“Very under appreciated”: The drummers Lars Ulrich called the greatest on Earth
There’s probably no group of people more passionate than metal musicians and the metal community, and no debate more likely to set people off than naming the best drummer of all time. Lars Ulrich might be the ultimate crossover here, which is also probably why his name comes up with just as much fervour in both camps.
Even though many names came before, the thing that always draws people to Ulrich in these particular conversations is the fact that he was never that judgemental when it came to art, or what the term even means, and where Metallica fit into the broader scope of things: obviously it’s easy to talk about how much they changed the metal world with the benefit of hindsight, but back then, all they knew they had for sure was their integrity. Literally.
At least, that’s how Ulrich once explained their success, and how it was never about being pretentious, or coming across as the type of metal band that only did things to stay relevant or appease others. They weren’t going to follow in the same footsteps as the few that others laughed at, or become an easy target for people calling bluff on whatever constitutes “real metal” and what doesn’t. In the metal community, those conversations are everywhere. Metallica rarely comes up in this way, and it’s because of their integrity.
It’s the thing Ulrich remains most proud of. “Our independence and autonomy,” he once told Vice, saying that they’ve “never done things for the wrong reason” or “written off control” for a “big pile of money”. They’ve never sold out (intentionally) and always tried to keep it “organic”. In other words, they’ve always tried to keep their integrity. And while he’s been asked the question more times than he can count, these are all qualities that cross over into his favourite drummers, too, like a blend of shared qualities in metal and in his percussionist heroes.
While many are the ones you’d probably expect, like Neil Peart and John Bonham (“the blueprint that’s just my inspiration”), he also once told Wikimetal he adores his much-cited hero Ian Pace, Phill Rudd, and Charlie Watts: “In no particular order: Phill Rudd from AC/DC, Charlie Watts, great rock n’ roll drummer, Dred, was the drummer in Rage Against the Machine, fantastic rock N’ roll drummer, very under appreciated,” he said. Adding: “Such a swing and a feel. Ian Pace from Deep Purple, who else? Bonzo?”
While Bonham stands out as a favourite, one that likely shows up more as a sort of deep-seated influence and supporter is Peart, who not only terrified Ulrich with just how out-of-this-world brilliant he was but also showed interest when Metallica was merely a small fish in a big pond. He soon bonded with Ulrich on the phone like a “fairytale”, no doubt letting him in on some of his lesser-known secrets to success.
It’s common for music fans to argue about who their favourite drummers are. And it’s easy to see why: countless approaches out there make some sound out more than others, but what Ulrich enjoys, and what many others probably do too, is that inexplicable quality hidden deep within. The kind that carries along with verve and character without imitating anyone else. The kind that’s got it, even though it’s unclear exactly what that is.
