The “coolest singer of all time”, according to Lars Ulrich
Most legends of the game have a different view of what’s considered the greatest rock voice of all time, including Lars Ulrich.
For some, it’s about control and tone of voice. In rock music, especially, singers require a specific set of skills and abilities to be an effective vocalist, and, more often than not, it’s about being able to toy with different dynamics of singing to deliver the desired effect. It’s also why many considered voices like Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell to be the embodiment of the ultimate rock voice, because he knew how to use his voice as an instrument as well as a conduit for emotion.
Cornell was a major influence on Metallica, not just vocally and as a framework for James Hetfield in finding his own voice, but in how the entire band learned the interplay between voice and instruments.
“What we had learned about a different way of songwriting from Soundgarden was you play one riff through the whole song, and the singer just goes all over the place, and for that to work,” Hetfield once explained to Q Prime and MX2 Media.
Most of Metallica’s influences came from the circles of rock that boasted an aggressive force of a lead singer, like AC/DC, which informed Metallica’s sound in more ways than we will ever know or understand. Notably, the band had a crucial impact on the creation of The Black Album, as confirmed by Ulrich, who once indirectly admitted that AC/DC played a big part in the record’s success.
“In 1990, I spent six months listening only to AC/DC,” he said. “And it changed my entire approach to songwriting.” Released in 1991, The Black Album went on to become one of the best-selling records of all time and a breakthrough for Metallica’s legacy.
Despite its popularity, however, The Black Album was fairly divisive at first, with some loyal fans accusing the band of dismissing their roots in favour of something more commercial. However, what actually happened was a shift towards emulating influences like AC/DC and that quintessential hard rock groove, which, in many ways, was also something they hadn’t tried before. Successfully, at least.
There was also, of course, a definitive figure in Bon Scott, another major voice in rock who, to Ulrich, seemed to have the entire package. “Bon Scott was the coolest singer ever,” Ulrich told Louder. “The vocal delivery, the tongue-in-cheek double entendres and the magnetic personality. Those early AC/DC records – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock, Powerage, Highway To Hell – are just fucking timeless.”
AC/DC, to Ulrich and Hetfield especially, will always be the epitome of the ultimate hard rock band. Between Hetfield’s comments about once wanting to join their iconic group of mayhem to Ulrich’s remarks about growing “misty-eyed” at a live performance a couple of years back, there’s a deep-seated appreciation for the band that goes beyond the music itself and into the core principles of rock itself.
For instance, while reflecting on AC/DC’s performance at Power Trip, Ulrich praised their sense of unity and community, and how they’re always able to create a space where the energy is palpable – which is the main message of rock and roll, and one that Metallica always sought to replicate in their own community.
“There was a unity, and it’s that thing about when this community comes together around what we all share, that it was just such a beautiful moment,” he said.
