal.
52. writes:
Goddamnit, the Black Album wasn't THAT horrid. It wasn't EVEN horrid! It seems like people my age say "Metallica has sucked since the Black Album" just to hop on the bandwagon. No offense everyone, but cut the sh** already. Just appreciate Metallica for all they have done.
53. writes:
Actually, I think the black album was awesome. I also didn't even think that load and reload were bad, not that they were the best. Metallica is and will always be one of the greatest bands there ever was, whether you guys like it or not. They are my favorite and they always will be, even if their next cd consists of bagpipes and opera.
62. writes:
Pretty soon, someone's gonna have to wheel these bastards out on stage. I heard that Lars can't even play the drum fills for half of the sh** on Master Of Puppets. He had to alter the fills so his old a$$ could play the songs! That's pathetic! Go see them and tell me that he's not changing those Leper Messiah fills, or those Damage Inc. fills. I think once you can no longer play the music, you should STOP PLAYING MUSIC! Even the Rolling Stones aren't THAT bad!
63. writes:
Damage, Inc. isn't an easy song to play(just look for the Dream Theater cover with Barney from ND on vox). That said being he WROTE the part, he should be able to play it. He has listened to Bob Rock for too long about simplifying everything to the point it has compromised his ability.
Now Playing:"Presents from the Poison Hearted" from CoF
Supporter
67. writes:
Lars can't play his drum fills because he spends too much energy pointing out other people's mistakes. The band is supposed to be more focused on the "group effort" thing. I wish they would have done that when Jason was with them. I still like them, but not near as much since Jason left/got run out.
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1. slayerdisciple writes:
"like the Metallica that made them Metallica without going backward"
sounds good already