Lars Ulrich

[Abstsbtsb]

Yeah so what? Keep your opinions to yourself. =D

Isnt this thread asking for our opinions?

[Guz2]

He might be the only drummer who's got worse over time instead of better, but I think he's ok. And I really like the shiny cymbals he uses live. :)

And to settle the debate he uses Gretsch iin the studio and Tama live, I was told. Bu he uses really high-pitched cymbals, which I don't like.

[metal overlord]

Isnt this thread asking for our opinions?

Not negative. You don't see people going to the Joey Jordison thread and saying "Lolz he suckzors, what a overrated poopoo head!!!11!!1" do you?

[mind_drummer]

He might be the only drummer who's got worse over time instead of better, but I think he's ok. And I really like the shiny cymbals he uses live. :)

And to settle the debate he uses Gretsch iin the studio and Tama live, I was told. Bu he uses really high-pitched cymbals, which I don't like.

He used to used Gretsch Black Beauty for recording along with and old Superstar or Artstar or Granstar and Sabian hi-hat.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Still my favorite drummer!

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Not negative. You don't see people going to the Joey Jordison thread and saying "Lolz he suckzors, what a overrated poopoo head!!!11!!1" do you?

Not true. The discussion board allows both positive and negative, provided both are provided in an intelligent manner leading to a respectful discussion.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Once again.
Still My Favorite Drummer.
And the songs that he records, he plays excellently live, not like what you guys were talking about.

[metal overlord]

Not true. The discussion board allows both positive and negative, provided both are provided in an intelligent manner leading to a respectful discussion.

I don't respect Lars haters.

I'm a bad person. =(

[Abstsbtsb]

sorry for having an opinion

[speedwolf]

Not true. The discussion board allows both positive and negative, provided both are provided in an intelligent manner leading to a respectful discussion.

Thank you somebody. I don't "hate" Ulrich. I just have my opinions about his what I think to be mediocre drumming.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Thank you somebody. I don't "hate" Ulrich. I just have my opinions about his what I think to be mediocre drumming.

Do you think you can do better?

[Zodiak]

I'm probably the last person one can accuse of hating Lars... I mean, I actually realized that drums were a part of music after listening to Metallica when I was a kid. And I learned all his parts by heart without ever having played the drums. I still know all of them and with practise I guess I can play any Metallica song right off the bat. So he's a huge influence on me. But... what the hell is wrong with him on Death Magnetic? The drum parts are totally uninspired and... it just isn't Lars... I was so very much disappointed. I mean, it's a good album, the songs are cool, but the drums... Nothing, absolutely nothing of any value.

[DrummerDavid]

Do you think you can do better?


I never really understood this kind of "argument".

[That Guy]

I never really understood this kind of "argument".

It's usually the last (blow your wad) attempt to try to prove a point, which in itself gives solid evidence of where the individual is in thier drumming abilities. It's a natural retort when all other avenues of personal opinion and preferrence have been exausted. Chances are that the one asked will not be able to give clear evidence to the accusation/question. But man, is it sweet when its responded to with conviction and proof.

I don't know why I even commented on that.. lol

[LeeLovesSabian]

I never really understood this kind of "argument".

Some kind of guy on here was making fun of Lars, saying he was mediocre, so I defended him.

[Aggressivec]

OK, let me say that I am a huge Metallica fan and the first 4 albums inspire me to this day. That said, I really hate Lars. He is full of himself, whiney and bad and drums. There, I said it. Sorry.

[Guz2]

Absolutely. I'm tired of listening to people rave about Ulrich. He's probably the most overrated drummer of our time. He lacks creativity, and it's just plain boring for the most part. I didn't mind Kill Em All, but the rest of his work is just...lacking. His live fills are half hearted and messy. Of course letting the music ring out is important, but I think this guy took it way too far (if those were even his intentions to begin with, sounding the way he does.) To sum it up, it just sounds unbelievably half-hearted and boring to me, all in all.Travis Barker and Ringo Starr are way way more overrated.

If you listen to Lars without a band over the top he's incredibly sloppy. I can hardly believe they used this as an album take, like someone said in the comments below the video. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pDoUSHjKJhk

[kennybird2007]

Right! Lars is an amazing drumming, listen to anything from the Justice album thoses songs are so tight and the drumming is hard. Leave Lars alone he's my fav drummer, along with Dave McClain, Travis Barker, Dave Lombardo and Brad Wilk along with many others. Enough Said

[LeeLovesSabian]

OK, let me say that I am a huge Metallica fan and the first 4 albums inspire me to this day. That said, I really hate Lars. He is full of himself, whiney and bad and drums. There, I said it. Sorry.

He is full of himself, and whiney.
But he still is an amazing drummer.

[Ian Ballard]

Right! Lars is an amazing drumming, listen to anything from the Justice album thoses songs are so tight and the drumming is hard. Leave Lars alone he's my fav drummer, along with Dave McClain, Travis Barker, Dave Lombardo and Brad Wilk along with many others. Enough Said

I used to be a huge fan of Metallica and I used to think the drumming on ...and Justice for All was awesome, until I learned that Flemming Rasmussen, the producer, spliced various things together to compose the songs in the studio with the guys. They didn't actually play half those songs as you hear them. Plus, Lars refuses to play "Dyer's Eve" live, because he can't actually sustain that speed on the bass drums, messes up a lot and makes a fool of himself. This would be another reason why they hate playing the songs from Justice, since they are so "hard". So, they went to playing dumbed-down AC/DC crap afterwards.

The only thing I really like about CockRocktallica are the LYRICS on the early records, pertaining to their political ideologies, which mostly I agree with.

[Liquid_Drummer]

Lars could have been much more than he is. IMHO he stopped growing and started counting money. He is a better arranger and producer/motivator than he is a drummer. I can not listen to his latest work...

[metal overlord]

I used to be a huge fan of Metallica and I used to think the drumming on ...and Justice for All was awesome, until I learned that Flemming Rasmussen, the producer, spliced various things together to compose the songs in the studio with the guys. They didn't actually play half those songs as you hear them. Plus, Lars refuses to play "Dyer's Eve" live, because he can't actually sustain that speed on the bass drums, messes up a lot and makes a fool of himself. This would be another reason why they hate playing the songs from Justice, since they are so "hard". So, they went to playing dumbed-down AC/DC crap afterwards.
The only thing I really like about CockRocktallica are the LYRICS on the early records, pertaining to their political ideologies, which mostly I agree with.

Really now? AC/DC is crap?
CockRocktallica?

My god, I have to stay off this thread. I'm going to get myself banned going off on people like you. You people drive me up a wall when you bash Lars, and for a hot-head like me, that's bad.

Normally I would, or maybe put a well thought out theory to condradict your statement. But I don't have the time or will to.

