[i]Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has slammed fans for complaining about the sound quality of the group’s latest album Death Magnetic - insisting the unpolished finish was intentional.
Hoardes of rock fans have hit online music forums to discuss their disappointment in the LP’s production, with many feeling the record is “too loud”.
As a further blow, fans have labelled the version available through the Guitar Hero video game as superior to the actual official release.
But Ulrich disagrees with the comments that have surfaced since the record hit stores earlier this month, and is proud of the album’s live feel.
He tells Blender magazine, “(Producer) Rick Rubin’s whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it (to) sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I’ve heard that there are a few people complaining. But I’ve been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds f**kin’ smokin.”
And the drummer blames the Internet for fan’s unrest - because it fuels people’s urge to complain.
He adds, “The difference between back then and now is the internet. The internet gives everybody a voice, and the Internet has a tendency to give the complainers a louder voice.”[/i]
Well if someone expects, for example, the drumsound from an earlier album like say…And justice for all sure they´re disappointed.
Extremely “compressed”(without punch), soulless and flat drumsound has been their trademark in my opinion…just like their total absence of bass.
every bass player i know, and most producers i know think rick rubin’s production efforts are twiddle a couple of knobs and crank it out. rubin doesn’t care anymore, and i’m not sure he has for a while now.
and the one time i saw metallica live i sat in the lobby with several ministry folks b/c it was so fucking boring live.
ah well.i still think musicians and other srtists for the most part should shut up about what they do b/c the commentary is usually so lame.
let the audience decide. if you don’t like that approach–get a real job.
the issue is not about a particular instrument. but that whole album was squeezed like shit.
listen to guitar hero 3 version, it’s better by a mile. everything’s so much clearer there’s no noise from clipping and it doesn’t give you headache.
rick rubin. lars said something like “omg he’s a big picture guy, he doesnt attend the sessions and then just like says why don’t you record it in E rather than Eb because it’s better for James’ voice”.
wow. a big picture guy, suggesting them to play in a different key, LOLWUT? not much work but probably pays a lot. good for rubin, bad for metallica fans.
the sound quality on the official releases (AND the vinyl versions even the “audiophile” 45RM 5LP set) are just unlistenable. and that statement of his is like an official “fuck you, we made the money, enjoy this shit sandwitch, suckers”
i never liked him anyway. out of curiosity i watched 2hr movie of them making this album, james sure got his guitar chops back, and the new bassist - HOLY SHIT that guy can shred even on acoustic guitars like madman! kirk was as usual with his neverending wah wah wankery, lars was as usually a total pompous jackass.
also GH3 version has plenty of bass. the whole GH3 mix is SO transparent you can hear anything and the GH3 rip comes from a lossy sources (the game stores data tracks in OGG it seems).
this whole issue is just insane. “this is how we make records nowadays” yeah right.
oh yeah lar$ was recently asked about AJFA reissue with bass mixed properly and he said “every time we think about it, we get the same decision - it’s not necessary”.
i hope whole AJFA album will be in “guitar hero metallica” so that fans can rip it out the same way they did with death magnetic. which will finally make newsted’s bass audible.
and i’ve heard such rip (bonus song from Rock Band, a game like GH) of Blackened with bass, it’s superb.
ah well.i still think musicians and other srtists for the most part should shut up about what they do b/c the commentary is usually so lame.
let the audience decide. if you don’t like that approach–get a real job.
“(Producer) Rick Rubin’s whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it (to) sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I’ve heard that there are a few people complaining. But I’ve been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds f**kin’ smokin.”
They way you make something sound more lively is not by brickwalling it to the point that 30% of the album is the sound of clipping…
Listening to the cd version in a car might actually sound fine since background noise would reduce the audibility of clipping, while the maximized loudness creates a perceived clarity… Dont try to listen to this album on headphones though unless you want tinnitus.
I thought musicians should have a clue about what sounds good?
i have a theory about listening to music (for me anyway). first try, if it’s not bad,maybe next time and then after, it gets better.
if i dig something the first go around, it inevitably blows. doesn’t matter how much compression, lack of bass, production values snake in there.
(and again, artists should shut up about what they do–thanks king smurf)
man. that lars. seems like a real prick. when he got all crazy on that napster thing - i was open minded about it. but this kinda stuff is cunt-hole-ish.