Rick Rubin has long been a controversial figure in the music world, known for his unique reputation as both a groundbreaking genius in pop music production and, conversely, a highly criticized figure by some.
The proof of both extremes is evident in his extensive career, with fans and artists alike either praising or questioning his approach. Rubin’s reliance on intuition, while successful for certain musicians (including legends like Johnny Cash), hasn’t been universally embraced.
In 2008, Metallica decided to take a chance on Rubin while working on Death Magnetic, parting ways with Bob Rock, who had produced their albums starting with The Black Album in 1991 and continuing through to St. Anger in 2003. Despite Death Magnetic being infamously compressed to the point of sonic overload, it was still hailed as a return to form for the band. The decision to work with Rubin was seen as a much-needed shift for the band.
Back in 2008, Kirk Hammett spoke to MTV News about the experience, saying that Rubin’s approach suited the band during that period.
“The great thing about working with Rick is he’s never around. I would say that’s a very strong point, in that it leaves the four of us to take on the entire brunt of the work and the planning that goes into the songwriting process and the recording process,” Hammett explained (via Blabbermouth).
“Of course, Rick was there for part of that process — when we recorded drums and vocals — but the fact that we were isolated in our studio, working on the songs ourselves, made a big difference because it kept our sound pure. We got more Metallica that way than we had previously with Bob Rock.”
Hammett further elaborated on how the change in producer affected their sound.
“Bob would add a lot of his own musical input, and with that came a lot of his own influences and style and jurisdiction and idiosyncrasies. And it would eventually make it into our sound. But with Rick, because he wasn’t there, it’s almost 100 percent undiluted Metallica. He’d come in and say, ‘That’s good, that isn’t, change that.’ And we would have to figure that out for ourselves. This is the most pure we’ve sounded in a long time.”
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