But your on my "most hated" list for saying AC/DC crap.

EDIT: God I love posting this
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/megadeth350/207kw02.jpg

[Ekim]

Don't know why, but lately I'm really getting into old Metallica (esp. Master of Puppets). Hard to believe these albums are 20 years old now.

Great stuff. I find myself singing out loud with my headphones on at work. The lyrics are probably scaring my work neighbors. But they think I'm insane anyway.

Does anyone have any bootlegs of their 80's live shows? I'm wondering how well Lars played on them. I've never heard any and the stories of Lars not playing the old, fast stuff aren't limited to the drummer forums, that's for sure.

[Ian Ballard]

Really now? AC/DC is crap?
CockRocktallica?

My god, I have to stay off this thread. I'm going to get myself banned going off on people like you. You people drive me up a wall when you bash Lars, and for a hot-head like me, that's bad.

Normally I would, or maybe put a well thought out theory to condradict your statement. But I don't have the time or will to.

But your on my "most hated" list for saying AC/DC crap.

Wow.

AC/DC had a couple good tunes in the 70's and early 80's, but they decided to formulate a style that varies very little over the years, to the point of utter redundancy. I don't think Back in Black and the records before are crap at all. I think that they have written the same two or three songs over and over and over in the years after "...Black" and TO ME, they have become stale. "Big Gun" might be the only fairly unique song they've done in nearly three decades, IN MY OPINION.

Lars is a good drummer for what ...tallica plays. But the hero worship thing doesn't change the fact that he hacked his way through the drum parts for ...Justice and Flemming Rasmussen had to create usable tracks with heavy editing. That's just printed history. That doesn't mean I don't like the album, in fact it's my fave. I'm just not going to bow down and worship Lars' drumming.

The common denominator with AC and ...tallica, is that they have IN MY OPINION overextended a style to a point of ad nauseum and appear to be more interested in money, than progress.

[FlyingBuddha]

IMO, he's somewhat mediocre, really overrated too. I'm not saying he should be a Chambers or an Adler, but he's just too Begginer-ish for my taste, In fact I think Metallica would have been better off without him. Most of his material isnt that original tbh, this has nothing to do with my not liking Metallica tho, he just doesnt impress me as a drummer, he's a bit of a wanker too.



P.S. First post btw hello!, wew.

[Joe P]

By the way, Metallica is basically his band, so that would explain why they haven't gotten rid of him :p If anyone was wondering.

[metal overlord]

IMO, he's somewhat mediocre, really overrated too. I'm not saying he should be a Chambers or an Adler, but he's just too Begginer-ish for my taste, In fact I think Metallica would have been better off without him. Most of his material isnt that original tbh, this has nothing to do with my not liking Metallica tho, he just doesnt impress me as a drummer, he's a bit of a wanker too.



P.S. First post btw hello!, wew.


Hahaha are you kidding me? Metallica wouldn't be without Lars.
It's HIS and James' band.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Hahaha are you kidding me? Metallica wouldn't be without Lars.
It's HIS and James' band.

Exactly.
There is no other drummer that could fit in Metallica

[JanoHatesDrumming]

Exactly.
There is no other drummer that could fit in Metallica

i agree wholeheartedly no other drummer has the same mixture of speed and rhythm that would also atribute to the overall sound as well as lars

[metal overlord]

Exactly.
There is no other drummer that could fit in Metallica


Joey Jordison was too overpowering, he's a phenominal drummer but he over did Lars' parts when they did songs with him. Dave Lombardo is is the god of double bass drum thunder, and he didn't do bad for the 2 1/2 minutes of playing time with the band as of what I saw. Him doing battery was good. I love Dave so i'm not going to speak against him.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Joey Jordison was too overpowering, he's a phenominal drummer but he over did Lars' parts when they did songs with him. Dave Lombardo is is the god of double bass drum thunder, and he didn't do bad for the 2 1/2 minutes of playing time with the band as of what I saw. Him doing battery was good. I love Dave so i'm not going to speak against him.

Yeah, Slayers drummer might be one of the only people who actually might fit.
But I don't think it would be right.

[JanoHatesDrumming]

Yeah, Slayers drummer might be one of the only people who actually might fit.
But I don't think it would be right.

yeah he has a diffrent sound than lars but idk y i think this but vinnie paul wouldn't be all that bad either

[LeeLovesSabian]

yeah he has a diffrent sound than lars but idk y i think this but vinnie paul wouldn't be all that bad either

Interesting choice, Pantera's drummer is another candidate.

[JanoHatesDrumming]

Interesting choice, Pantera's drummer is another candidate.

yeah the drumming on walk and drag the waters really drive home the point that lars and vinne are quite similar in styles

[LeeLovesSabian]

yeah the drumming on walk and drag the waters really drive home the point that lars and vinne are quite similar in styles

Vinnie is more Groove-Oriented.
Lars likes to add to the sound with many fills.

[trkdrmr]

I caught Metallica live in thier heyday. I loved Lar's white/black tama kit. It's an icon of metal in my book.

Those guys blew the roof off for 3 hours. I enjoy Lar's work, and aside from air-drumming at the show, he made me go home and play harder.

In fact, when my new kit gets done, I'd like to play MOP and Battery.

Incidentally, those who bash pro drummers are the lowest form of life right down there with slime molds. I don't want this forum to fill up with that kind of individual.

[LeeLovesSabian]

I caught Metallica live in thier heyday. I loved Lar's white/black tama kit. It's an icon of metal in my book.

Those guys blew the roof off for 3 hours. I enjoy Lar's work, and aside from air-drumming at the show, he made me go home and play harder.

In fact, when my new kit gets done, I'd like to play MOP and Battery.

Incidentally, those who bash pro drummers are the lowest form of life right down there with slime molds. I don't want this forum to fill up with that kind of individual.

I love that kit so much, I made it my avatar

[trkdrmr]

I love that kit so much, I made it my avatar

I want a wall poster of that kit.

[LeeLovesSabian]

I want a wall poster of that kit.

Ditto.
A picture of him playing it would be nice.
Do you like his newest kit?

[trkdrmr]

Ditto.
A picture of him playing it would be nice.
Do you like his newest kit?

The SC is a nice kit...don't get me wrong. For me, it's a letdown, and completely lacks the visual statement made by that white granstar.

[LeeLovesSabian]

The SC is a nice kit...don't get me wrong. For me, it's a letdown, and completely lacks the visual statement made by that white granstar.

I like the color to his newest, but there are only 2 mounted toms. WTF???
He plays metal, and should have more toms.

[Jason Dorn]

Early Metallica has some impressive thrash drumming that was fresh and inspiring. I would have to agree that Lars playing has gotten less imaginative and sloppy as time has worn on. Not a slam on lars or saying I'm better or anything like that I just find the drums on the first 4 albums much more inspired than the later albums.

