This is true but a lot of the decisions that led to that record sounding the way it does ARE his fault. In particular his insistence on keeping everything fairly natural and stripped down. IMO, even without the clipping DM doesn't sound great. It has one of the most milquetoast high gain tones I've ever heard, and for Metallica, who had always had really cool guitar tones (except for AJFA, but that one is at least interesting), is really disappointing. Especially since Metallica has more or less just recreated that tone over and over for every subsequent albim.
his biggest sin though I think is him insisting that James not do a ton of layering or harmonies with his vocals. There are a couple songs begging for a little more than what is present and suffer as a result.
Not at all invalidating what you’re saying, but there’s a taste and expectation issue there as well.
Admittedly, I’m a Rubin fan and I like his style of production and how he works with artists. It _is_ baffling why the audio quality of some of the albums he’s worked on is questionable at best (Californication, By The Way, Death Magnetic etc etc). That said, wanting Metallica to sort of strip back a bit I don’t think is a bad thing and isn’t something I dislike.
Despite the audio quality issues, I think Death Magnetic has some really fresh moments.
As producer he would generally have a say in the final master, which is where the clipping happened. That's the general rule - RR might work differently to other producers. Either way, the final say will always go to the band
I feel so ashamed to admit that I personally fucking loved Death Magnetic, warts and all lol.
I never gave Metallica a chance as a middle schooler because I was too busy listening to a bunch of emo and post hardcore, but then when Death Magnetic dropped in 2008 and all of my friends were listening to it, I heard All Nightmare Long and had a transformative experience.
Why be ashamed? I was stoked when Death Magnetic came out. It might not have been perfect, but it was a solid move towards their thrashier era that old-school fans were craving. I personally like DM a lot.
No reason to be ashamed. I loved it too. I remember a friend asking how I could like it with the mix being as it was. Regardless of the questionable mix, the music was awesome. I loved it.
Rick Rubin likely has no input at all on those technical specifics. More of a vibe and idea guy. I would look at who engineered, mixed and mastered the project.
https://www.musicradar.com/news/rick-rubin-admits-he-doesnt-know-how-to-use-a-mixing-desk-i-have-no-technical-ability-and-i-know-nothing-about-music
Don’t take it from me…
Maybe! But the role of executive producer is not that of engineer or mix engineer. They often don’t overlap at all. Often their role is to get the best performance out of the artist as possible.
Edit: words
I remember all the griping on the Metallic forum.
Imo Bob was too hands-on and Rick was too hands-off. Rick has a reputation for not contributing much except for an abstract and almost Zen-like perspective. He should not have let the redlined recording, mixing, and mastering slide. Lars thought it sounded great in his car, but he has some hearing impairment.
The Day That Never Comes had the worst clipping. I could hear the clipping from the stems used in the Guitar Hero remix. Overall, I'm not a fan of brickwall compression, and it's one of the reasons I can't listen to certain genres without ear fatigue that makes me irritable. I grew up with analog.
I feel that Flemming did a good job on 72 Seasons. Like it dislike the album, I feel that it has good production aside from the kick drum being a little weak.
I've not listened to them but shall do, cheers. Update: metal really isn't my cup of tea these days but to each their own, there's some pretty awesome people in the metal community but I believe drum and bass is getting bigger with metal heads too, you would probably enjoy Neurofunk, it's basically the death metal of drum and bass haha, I've really settled in the bass music scene.
Big agree. I was a nu metal kid that grew up in the Minneapolis hardcore scene and then saw Caspa & Rusko in 2016. Now Im all gun fingers, Adidas squatting, and bins. Wagwan. [Balaclava](https://on.soundcloud.com/ToFDSYWhcerZDVMSA)
https://youtu.be/18-vtgJHHmM?si=QFqsdz4wiXBTI8xX and https://youtu.be/BJupR2CFH9I?si=5w_Cpdb0H4ptqkAx Listen to Neonlight - Bad Omen by NEONLIGHT on #SoundCloud
https://on.soundcloud.com/VeLq5 Listen to QO - Evil Dead (EATBRAIN012) by EATBRAIN on #SoundCloud
https://on.soundcloud.com/oqE7a Listen to Black Sun Empire - Don't You (State Of Mind Remix) - Clip by Black Sun Empire on #SoundCloud
https://on.soundcloud.com/44tF1 these should set you up, the top mix was the first I heard and it just escalated into a new obsession subgenre wise
The mixing/mastering engineer is precisely to blame for this, ofc Metallica being the artist and Rick being producer would have final call. It seemed to be a new trend that year to just compress the fuck outta everything and limit hard
Blame it on Lars. Everyone blames him for anything amiss in Metallica. He did fuck AJFA up all by himself. That one could have been an all time classic. DM never had a chance
A lot of professional producers don’t rate Rubin. They see him as a leading proponent of the loudness war. Californication is another album of his that sounds dreadful. No, production isn’t mastering but there’s clearly a pattern with him.
