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Bob Rock<\/a> believes that Metallica<\/a>‘s Lars Ulrich<\/a> is a “genius” who ranks among the most legendary drummers in the history of rock and metal.<\/p>\n Rock is most remembered by Metallica fans as being the producer for the run of the band’s albums starting with 1991’s Metallica<\/em> and ending with 2003’s St. Anger<\/em>. His work with Metallica also coincided with a shift in the band’s early thrash metal sound.<\/p>\n Metallica moved on from working with Rock, opting to work with producer Rick Rubin for 2008’s Death Magnetic<\/em>.<\/p>\n Rock would spend nearly 15 years before seeing Metallica play live once again. That changed when he attended one of the band’s 2023 shows at So-Fi Stadium in Inglewood, California.<\/p>\n During a recent appearance on The Metallica Report<\/a><\/em>, Rock noted how taken aback he was seeing Lars “in the pocket” while drumming that night.<\/p>\n He thought back to when Metallica came to him with the demos for the black album and explained they wanted “to have a groove.”<\/p>\n “When I saw Lars, when I saw the pocket, I almost cried,” he explained.<\/p>\n Rock didn’t hold back in his praise for Ulrich during The Metallica Report<\/em> episode that dropped on Aug. 6, which was the second part of an interview with the producer.<\/p>\n “Lars plays to James. His fills are James’s riffs.”<\/p>\n Read More: The Most Collected Albums By 11 Big ’80s Metal Bands<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rock said that when he first heard the demo for “Sad But True,” he immediately noticed similarities to Led Zeppelin<\/a>‘s “When the Levee Breaks.” Some of that had to do with how Ulrich played along with James Hetfield<\/a><\/p>\n “Keith Moon<\/a> played to (Pete) Townsend. John Bonham<\/a> played to (Jimmy) Page.”<\/p>\n Ulrich’s approach has led to what Rock believes is unjustified criticism of his drumming on Metallica’s albums throughout the 1990s and on into the 2000s.<\/p>\n “That’s his style. If he just played boom-dah, it wouldn’t be Metallica. So I think he’s a genius, to be quite honest.”<\/p>\n Ulrich’s appreciation of Bonham is well-documented.<\/p>\n The Metallica drummer appeared on a 2021 episode of the Howard Stern Show<\/a><\/em>, where Stern and co-host Robin Quivers asked him to break down his list of the greatest drummers of all time.<\/p>\n Bonham was at the top of his list.<\/p>\n “You mentioned ‘When the Levee Breaks,’ that’s classic Bonham,” Ulrich told Stern. “That’s classic Bonham. The drums are big, thunderous, ambient. He’s a little bit behind on the snare. And it’s got in that groove. He’s in a pocket.”<\/p>\n Sometimes you just need to bring every drum and cymbal on tour. Here are some of the biggest drum kits used by big rock and metal acts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBob Rock ‘Almost Cried’ Seeing Metallica<\/h3>\n
Bob Rock Compares Lars Ulrich To Legendary Drummers<\/h3>\n
Lars Ulrich’s Love Of John Bonham<\/h3>\n
13 Metal + Rock Drummers Known For Their Ridiculously Large Drum Kits<\/h2>\n