As far as the production sound they use for his playing Death Magnetic is better St. Anger was horrible. I would have to agree with the posters here that feel Metallica has grown redundant.

Heres a guy who can certainly do the older Lars parts quite well matter o fact aside from the singer this is a most awesome cover of a most awesome song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMauyB8zaKQ&feature=related

[LeeLovesSabian]

yeah the drumming on walk and drag the waters really drive home the point that lars and vinne are quite similar in styles

No they don't, not really.

[FlyingBuddha]

Hahaha are you kidding me? Metallica wouldn't be without Lars.
It's HIS and James' band.

I meant as a drummer, I didnt say he was a bad musician.

Exactly.
There is no other drummer that could fit in Metallica
i agree wholeheartedly no other drummer has the same mixture of speed and rhythm that would also atribute to the overall sound as well as lars


I believe in the exact opposite of what you just said, which proves further more that its all subjective really, so arguing at this point wont make any sense.

[drumnoob]

Do we comment on when Metallica was a metal or an alternative band?

I think most of us can agree what the holy trinity of Metallica albums are (Lightning, Master, Justice). Kill 'em all was good but not great. The Black Album abandoned thrash completely, and the Load albums, well...they sucked. I mean SUCKED. "Fuel"? Seriously?

Lars was/is (?) an awesome drummer. Not the best--he's no Lombardo (one of his more talented thrash peer)--but very good, very influential. Death Magnetic is much, MUCH better than anything they've done for the past twenty years or so, but it's too little too late. Lars is a good drummer, but I think he spends most of his time trying to be a good businessman.

[kwolf68]

1)

4) One album you liked, and the rest you didn't. That doesn't make him a bad drummer. It means his music isn't your taste. Not the same thing, really.



Really, this was interesting. The poster you responded to said the "Black album" was interesting. LMMFAO...it was on that album that Lars and Metallica themselves said they scaled things down to the very basics...less time changes, shorter songs, easier riffs, less complicated structures. And the poster who complained about him said THIS was the album of interest.

This tells me, said poster has no clue about Metallica or simply doesn't like the band.

NO ONE can deny Lars WAS getting good in the 1980s...his improvement from Kill Em All to ...And Justice For All is fact, it's on tape. It's proven. I also saw them gig numerous times and he handled his craft well.

Now...after Black I'll admit Lars vanished as a drummer, he absolutely didn't get any better and seemed to regress as Metallica became a half-assed cover band/alt-grunge/rap/country/whatever they became band following Black.

Black album was an easier album to play on drums than the previous couple albums, but Lars rocked that album...his feel behind the kit was very instinctive.

Some of the complexity on ...And Justice For All was out of the Neal Peart book of drumming (before I get blasted for this, YES Neal is better by a mile). Frayed Ends of Sanity and Blackened are two ball kicking drum songs.

[scarlit]

dunno if anyone has mentioned this already, but Lars had a ride on his kit for the first bunch of dates on the American tour goin on currently, but for the last bunch of dates its been taken out.

I'm a huge 'Tallica fan, its a real shame his playing his gotten so sloppy over the last 15 years.

[Li Youwei]

For the recording of the Black Album Lars played a Gretsch kit rented from the Drum Doctors. For Load he used the same kicks from that kit. He admits this in his Modern Drummer interview from 96, stating that Tama were probably not too happy about it but that he'll always play Tama live.
On the Black Album, he did in excess of 60 takes for some tracks. Parts of these takes were edited together to form the final tracks. You can hear Bob Rock say on the Classic Albums DVD that getting a single take would have been nothing short of a miracle. That's why the Black Album has such solid tracks, not because Lars has great time.
Knowing this and comparing his early double kick work on albums with recent live recordings, you'd wonder how good he was to begin with. Recent live recordings show sloppy time and atrocious double kick work - not just a little bit off, but actually terrible. There are a few recordings of "One" on Youtube that show the signature triplet breakdown being butchered - sad considering that by today's standards the tempo is not that fast.
I was a fan of Lars' playing when I was young and that kind of playing was relatively new, but for my money, I expect much more from him in a live setting.

[LeeLovesSabian]

dunno if anyone has mentioned this already, but Lars had a ride on his kit for the first bunch of dates on the American tour goin on currently, but for the last bunch of dates its been taken out.

I'm a huge 'Tallica fan, its a real shame his playing his gotten so sloppy over the last 15 years.

He did use a ride during songs like "Ride the Lightning" "Until it Sleeps", "Bleeding Me", etc.
Not much during the thrash songs.

[Guz2]

"Zildjian cymbals are not just the best cymbals, but the ONLY cymbals". (Lars Ulrich)

"He has been known to use a mixture of brands when recording in the studio, including Sabian Cymbals". (Wikipedia)

>___<

[kwolf68]

They didn't actually play half those songs as you hear them.


Interesting. Lars must have lip-drummed in concert. I saw the guy play nearly every song off ...And Justice for All and he played them flawlessly.

The fact you read 'he can't play' is easily refuted by the knowledge that I saw him play those songs off ..And Justice For All and he certainly wasn't sloppy nor did he make a fool of himself.

[metal overlord]

Interesting. Lars must have lip-drummed in concert. I saw the guy play nearly every song off ...And Justice for All and he played them flawlessly.

The fact you read 'he can't play' is easily refuted by the knowledge that I saw him play those songs off ..And Justice For All and he certainly wasn't sloppy nor did he make a fool of himself.

I second this. Very true.

[LeeLovesSabian]

"Zildjian cymbals are not just the best cymbals, but the ONLY cymbals". (Lars Ulrich)

"He has been known to use a mixture of brands when recording in the studio, including Sabian Cymbals". (Wikipedia)

>___<

The only non-Zildjian cymbals I've seen him use, are Sabian hats.

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

I listened to . and Justice for all several times when it came out in the eighties and really appreciated Lars for the excellent drumming, even though I was not inspired... .. Still love his playing through out the album synchronizing with the guitar.

The Dream Theater cover on YouTube is excellent as well.

[metal overlord]

I listened to . and Justice for all several times when it came out in the eighties and really appreciated Lars for the excellent drumming, even though I was not inspired... .. Still love his playing through out the album synchronizing with the guitar.

The Dream Theater cover on YouTube is excellent as well.

Hahaha, your not inspired by too many people eh? I always see that in your posts. No offence or anything, but just something I noticed.