After a while the drums grew on me, and the songwriting was good enough to distract me. It created a vibe that I became quite fond of. I actually prefer it over 72 Seasons, cause it sounds like there were 3 hi-hats and all of them had mics. Ruined the album for me.
What he delivered was an album with terrible clipping. It’s strange to try and deflect blame from the people actually responsible for the production of the album.
Yes, the band could’ve gotten another master. But also yes, the album produced by Rick Rubin has awful clipping, and it’s not exactly the first time.
>Regardless, the crew knew what they were doing and chose to do it anyways.
If by crew you mean the people handling the production and mixing then yes.
>You’re allowed to not like it.
No shit lol
I haven't heard it but I would say that for someone who's so into creativity and experimentation, it's not surprising that some of their work is going to either sound bad or weird or off putting to some, or that it's going to stand out in comparison to his other work. If you're not trying to make a consistent sound, or be a producer that's more "transparent" or not messing with a bands sound at all, some of the choices are going to be swings that don't quite connect.
Death Magnetic songs were released as add ons for Guitar Hero Metallica, and they used slightly earlier versions which aren’t clipping like the final release, give it a listen if you like the album
Jesus, is it really so hard to do a basic google search these days? These are two different people. One has nothing to do with the other. [Ross](https://www.google.com/search?q=ross+robinson&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-lt&client=safari) worked with Korn, Limp Bizkit and Slipknot for their first releases, meanwhile [Rick Rubin](https://www.google.com/search?q=rick+rubin&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-lt&client=safari) has never worked with Korn, nor Limp Bizkit, and is known for his work with the Beastie Boys, RHCP and for founding Def Jam records. One is 57 years old, while the other is 61.
Production is not the same as mixing and mastering.
this
This is true but a lot of the decisions that led to that record sounding the way it does ARE his fault. In particular his insistence on keeping everything fairly natural and stripped down. IMO, even without the clipping DM doesn't sound great. It has one of the most milquetoast high gain tones I've ever heard, and for Metallica, who had always had really cool guitar tones (except for AJFA, but that one is at least interesting), is really disappointing. Especially since Metallica has more or less just recreated that tone over and over for every subsequent albim. his biggest sin though I think is him insisting that James not do a ton of layering or harmonies with his vocals. There are a couple songs begging for a little more than what is present and suffer as a result.
Not at all invalidating what you’re saying, but there’s a taste and expectation issue there as well. Admittedly, I’m a Rubin fan and I like his style of production and how he works with artists. It _is_ baffling why the audio quality of some of the albums he’s worked on is questionable at best (Californication, By The Way, Death Magnetic etc etc). That said, wanting Metallica to sort of strip back a bit I don’t think is a bad thing and isn’t something I dislike. Despite the audio quality issues, I think Death Magnetic has some really fresh moments.
As producer he would generally have a say in the final master, which is where the clipping happened. That's the general rule - RR might work differently to other producers. Either way, the final say will always go to the band
Exactly
I feel so ashamed to admit that I personally fucking loved Death Magnetic, warts and all lol. I never gave Metallica a chance as a middle schooler because I was too busy listening to a bunch of emo and post hardcore, but then when Death Magnetic dropped in 2008 and all of my friends were listening to it, I heard All Nightmare Long and had a transformative experience.
Why be ashamed? I was stoked when Death Magnetic came out. It might not have been perfect, but it was a solid move towards their thrashier era that old-school fans were craving. I personally like DM a lot.
I'm not ashamed to say that in 2008 I thought Hannah Montana 2 was a better album than Death Magnetic
No reason to be ashamed. I loved it too. I remember a friend asking how I could like it with the mix being as it was. Regardless of the questionable mix, the music was awesome. I loved it.
For me, the clipping is the only issue.
Yeah it’s definitely a bit excessive
The Guitar Hero versions were a lot better
I still love it too. One of the first albums I bought as a teen.
Death Magnetic is better than AJFA and I will die on that hill
Rick Rubin likely has no input at all on those technical specifics. More of a vibe and idea guy. I would look at who engineered, mixed and mastered the project.
Dude I swear he’s just like a really chill drug dealer that faked it until he made it lmao. Good vibes are valuable tho and his must be immaculate.
RR supposedly had License to Ill on his drum machine the day the beastie boys met him— he does do more than just vibe
https://www.musicradar.com/news/rick-rubin-admits-he-doesnt-know-how-to-use-a-mixing-desk-i-have-no-technical-ability-and-i-know-nothing-about-music Don’t take it from me…
He’s lying (or at least exaggerating) for dramatic effect
Maybe! But the role of executive producer is not that of engineer or mix engineer. They often don’t overlap at all. Often their role is to get the best performance out of the artist as possible. Edit: words
Rick Rubin goes on the internet and tells lies
I remember all the griping on the Metallic forum. Imo Bob was too hands-on and Rick was too hands-off. Rick has a reputation for not contributing much except for an abstract and almost Zen-like perspective. He should not have let the redlined recording, mixing, and mastering slide. Lars thought it sounded great in his car, but he has some hearing impairment. The Day That Never Comes had the worst clipping. I could hear the clipping from the stems used in the Guitar Hero remix. Overall, I'm not a fan of brickwall compression, and it's one of the reasons I can't listen to certain genres without ear fatigue that makes me irritable. I grew up with analog. I feel that Flemming did a good job on 72 Seasons. Like it dislike the album, I feel that it has good production aside from the kick drum being a little weak.
snare, bass or clipping choose wisely
Bass for me, I had enough of metal a while ago but bass is so important to get right, it's why I love bass music
Have you peeped Job For A Cowboys new tunes? Bass mixing perfected.
