Hey @VESmedic bro hopefully you know I don't have a bone to pick with you. You have a lot of experience in this area. I'm tracking with about 90% of what you are saying and I agree with you for the most part. There is this larger issue of 1.) most bands don't get better with age and 2.) the internet has turned everyone into an anonymous expert.
If Kirk wants to 'phone it in' or 'be lazy on solos' or whatever people want to call it that's his right. Right? It is their music and music, like art, is subjective. Don't like it, don't listen to it. I made the comment the other day in a similar thread that the new Metallica is not something I want to cruise down the highway to. New Megadeth? Probably. New Slipknot? Probably.
However, I will say people also have the free right to express their opinions. Don't like something? Speak up. This is a guitar forum. We share opinions (on forums/social media in general). Metallica was a huge influence on most of us even if indirectly. We like to talk about it. I think most here would be happy for Metallica if they had another super successful album. I know I would.
This struck me as interesting and maybe something I was not thinking through either. Bob Rock pushed people. Last night you said you can't judge a guy by the producer, but today you saying they need a new producer. I think I have to agree with you there.
Also, you said the last 20 years of Metallica is their best music. Did you mean that, or did you say it wrong? Just curious.
Hey homie, sorry if I was confusing in some parts. I meant to say in the last years ( basically since st anger) these last 2 records are the best by far they have put out in my opinion. In all fairness, those early 2000s records weren’t hard to beat though hahah!!
When I said you can’t judge a guy by a producer, all I’m saying is, if THATS what it takes to get a great take out of someone, someone being a drill sergeant or pushing you past your limit to what you think you can do etc, I just don’t see that as a “flaw” of the player who played the part, you know? Like great, some guys have amazing takes right off the bat or pull off exactly the vibe they want on a part, cool! I’m definitely not saying Kirk is the best player on the planet at all, there’s definitely better. But if it takes someone alittle boost from an exogenous source ( the producer) to get that amazing take, so be it, doesn’t bother me one bit.
On that note, I think kirks solo’s HAVE gone down hill and those first few songs released on the new album,the solos for sure suck. I attribute this a lot to a producer who doesn’t know how to get what he wants out of the player, because it’s obvious to me anyways fidelman doesn’t understand the instrument and what should be played when. The new records sound great to me though regardless, and to me the vibe and the songs far outweigh kirks lackluster solo’s on this record so far. I mean, if you are listening hoping you hear yngwie on a metallic record, you are of course in for a big letdown, but we all should know that.
I hope that makes more sense, I tried to slow down and type alittle slower haha, I have so much to say about this topic because I like talking about it too, I just think the absent talk about the songs Kirk has written ( which is much more important to me anyways) is getting shoved wayyyy too much to the bottom of this conversation.