[Dangerous Dave]

Ahhhh the everlasting conversation about the guy. Well, I must say me seeing his double bass kit made me play drums more. He was a god for me until I found another bands. Bands which were waaay better and played better music (for me). So then I realized Lars isn't that special. I learned basics from listening him play. So thank you for that, Lars. Today, Lars sucks. Has a great feel, but totally sucks which is a shame because he has talent. Ahhhh what can you do? Not to buy Death magnetic, maybe? Of course. He started counting money and abandoned what he really should do: Creating music for music's sake. I can't listen to DM.

Rock on

[sk8erpnkmt369]

Lars is one of the most famous drummers. Then more so then now.

But, personally i think he has the right ideas about drumming as some the dvd "some kind of monster" presents. But he goes about it all wrong.

but so does everybody else in that band. Not so much kirk, but yeah. He fits with that band is all I can say really.

[scarlit]

saw them on thursday. great show as usual.

[Ainulindale]

Lars plays for the song and brings emotion and credibility to the intense music of early Metallica, there is no Metallica without Lars, sure he's no clinician - but he's still one helluva drummer who gets paid a lot more than we all do ;-)

Lars was one of my early inspirations, and i still respect his playing...

[Bryan77]

I use to always think Lars was an "ok" drummer but, I went to go see Metallica about two weeks ago in New Jersey and he had his drum set on a platform to rotate because it was center stage and it completely made me change my mind. I was watching his feet during one of the faster double bass songs and he was using his left foot for the double bass part and he was just using his right for accents. I never saw anyone do this. Man, now I think he's really good.

[Bryan77]

Ahhhh the everlasting conversation about the guy. Well, I must say me seeing his double bass kit made me play drums more. He was a god for me until I found another bands. Bands which were waaay better and played better music (for me). So then I realized Lars isn't that special. I learned basics from listening him play. So thank you for that, Lars. Today, Lars sucks. Has a great feel, but totally sucks which is a shame because he has talent. Ahhhh what can you do? Not to buy Death magnetic, maybe? Of course. He started counting money and abandoned what he really should do: Creating music for music's sake. I can't listen to DM.

Rock on


I would've agreed with you on that about a month ago. But, if you watch his left foot he plays most of the double bass stuff with his left foot and just uses hes right for accents. The best approach, no but, I must say I was impressed.

[Stixxicus]

lars is solid, and the fact that he uses his double base in an odd manner makes me feel a little safer because, now I know it's alright to do that. His drumming was innovative for his time because no one really played like that. I dont think hes anything special, but i do agree he has talent.

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

Death Magnetic....the steady fast groove in "the day that never comes" is awsome!, I know I will have to go a long way to play like that, but his playing is so steady and never misses a beat. I listen to that song when I work out.

The drum sound is not good, blame it on the engineers!

[BENANEB]

Oh yeah, anyone ever notice that Lars used a ride cymbal on Kill 'Em All, and Ride the Lightning, and never used one again? With the exception of Welcome Home's intro and the breakdown of Disposable Heroes on Master of Puppets, he does not use it at all on any of the other albums.

- Marc

sorry if im wrong, but i think their song "bleeding me" has ride at the intro. o. it does.

[BENANEB]

lars is solid, and the fact that he uses his double base in an odd manner makes me feel a little safer because, now I know it's alright to do that. His drumming was innovative for his time because no one really played like that. I dont think hes anything special, but i do agree he has talent.

ya. i agree. some of his double bass sounds really different but cool. i don't like drummers who play 32'd notes on the bass the whole song.

[Guz2]

sorry if im wrong, but i think their song "bleeding me" has ride at the intro. o. it does.And in the Unforgiven 2, IIRC

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Death Magnetic....the steady fast groove in "the day that never comes" is awsome!, I know I will have to go a long way to play like that, but his playing is so steady and never misses a beat. I listen to that song when I work out.

The drum sound is not good, blame it on the engineers!

Don't blame it on the engineers. Metallica actually co-produced the album with Rubin, so it's actually them to blame. If Rubin wasn't happy with the drum sound, it wouldn't have gotten through. Engineers tend to just do what they're told.

[METALLICADRUMMER]

And in the Unforgiven 2, IIRC

until it sleeps (intro)

[drummingman]

lars was one of my favorite drummers when i was comming up. his play very much inspired me back in the day. i just think that he should start practicing again to add fresh new things to his playing to keep it interesting.

[Kongo]

Not to be a butt, but I think this guy is over-rated.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Not to be a butt, but I think this guy is over-rated.

You are being a butt!!!
lol, just kidding.

[hendecahedron]

All I know is that Lars' drumming on ...And Justice for All is his finest work to date, in my most humble opinion. His playing on that album made me air drum for days at an end, trying to learn his parts; and, even if they are not too difficult, complement the overall progressive approach of the band on this album, which by the way in my opinion is the absolute best Metallica will ever produce.

As for those bashers, well, if you think Lar's playing is boring and uninspired and lacks creativity and blah, blah, blah... why don't you show us how you can make it better? Provide us with recordings of your playing along to Metallica songs with your own approach and show us how you can play fun, inspirational and creative parts. Just a suggestion...

[LeeLovesSabian]

All I know is that Lars' drumming on ...And Justice for All is his finest work to date, in my most humble opinion. His playing on that album made me air drum for days at an end, trying to learn his parts; and, even if they are not too difficult, complement the overall progressive approach of the band on this album, which by the way in my opinion is the absolute best Metallica will ever produce.

As for those bashers, well, if you think Lar's playing is boring and uninspired and lacks creativity and blah, blah, blah... why don't you show us how you can make it better? Provide us with recordings of your playing along to Metallica songs with your own approach and show us how you can play fun, inspirational and creative parts. Just a suggestion...

Spot on, Justice has great drum tracks.

Blackened, ...And justice for all, One, Harvester of sorrow, Dyers Eve, etc...

[IGG]

He's so much more to Metallica than just a drummer, and he fits the music just fine. Unfortunately like a lot of modern metal, his drum tracks are pieced together...even when they didn't quite have the technology, and especially for the And Justice...tracks. Then again, who could play Dyers Eve in one take LOL!

I'd switch thrones with him.

[drummerforlife]

lars plays really good for metallica in my opinion, but really isnt the best, as a matter of fact he is my least favorate drummer, but i still look up to him.

[LeeLovesSabian]

He's so much more to Metallica than just a drummer, and he fits the music just fine. Unfortunately like a lot of modern metal, his drum tracks are pieced together...even when they didn't quite have the technology, and especially for the And Justice...tracks. Then again, who could play Dyers Eve in one take LOL!

I'd switch thrones with him.

Dyers Eve.....
It'll be a while before I can complete that. lol
Besides the Beggining.

lars plays really good for metallica in my opinion, but really isnt the best, as a matter of fact he is my least favorate drummer, but i still look up to him.

Nobody said he's the best, I just want people to acknowledge that he's a fit drummer, and a good drummer.

