Rick Rubin has lengthy been a controversial determine within the music world, recognized for his distinctive status as each a groundbreaking genius in pop music manufacturing and, conversely, a extremely criticized determine by some.
The proof of each extremes is obvious in his intensive profession, with followers and artists alike both praising or questioning his strategy. Rubin’s reliance on instinct, whereas profitable for sure musicians (together with legends like Johnny Money), hasn’t been universally embraced.
In 2008, Metallica determined to take an opportunity on Rubin whereas engaged on Loss of life Magnetic, parting methods with Bob Rock, who had produced their albums beginning with The Black Album in 1991 and persevering with by way of to St. Anger in 2003. Regardless of Loss of life Magnetic being infamously compressed to the purpose of sonic overload, it was nonetheless hailed as a return to type for the band. The choice to work with Rubin was seen as a much-needed shift for the band.
Again in 2008, Kirk Hammett spoke to MTV Information concerning the expertise, saying that Rubin’s strategy suited the band throughout that interval.
“The beauty of working with Rick is he is by no means round. I’d say that is a really robust level, in that it leaves the 4 of us to tackle your entire brunt of the work and the planning that goes into the songwriting course of and the recording course of,” Hammett defined (by way of Blabbermouth).
“In fact, Rick was there for a part of that course of — after we recorded drums and vocals — however the truth that we had been remoted in our studio, engaged on the songs ourselves, made a giant distinction as a result of it stored our sound pure. We obtained extra Metallica that method than we had beforehand with Bob Rock.”
Hammett additional elaborated on how the change in producer affected their sound.
“Bob would add lots of his personal musical enter, and with that got here lots of his personal influences and magnificence and jurisdiction and idiosyncrasies. And it could ultimately make it into our sound. However with Rick, as a result of he wasn’t there, it is nearly one hundred pc undiluted Metallica. He’d are available and say, ‘That is good, that is not, change that.’ And we must determine that out for ourselves. That is essentially the most pure we have sounded in a very long time.”
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