For the Metallica fans, old school fans...

[Fixxxer]

As we all know, Metallica hasn't produced true Metallica quality music for the last decade or so. I've loved every album, but everything after the Black Album (and some even hate that album for some strange reason) has been sub-par.

Well Metallica's former producer (Bob Rock) is not producing the next Metallica album (in which Metallica is in the studio and making now). The man producing the next album is none other then Rick Rubin.

Since this Rick dude is new to all of this, we thought it would be a nice gesture to help break him into the music business by asking him to produce our next record. We're very happy he said yes! In other words, we are psyched to share with you that Rick Rubin is producing the next Metallica album! **** YEAH!

http://www.metallica.com/index.asp?item=14828

I have a huge feeling that the next album will be the heaviest album ever to adorn the Metallica name with Rick giving them a hand. I'm so psyched they chose him to produce this album. Based on his past work, this should be a very interesting change for Metallica, and I think it will be a very beneficial change.

[Dr.Jeckyl]

i don't know. i don't think the Metallica change we all noticed and didn't much care for was Rock's fault. if you watch "Some kind of monster" they talk about the change they went through and why they did it. it was an "evolution" kind of thing for them. BUT, i'm psyched to hear they are in the studio, it's been too long.

[Fixxxer]

I agree that Rock wasn't the reason. I just think Rubin will influence them to revert back to their heavier days.

The biggest reason they changed was, IMO< Hetfields battle with the bottle. It's sad to say, but once he quit drinking, the music suffered.

[Dr.Jeckyl]

It's sad to say, but once he quit drinking, the music suffered.

you noticed that too?


if you(or any Tallica fan for that matter) hasn't seen "Some kind of monster" i highly recommend it.

[Fixxxer]

I have yet to see that, actually. I really wanted to then I just totally forgot about it. I'll pick it up in the next couple of days.

[Dr.Jeckyl]

definatly do so. it isn't a "making of a video" kind of doc but more of "breaking of a band" or the possibility of. it gave me a whole new respect for them.

[IRONHEAD]

Listening to "Battery" rightnow! Next up "The thing that should not be".

[MONOLITH]

I'm trying to remember which movie I watched, through this hangover I have this morning.

Is Some Kind of Monster the one where towards the end they recruit the
ex-Ozzy bassist, and tell him "you're in the band, here's a check for a million dollars".

Damn. A million dollar signing bonus, for partying and playing a bass.

I chose the wrong career.....

[Dr.Jeckyl]

yes that's the one.

[JasonL]

That's good to hear that Metallica is back in the studio recording. I hope they can deliver this time. I've loved every release of theirs up until their latest St. Anger which was just crap. I tried to listen to every song and find something I like and I just couldn't, unfortunately...because I am a huge fan. I can only hope they have a future, the rock gods sure deserve it.

[Rainier]

From the February 2008 issue of GUITAR WORLD, an interview with Kirk Hammett on the forthcoming album:
RUBIN SANDWICH
METALLICA MAKE PASTRAMI OF THEIR PAST FOR THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM, THE GROUP'S FIRST WITH MUSIC-INDUSTRY CONNOISSEUR RICK RUBIN. (By Alan Di Perna)

METALLICA'S FOLLOWUP TO THEIR 2003 album, St. Anger, is months away from completion, but Guitar World was lucky enough to intrude upon Kirk Hammett as he was in the midst of recording his guitar parts for the record. As yet untitled, the albums is Metallica's first in 16 years without producer Bob Rock. For this outing, the band signed up Rick Rubin, the über-god-guru producer worshiped by the West Coast's metal and hard rock communities. Ever accommodating, Hammett clued us in on the band's new direction, the genesis of the songs selected for the new record and the decision to rejigger Metallica's winning recipe yet again.

--GUITAR WORLD After 16 years and six albums with Bob Rock as your producer, how did you select Rick Rubin to produce this one?

--KIRK HAMMETT We knew that we heeded to go down a different avenue. And it seemed like whenever I mentioned to people that we'd started writing another album, they would say, "You gotta get Rick Rubin." And we'd been considering that ourselves anyways. We've known Rock since 1986 when [Slayer's] Reign in Blood came out. I can remember RIck showing up backstage at a Master of Puppets show and he had the master tape to Reign in Blood. We were thinking, Oh wow, he has the new Slayer album. We gottar hear it, we were just like, Holy crap, that's the best thing we've ever heard.
I would post the rest of the interview, but then copyright laws come into effect and the whole typing of the thing... well you get the idea.