[Ian Williams]

Creeping Death, it's my favourite one.

[cdawg]

Not to be a butt, but I think this guy is over-rated.

good call. he IS overrated. he isn't a BAD drummer, just stagnant. he did good work through and justice, but the whole band went into the shitter, writing-wise after that. all poppy. anybody that refuses to grow after a certain point is looking to lose listeners.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Creeping Death, it's my favourite one.

Dyers Eve?

Or Creeping Death?

I don't know if you were getting my attention, or just naming the song.
Oops.....

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

the day that never comes- Death Magnetic

Tells all bout Lars.
There are so many immitators (or..inspiration) on You Tube but he was the first one who did it, awsome fast drumming! excellent

[\m/]

He may not be the best or most technically proficient, but I got inspired to play drums after listening to his parts in several Metallica albums, so I owe him that.

[cfrew]

Lars, in my opinion, doesn't show very much personallity in his playing and lacks unique abilities. he only has experience in loud metal drumming and nothing else. apparently, lars actually had to have a drum teacher teach him how to play a traditional jazz beat when metallica was recording some song that i forgot the name of.

[Ian Williams]

I have a lot of respect for Lars, his playing and what He has achieved with Metallica and the band itself. But it seems that lost of interest and/or lack of motivation is hitting him lately.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Lars, in my opinion, doesn't show very much personallity in his playing and lacks unique abilities. he only has experience in loud metal drumming and nothing else. apparently, lars actually had to have a drum teacher teach him how to play a traditional jazz beat when metallica was recording some song that i forgot the name of.

Thats strange.

Because one of the reasons that he my favorite, is because of his stage presence.
He shows a lot of emotion when he plays, and really looks like he is enjoying it.

[BENANEB]

The more i listen to him, the less i like him. it all sounds the same to me. i like drummers with a lot of diversity of their playing, not just the same beat in every song. i have to admit, some of his stuff is good tho.

[MeTaLdRuMmR]

The only reasons you people don't like the guy are

1-not enough double bass or blast beats

2-simple straight out beats

3-not into it???

Ya...Those(except # 3) aren't his style. If he can make simple beats fit into a great song, why complain about it. And not into it? Have you seen him live in 89'. He's definately into it. And it sounds great. He is an inspiration to many beginning drummers...including me.

[Ian Williams]

The only reasons you people don't like the guy are

1-not enough double bass or blast beats

2-simple straight out beats

3-not into it???

Ya...Those(except # 3) aren't his style. If he can make simple beats fit into a great song, why complain about it. And not into it? Have you seen him live in 89'. He's definately into it. And it sounds great. He is an inspiration to many beginning drummers...including me.

Regarding two bass drums, if you start filling in all the holes because you’ve got two kicks, it can get rather boring. By fact very good players know this.

Cheers,

[Buddy9832]

^^^

Lars Ulrich does not impress me at all.

Nothing about his drumming stands out to me.

He can play double bass, but so can't a lot of drummers.

I have honestly found nothing from his drumming style that impressive.

Simply said and I'm sure I'm going to get some flak for this, he's a mediocre drummer.

[ace76543]

The only reasons you people don't like the guy are

1-not enough double bass or blast beats

2-simple straight out beats

3-not into it???

Ya...Those(except # 3) aren't his style. If he can make simple beats fit into a great song, why complain about it. And not into it? Have you seen him live in 89'. He's definately into it. And it sounds great. He is an inspiration to many beginning drummers...including me.

no one doubts that he was into it TWENTY years ago. That's not what we're talking about

[Drums&Beer]

^^^

Lars Ulrich does not impress me at all.

Nothing about his drumming stands out to me.

He can play double bass, but so can't a lot of drummers.

I have honestly found nothing from his drumming style that impressive.

Simply said and I'm sure I'm going to get some flak for this, he's a mediocre drummer.

Pretty harsh words towards a drummer that's a part of a music group that along with bands like Slayer, and a handful of others paved a completely different road for metal music. And sure Metallica may have lost some steam Black Album and beyond, we're talking about a drummer who was on some pinnacle albums e.g. Kill Em All, Ride the Lightning, Masters of Puppets, And Justice for All, during a time when the music industry was trying to sell you garbage metal albums like Theatre of Pain and sissies with cucumbers stuffed in the spandex tights.

I think that with Lars you have to use a little perspective. Yeah, he's not Dave Lombardo, but who the hell is? I respect him a lot for trying to be a better musician and play what he thinks is right for what Metallica is doing now, regardless of what many (myself included) happens to think of the bands new sound or musical direction.

Nonetheless he inspired a lot of drummers to play and be different.

[DrumEatDrum]

How people view Lars tends to fall into one of two catagories

1) Those were teenagers (or older) in the 80s who remember Lars playing things that no one else was doing at the time (at least not in a way most people could see/hear). his raw speed on the first 4 Metallica albums was a relatively new concept at the time. While drummers had been using double bass for years, most used it for quads, shuffles, or just double bass roles. Lars came along and played all sorts of broken triplet patterns, syncopations, and quick rolls that no one else was playing on albums at the time. Playing thrash in 7/4 and 5/4 and all the crazy time signature changes on "And Justice For All" was ground breaking.
The first time "One" was played on MTV was a monumental occasion, as many of us had never heard someone play double bass like ever.

2) Those who were teenagers in the 90's or later, who only saw Lars simplify his playing, while thousands upon thousands of drummers learned every Lars Ulrich trick and then improved upon it many times over, while Lars himself stopped trying to improve himself, apparently went backwards in ability.

What many people don't realize is yes, they can turn on MTV or youtube or whatever and find 1,000,001 players who can do insane things with double bass than Lars couldn't do if he dreamed, but 20 years ago those other players didn't exist, and there was no youtube to watch them on. While Lars was "the guy" (with a handful of others) who was doing it, and actually selling records, and putting himself in places where people could see and hear him. Most of these modern players wouldn't be playing what they play if Lars had not set the ground work first and been around to be copied and improved upon.

Muck like in jazz, a lot of the early pioneers like Zutty Singleton and Cozy Cole are often forgotten in favor of the 2nd and 3rd generation jazz of players who took everything the early guys did and improved it, and used better recording technology to make more people aware that they could play they way they do. (and no, I'm not comparing Lars to jazz legends).

I remember looking at Lars as a major inspiration for what could be done on the drum kit.
Do I look at him the same way now? Of course not. But that doesn't discount what he did in the past.

[kastas]

It's so sad to see Lars drumming away during a live concert that it's hard to believe that at one point he was the reference for what extreme metal drumming should be. He was never that brilliant but he certainly had a spark and his early double bass forays were really amazing (at least on record). I've just seen him playing in Mexico City and the way he played some thrash classics like "Disposable Heroes" or "Fight Fire With Fire" was really disappointing. Yeah, overall he still sounds decent but it seems he has become allergic to playing double bass the way he used to. The drumming on "Disposable Heroes" was devoid of any of the double bass fills that made the song sound thrashier. Sure, playing this stuff night after night when you're over 40 CAN be grueling, but he could do other things to make up for the lack of 16th note double bass parts. He could do triplets, which are far easier and, in a live situation, could fool some ears into thinking they're listening to double bass. Also, the famous double bass fills in "One" sounded hideously uneven. I purchased the live recording at Metallicalive.com and it only confirmed what I heard live. Even on the new songs, that should have been written with the possibility of pulling them off live, sounded contrived and incomplete. The fast double bass parts on "All Nightmare Long" (in the fast beat) disappeared altogether, only to reappear briefly at end of the mentioned part.
Double bass parts in "Fight Fire With Fire" were (in any) inaudible. I understand Metallica played "Dyers Eve" on their last Mexico City show and I seriously doubt that he played a single double bass note. Double bass was such an integral part of Metallica's musical arsenal that I miss it just as I missed Kirk's solo's in St. Anger.
If age's an issue, I see Dave Lombardo having no problems playing double bass parts live (they came to Mexico during the "Christ Illusion" tour), and he is about the same age as Mr. Ulrich.
It would be much better for Lars to abandon double bass altogether and maybe concentrate on improving other techniques that are not as physically demanding.

[grooveweapon]

I agree with Drumeatdrum and Kastas both on different sides of the coin.

On one hand, Lars did pave a path for a lot of drummers to go down. Ride the Lightning is what got me into metal...it is what metal really meant to me, and the way I think it should be still. Tons of power. I've seen some old videos of Lars and it was pretty cool what he was doing back in the day....but...

On the other hand, if Metallica are planning to carry the torch all the way to the finish line, then it is almost expected that every one of the members puts in the time it takes to play their instruments the way they used to be able to and I haven't seen that out of Lars. Like Drumeatdrum said, Dave Lombardo is still doing what he used to do back in the day on this drums now and is respected for it. When I think of Lars, I think of "old school" but in reality, he isn't too old to be playing this stuff... I think that he really just hasn't put in the time to stay brushed up on his metal chops.

When I heard Death Magnetic, I was pleased to hear he was going in the right direction. Sure there isn't a lot of double bass, but people think that is what makes metal and it's not....it is one part of it. I think people try to up-play its significance.

[gibsonrock53]

^^^

Lars Ulrich does not impress me at all.

Nothing about his drumming stands out to me.

He can play double bass, but so can't a lot of drummers.

I have honestly found nothing from his drumming style that impressive.

Simply said and I'm sure I'm going to get some flak for this, he's a mediocre drummer.

This guy influenced almost every drummer in metal today. He has written every Metallica song except for two. He is a huge influence to me. He is an awesome drummer. I don't know what happened after '91, though.

[drummer4life!]

does anyone know where i can get lars ulriches white 9 piece tama i really want to get one

[CopperBomb]

Well, having been at the Sonisphere UK festival in Knebworth over the weekend, I can safely say that Lars is the worst 'professional' drummer I've ever heard. The whole band sounded like some terrible cover band butchering some classic metal songs.

I've been into the thrash scene since the beginning and was a Metallica fan up until the Black album which, in itself, isn't a bad album, just not what was expected after "...And Justice". After that, they just produced drab, uninspired rock music.

I can remember seeing them in '91 on the "...And Justice" tour and they were absolutely amazing. Seeing them on Sunday was just depressing. They butchered 'Blackened', 'Master of Puppets', 'Fade to Black' and 'One' (to be fair, 'One' wasn't too bad) plus some stuff off their last album (which I won't even waste bandwidth downloading) which I could hear whilst walking back to the car park to go home.

Lars simply can't play any of the songs prior to the Black album anymore - and he should be banned from even trying. I just wish I'd have left before they came on so as to preserve the memory of what Metallica used to be. A truly disheartening experience.

[gibsonrock53]

Well, having been at the Sonisphere UK festival in Knebworth over the weekend, I can safely say that Lars is the worst 'professional' drummer I've ever heard. The whole band sounded like some terrible cover band butchering some classic metal songs.

I've been into the thrash scene since the beginning and was a Metallica fan up until the Black album which, in itself, isn't a bad album, just not what was expected after "...And Justice". After that, they just produced drab, uninspired rock music.

I can remember seeing them in '91 on the "...And Justice" tour and they were absolutely amazing. Seeing them on Sunday was just depressing. They butchered 'Blackened', 'Master of Puppets', 'Fade to Black' and 'One' (to be fair, 'One' wasn't too bad) plus some stuff off their last album (which I won't even waste bandwidth downloading) which I could hear whilst walking back to the car park to go home.

Lars simply can't play any of the songs prior to the Black album anymore - and he should be banned from even trying. I just wish I'd have left before they came on so as to preserve the memory of what Metallica used to be. A truly disheartening experience.

On Live Sh*t Binge and Purge, he is awesome! On S&M he was pretty good, too. I haven't heard him live recently though. The rest of the band is still dong great! Death Magnetic is a pretty solid album. The drumming on All Nightmare Long and My Apocalypse is pretty sweet. But you are right, his drumming is really good, until after the Black album when the whole band changed to a hard rock band out of nowhere! I think that Lars should just practice on his drumming technique. Or maybe they need a new drummer. There are a few great drummers on Youtube that do great covers of Metallica songs! Here is one of them:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Metallicafan2910

[LeeLovesSabian]

How people view Lars tends to fall into one of two catagories

1) Those were teenagers (or older) in the 80s who remember Lars playing things that no one else was doing at the time (at least not in a way most people could see/hear). his raw speed on the first 4 Metallica albums was a relatively new concept at the time. While drummers had been using double bass for years, most used it for quads, shuffles, or just double bass roles. Lars came along and played all sorts of broken triplet patterns, syncopations, and quick rolls that no one else was playing on albums at the time. Playing thrash in 7/4 and 5/4 and all the crazy time signature changes on "And Justice For All" was ground breaking.
The first time "One" was played on MTV was a monumental occasion, as many of us had never heard someone play double bass like ever.

2) Those who were teenagers in the 90's or later, who only saw Lars simplify his playing, while thousands upon thousands of drummers learned every Lars Ulrich trick and then improved upon it many times over, while Lars himself stopped trying to improve himself, apparently went backwards in ability.

What many people don't realize is yes, they can turn on MTV or youtube or whatever and find 1,000,001 players who can do insane things with double bass than Lars couldn't do if he dreamed, but 20 years ago those other players didn't exist, and there was no youtube to watch them on. While Lars was "the guy" (with a handful of others) who was doing it, and actually selling records, and putting himself in places where people could see and hear him. Most of these modern players wouldn't be playing what they play if Lars had not set the ground work first and been around to be copied and improved upon.

Muck like in jazz, a lot of the early pioneers like Zutty Singleton and Cozy Cole are often forgotten in favor of the 2nd and 3rd generation jazz of players who took everything the early guys did and improved it, and used better recording technology to make more people aware that they could play they way they do. (and no, I'm not comparing Lars to jazz legends).

I remember looking at Lars as a major inspiration for what could be done on the drum kit.
Do I look at him the same way now? Of course not. But that doesn't discount what he did in the past.

Finally, a post that makes sense.
Several of the people posting in this thread are just bashing him becuase he doesn't go double bass happy, or go nuts all of the time.

The things that matter are:
The beats and fills fit into the songs
He is energetic live

And he does both, so whats the point of all of this negativity?

[gibsonrock53]

I completely agree with LeeLovesSabian. He isn't the crazy drummer that every body wants him to be, so every one hates him. He fits perfectly into the songs that Metallica plays. I think he is one of the greatest drummers ever and my personal favorite.

[Stoney]

I can't really say I'm a fan of Lars but that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of respect for him. Sure he's not the most technical drummer out there but I'm sure he knows that! Besides, like a lot of great drummers it's his showmanship alone that pulls him through.

I agree that he may have let his technical ability slip over the years but I remember reading an interview a while back where he was mentioning that he used to listen to drummers and think "god that's so easy, I can do that" Then he started listening to Rolling Stones and got into the more beat aspect of drumming. That's what gets him off these days. The less is more approach. Hats off to him I say.

I challenge you to go into a bar/club and put Enter Sandman on the jukebox. I then challenge you to be unable to nod your head up and down. I certainly can't and that in itself is a sign of a great drummer!

[Bryan77]

I can't really say I'm a fan of Lars but that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of respect for him. Sure he's not the most technical drummer out there but I'm sure he knows that! Besides, like a lot of great drummers it's his showmanship alone that pulls him through.

I agree that he may have let his technical ability slip over the years but I remember reading an interview a while back where he was mentioning that he used to listen to drummers and think "god that's so easy, I can do that" Then he started listening to Rolling Stones and got into the more beat aspect of drumming. That's what gets him off these days. The less is more approach. Hats off to him I say.

I challenge you to go into a bar/club and put Enter Sandman on the jukebox. I then challenge you to be unable to nod your head up and down. I certainly can't and that in itself is a sign of a great drummer!

I agree completely. I like Lars. He may not be the best but he sure has to be pretty good to make it to where he is now haha.

[arthurk1]

He's so much more to Metallica than just a drummer, and he fits the music just fine. Unfortunately like a lot of modern metal, his drum tracks are pieced together...even when they didn't quite have the technology, and especially for the And Justice...tracks. Then again, who could play Dyers Eve in one take LOL!

I'd switch thrones with him.

Actually there are tons of drummers, me included that can play dyers eve with ease. It's really not that hard. Here is a link to just one of many guys playing it..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YdgYiPXEAE

[drum.lad]

Saw Lars last week im not a mettalica fan at all just went for a day out.Now he was probaly the worst drummer of they day but he sure does give his all live.I find it weird that he doesnt want to improve his drumming but he has already left a huge legacy behind him he could stop right now and he will be remembered by drummers the world over until time ends.It was weird watching him struggle with the double bass in "One" a song that put his drumming to the forefront of popular drumming and he cant really do it anymore.

[gibsonrock53]

All I know is that Lars' drumming on ...And Justice for All is his finest work to date, in my most humble opinion. His playing on that album made me air drum for days at an end, trying to learn his parts; and, even if they are not too difficult, complement the overall progressive approach of the band on this album, which by the way in my opinion is the absolute best Metallica will ever produce.

As for those bashers, well, if you think Lar's playing is boring and uninspired and lacks creativity and blah, blah, blah... why don't you show us how you can make it better? Provide us with recordings of your playing along to Metallica songs with your own approach and show us how you can play fun, inspirational and creative parts. Just a suggestion...
And Justice is his best work. Ride The Lightning has to be 2nd, though. He played fast beats and good fills. I sure can't play the stuff he played on that album. And I would like to see someone play Metallica better than Lars. He is Metallica. Take him out and the band is even more lost. I wish I could bring Cliff back, then maybe Metallica would be better.

[speedkingsox]

Hi all

I noticed on a recent picture taken from behind Lars playing live, and he has some sort of motor attached to the seat section of his drum stool. Does anyone know what it is? i have 2 theories...
a. its a fan
b. its some sort of transducer producing bass to compliment his in-ear monitors.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn124/speedkingsox/lars_ulrich_5239707.jpg

Baffled, hope someone can help. :-)


Cheers

Sox!

[masterofpuppets]

Lars is amazing hes the best, and he uses tama not gretch where did you even hear that ?

[masterofpuppets]

Hi all

I noticed on a recent picture taken from behind Lars playing live, and he has some sort of motor attached to the seat section of his drum stool. Does anyone know what it is? i have 2 theories...
a. its a fan
b. its some sort of transducer producing bass to compliment his in-ear monitors.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn124/speedkingsox/lars_ulrich_5239707.jpg

Baffled, hope someone can help. :-)


Cheers

Sox!

I think its hydrulix for his throne so he can move it up and down easily

[masterofpuppets]

and i think that thing under lars' throne is hydralix so he can move it up and down easy =]

[arthurk1]

It's a buttkicker. It shakes when he hits his kick drums so he doesn't have to have a giant monitor. Yes they work with your in-ears!

[trickymitch]

Lars was great on the Black album... amazing sounding drums n some great drumming. He's just too all over the place now, although I like the sound of his live kit a lot.

[wotg]

It`s sad to see how little historical perspective people have. Lars paved the way for generations of drummers. Lars has never claimed to be the best and if i remember correct he has shyed away from clinics cus he`s not confident enough in he`s abilities and feels that it would be stroking he`s own ego too much.
And as for the whole napster thing, many of the forum members again seem to be ignorant of history. The whole thing blew up into a greed issue, when the fact of the matter was that it was a question about artists owning the rights to their own music.
The napster issue just proved that long after metallica was deemed viable. They were still leading the pack.
It is amazing that artists (as i recon many of the forum members are) don`t see the importance of artists owning the rights to their own music.
If you are going to pursue music profesionally; how are you going to support yourself and your family if you can`t make money of your music?
As for Lars abilities the later part of 2000 it seems that age and family life has taking it`s toll on the man. He is a mere shadow of himself with regards to technique and he has been quite stagnant in he`s playing, but so has the rest of metallica.
I still get a kick when i listen to metallica, Lars has (had...) a unique style, almost symphonic in the way he`s drumming followed James guitar and vocals.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

It`s sad to see how little historical perspective people have. Lars paved the way for generations of drummers.

