If anyone splits opinions in the world of rock and metal, that’s it. Lars Ulrichthe emblematic battery of Metallica. There have been few who, throughout history, have messed with the drummer and his way of playing. However, in recent days, good old Lars has found an unexpected defender: Justin Hawkins, frontman of The Darkness.
On his YouTube show, “Justin Hawkins Rides Again”the singer and guitarist has decided to analyze “Sad But True”one of the “heaviest” songs on the ‘Black Album’ of those of San Francisco, published in 1991.
As he begins to analyze the piece, breaking it down into parts and applying his musical knowledge to the explanation of it, Hawkins decides to talk, for a long time, about Ulrich’s playing, not just on the album produced by Bob Rock but in the entire career of the San Francisco gang.
“A lot of people make fun of Lars, right?”Hawkins asks at one point. “They always say he’s everywhere, they question his ability to set the tempo, remember the fills and other things. I actually think he’s a legend, a true legend.”
“You can pretty much listen to anything Metallica has recorded with Lars Ulrich and even sing the fills. He plays iconic stuff, he really does, and I think he’s one of the most recognizable metal drummers there has ever been. I love it.”
The video, however, has much more interesting content about how to sing than James Hetfield or the sound of guitars. As if that weren’t enough, Hawkins also highlights, in a hilarious part, how Ulrich’s playing is perfect for a martial arts fight. You can watch the entire video below:
Hawkins, by the way, was very close to Ulrich when he played at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts. That would make him excited because, in the video, he recognizes that Metallica is “your favorite metal band”. “I see Metallica as the gateway band to other areas of metal that would otherwise be inaccessible. Things like Obituary…and Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death…and a lot of the heavy stuff I got into was a result of Metallica and I will always be grateful to them for it.”
A “shitty battery”
A couple of years ago, Ulrich explained, in an interview, how it made him feel to be told he was “a shitty drummer.”
“Look, unlike years ago, I don’t read any of the interviews that my other colleagues do. 20 or 30 years ago, I would sit down and read every fucking page of the Kerrang or the Circus and see what was being said. and what my bandmates were saying. I was worried about James’s opinion and all that. Now, it’s the opposite. To be honest, I don’t really read what people are saying about Metallica,” Lars said.
“I have to admit that occasionally, every six months or so, I find it fun to get into the section where all the ‘trolls’ call me names because it’s pretty ridiculous, but it’s not something I do regularly at this point.”
“Twenty years ago, I would have been like, ‘Oh god, someone said something bad about me,’ or ‘That person left an ugly comment,’ stuff like that. Now, all of that doesn’t mean anything to me anymore.”
“I’m literally immune to all that hate. I’ve done several interviews where sometimes the journalist is a Metallica fan and they’re like, ‘When people say Lars Ulrich is a shitty drummer, I stand by you.’ That’s cool.” , but the reality is that, 20 or 30 years later, nobody is going to care.
“I’m comfortable with who I am and who Metallica is. I’m happy with where we’re at. I have an amazing wife, three amazing kids, my dad and Molly, amazing friends and a lot of really cool stuff. It’s all Well, I have nothing to prove, so all that hate doesn’t affect me at all.”
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