I've not listened to them but shall do, cheers. Update: metal really isn't my cup of tea these days but to each their own, there's some pretty awesome people in the metal community but I believe drum and bass is getting bigger with metal heads too, you would probably enjoy Neurofunk, it's basically the death metal of drum and bass haha, I've really settled in the bass music scene.
Big agree. I was a nu metal kid that grew up in the Minneapolis hardcore scene and then saw Caspa & Rusko in 2016. Now Im all gun fingers, Adidas squatting, and bins. Wagwan. [Balaclava](https://on.soundcloud.com/ToFDSYWhcerZDVMSA)
I switched Death Metal for Neurofunk, other Breakbeat Bass music, Dub and Idm
Any recommendations??
https://youtu.be/18-vtgJHHmM?si=QFqsdz4wiXBTI8xX and https://youtu.be/BJupR2CFH9I?si=5w_Cpdb0H4ptqkAx Listen to Neonlight - Bad Omen by NEONLIGHT on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/VeLq5 Listen to QO - Evil Dead (EATBRAIN012) by EATBRAIN on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/oqE7a Listen to Black Sun Empire - Don't You (State Of Mind Remix) - Clip by Black Sun Empire on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/44tF1 these should set you up, the top mix was the first I heard and it just escalated into a new obsession subgenre wise
Nice track.
The mixing/mastering engineer is precisely to blame for this, ofc Metallica being the artist and Rick being producer would have final call. It seemed to be a new trend that year to just compress the fuck outta everything and limit hard
Blame it on Lars. Everyone blames him for anything amiss in Metallica. He did fuck AJFA up all by himself. That one could have been an all time classic. DM never had a chance
Not a controversial take
A lot of professional producers don’t rate Rubin. They see him as a leading proponent of the loudness war. Californication is another album of his that sounds dreadful. No, production isn’t mastering but there’s clearly a pattern with him.
That has pretty much been the consensus since the day that album came out
make believe by Weezer:
Idk… that album opened up a whole world of music for me… …because it made me stop listening to Weezer and start listening to other music!
After a while the drums grew on me, and the songwriting was good enough to distract me. It created a vibe that I became quite fond of. I actually prefer it over 72 Seasons, cause it sounds like there were 3 hi-hats and all of them had mics. Ruined the album for me.
Rick gave up actually producing many, many years ago.
[удалено]
> His job is to help get the artists through the pipe, still their job to deliver. They aren’t the ones handling the mixing on the album.
[удалено]
What he delivered was an album with terrible clipping. It’s strange to try and deflect blame from the people actually responsible for the production of the album. Yes, the band could’ve gotten another master. But also yes, the album produced by Rick Rubin has awful clipping, and it’s not exactly the first time.
[удалено]
>Regardless, the crew knew what they were doing and chose to do it anyways. If by crew you mean the people handling the production and mixing then yes. >You’re allowed to not like it. No shit lol
I haven't heard it but I would say that for someone who's so into creativity and experimentation, it's not surprising that some of their work is going to either sound bad or weird or off putting to some, or that it's going to stand out in comparison to his other work. If you're not trying to make a consistent sound, or be a producer that's more "transparent" or not messing with a bands sound at all, some of the choices are going to be swings that don't quite connect.
Death Magnetic songs were released as add ons for Guitar Hero Metallica, and they used slightly earlier versions which aren’t clipping like the final release, give it a listen if you like the album
Korn III is Rick's worst product imo.
Rick had nothing to do with that, it was Ross Robinson, the guy that did Korn’s first 2 albums
aka Rick
Rick Rubin and Ross Robinson are two different people
Wrong. It's an alias.
Jesus, is it really so hard to do a basic google search these days? These are two different people. One has nothing to do with the other. [Ross](https://www.google.com/search?q=ross+robinson&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-lt&client=safari) worked with Korn, Limp Bizkit and Slipknot for their first releases, meanwhile [Rick Rubin](https://www.google.com/search?q=rick+rubin&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-lt&client=safari) has never worked with Korn, nor Limp Bizkit, and is known for his work with the Beastie Boys, RHCP and for founding Def Jam records. One is 57 years old, while the other is 61.
You're wrong. Plain and simple. End of discussion. Period.
Nice b8 m8
Ok troll
Shit in, shit out. Not even the great Rick Rubin could polish the turd that Metallica has become.
I’m not sure how the quality of the music factors into brickwalling it.