Indeed. I remember back in the mid 80's when I first discovered Metallica.....long before the Jordisons, Careys, Adlers or (insert any high profile "name") drummers who are currently at the top of their game, were even heard of. Lars and Lombardo were reverred. At least in my circles.

These guys were once considered pioneers. Of course the "new breeds" come along and raise the bar......they always have and they always will. But it'd be a shame to see the names of Carey, Adler and the like, diminished in 20 years time and have to suffer the same fate as poor old Lars. Historically, he was highly influential. A leader and forerunner of modern metal drumming. He was looked up to, aspired to and copied. Credit where it's due. He may not mean much anymore, but there was a time when he was everything to metal-heads.

[BuddyBeaufordGaddNeil]

Lars plays in my favorite band so i have a lot of respect for him for that alone.

[CalCooChi]

I reckon Load and Reload are really underrated as far as albums go and Lars' drum work in general. I'd go on on a limb and say S&M is his finest drum work bar none in terms of the stuff they put out after the 5 first albums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmjNM85hbnA

he's not a wizard technically but I love the stuff he throws in here, his style is unique if anything. I remember sombody bringing up the link between him and Moon in the fact that they like to improv / play from the heart - the drums on this album are awesome.

Justice is my favourite album of theirs though, the drums on that are incredible.

Relatively simple but effective - bit of a shame about his recent efforts live, it's hard to live up to the past though, and I can't see him wanting to do that so much any more now.

[Crazy8s]

Indeed. I remember back in the mid 80's when I first discovered Metallica.....long before the Jordisons, Careys, Adlers or (insert any high profile "name") drummers who are currently at the top of their game, were even heard of. Lars and Lombardo were reverred. At least in my circles.

These guys were once considered pioneers. Of course the "new breeds" come along and raise the bar......they always have and they always will. But it'd be a shame to see the names of Carey, Adler and the like, diminished in 20 years time and have to suffer the same fate as poor old Lars. Historically, he was highly influential. A leader and forerunner of modern metal drumming. He was looked up to, aspired to and copied. Credit where it's due. He may not mean much anymore, but there was a time when he was everything to metal-heads.

+1 to this. Lars is still every bit as influential as he ever was because every metal band that has come around since owes Metallica a heavy head-bangin' nod in recognition.

[Nugget]

When I started to play the drums, I admired Lars' drumming because it was simple, but it worked.

Then I found it insipid. Too simple. Not very creative.

After some time I discovered that Lars knows to control himself. He somehow knows when to play a solo, and when he shouldn't. He knows when to use double bass on a song, and when he shouldn't. He has a "touch" for drumming.

If this guy had studied a little bit more (rudiments, independence, other genres, etc.) he could have become a better drummer. But it seems he didn't care and never practiced that much.

[Ian Williams]

Lars is a professional drummer with or without studying, he plays for the song and has influence every metal drummer in one or another way. It's something to admire!

[HMNY]

I certainly think there have been instances live where Lars playing has been a little so-so, I am thinking about Enter Sandman played at the Live Earth concert, he seemed all over the place timekeeping-wise (I freely acknowledge this could have been to bad monitors etc), however last weekend I heard "Search and Destroy" from an EP they have just released called "Live at Grimeys"

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/archives/2010/10/06/none-more-black-friday-metallica-to-release-live-at-grimeys-nov-26

To my shame, the drumming was so amazing, I thought maybe it was not Lars drumming, but as you can see from the link above, it was, if you hear "Search and Destroy" from this set, I hope you think like me, that he's got some of his mojo back!

[braincramp]

I really dont know where he was talent wise and where he is today and to me it really doesnt matter... all I know is I'm 48 and play in a hard rock band that plays 2 metallica songs "for whom the bell tolls" and "sad but true" and the drumming is very signature and permits very little ablibing...to sound right you pretty well have to play whay he recorded and its far from simple drumming...very few songs on our set list required me to spend more time learning then these 2.

[N.I.B.]

I used to love Lars when I was big into Metallica, and then I followed a path similar to that which some other metalheads have taken: I got burnt out on Metallica and shelved them indefinitely because I discovered a bunch of other bands that have that "it factor" that Metallica seems to have lost...

However, my respect for Lars has come back because of a few recent epiphanies.

I used to be one of those people who would make ad hominem attacks on drummers because of their personalities or because they got caught in the "endorsement whore" trap. Now, I'm more prone to look at drummers based solely on their drumming. Lars may be a complete hack as a person (even then, some posts on here counter that statement pretty well), but I can look past the whole Napster screw-up and see him for how he is behind the kit. And his style seems to be one that fits Metallica and Metallica only. It seems to be a simpler style, compared to other metal drummers, but it fits perfectly with what the rest of the band plays. That, and after taking a look at a transcription for Master of Puppets, my assumption that the entire song was in 4/4 (because Lars' songs from RTL and MOP sounded so simple from a musical standpoint) was completely blown out of the water. For those of you who haven't seen this particular one (a "beat sheet" from onlinedrummer.com), it's quite a stunning discovery to see that Lars made something so complex on paper sound so incredibly simple! That's an incredible ability to have, in my opinion.

Here's the transcription: http://onlinedrummer.com/beat_sheets.php?Id=128

Once you get past all that, it'd be nice if you heard the dry "ping" of a ride once in awhile from Lars...the fact that he Would. Not. Lay. Off. The. Freaking. Hi-hats. always got to me for some reason...

[southpaw219]

Great transcription.

When it comes to drum notation, sometimes I'm a little a thrown by the variations. Generally, I write hi-hat below the last line of the staff, below the kick, and I put the ride as the first x above the top line of the staff, with each ledger line above that for the crashes, with a circle around the x signifying the bell. Toms, snare and kick all seem pretty standard.

Is there a drum notation bible out there anywhere? If someone's got a link, I'd love to see it.

Thanks.

Oh, and about Lars. I owe him a debt of gratitude for inspiration to simplify my fills. While listening to his playing, I heard that he doesn't always keep both his feet going, not always requiring constant kick beneath it all. I use the hat to keep time through a fill, but unless the fill actually incorporates a kick hit, I tend to leave it alone while my hands get busy.

Being a "technical" drummer is all well and good, but I really like the guys who keep time with a modicum of style and put their own stamp on things without being excessive or flashy. I think the Lars of my childhood was those things.

To that effect, I find Mike Portnoy's Dream Theater drumming kind of irritating. I'm glad he's done with that; the Amazing Journey stuff is pretty fun.