Legendary producer Bob Rock, who famously helmed Metallica’s albums from their self-titled 1991 release to St. Anger, recently offered high praise for drummer Lars Ulrich. In the second part of his interview on The Metallica Report, Rock defended Ulrich from what he believes is unfair criticism, going so far as to call him a “genius” and drawing comparisons to iconic drummers from rock history.
Rock’s comments stemmed from a powerful experience he had while attending one of Metallica’s recent live shows. He described being deeply moved by Ulrich’s performance, noting how the drummer was “in the pocket.” This observation brought Rock back to the beginning of their collaboration for the Black Album, when the band told him they wanted to focus on creating a new “groove” for their sound. Reflecting on the moment, Rock admitted (as transcribed by Metal Stop): “When I saw Lars, when I saw the pocket, I almost cried.”
According to Rock, Ulrich’s drumming style is uniquely tailored to the band’s music. “Lars plays to James. His fills are James’s riffs,” he explained. He likened this symbiotic relationship to that of other legendary duos in rock history, drawing a parallel between Ulrich and James Hetfield’s dynamic and that of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and Jimmy Page and The Who’s Keith Moon and Pete Townshend. He specifically mentioned the demo for “Sad But True,” noting how its powerful sound reminded him of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks,” which is often cited as a masterclass in groovy, powerful drumming.
“Keith Moon played to Townsend. John Bonham played to Page“, he said.
Rock attributes the criticism leveled at Ulrich’s drumming over the years to a misunderstanding of his unique style. “That’s his style. If he just played boom-dah, it wouldn’t be Metallica,” he said, asserting that Ulrich‘s rhythmic approach is essential to the band’s identity.
“So I think he’s a genius, to be quite honest”, he concluded.
You can listen to the full episode here:
