Lars Ulrich will probably never leave Metallica. As solid as James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett are in the band, Lars is the band’s unfofficial spokesperson, a hyperactive, enthusiastic mouthpiece for them. The fact that he’s not the most technical drummer these days and can’t quite keep up with some of their older material hasn’t slowed him down. However, as part of their tour kickoff in Baltimore, the band stopped by rock station 98 Rock for an interview. Among the questions he was asked was who he’d hypothetically want to replace him in the band were he to step down. Thomas Haake perhaps? Brann Dailor maybe? Gene Hoglan? Nope, not quite:
“If I could pick it, if I could hear somebody drum behind Hetfield‘s riffs, I’d take Phil Rudd. Just having his kind of vibe, like what he would do .. And he’s been probably my main, biggest source of inspiration when we did the turnaway from the super-progressive stuff, the crazy stuff after Justice, when we got into the Black Album and the Load stuff, when it got a little more about the bounce and the riffs and the feel and the groove and all that. Phil Rudd, he’s the top of that pyramid. Hearing Phil Rudd play behind James, that’d be pretty cool.”
Well, that’s interesting. Rudd is certainly a solid four-on-the-floor drummer, but unless we’re talking Black Album, Load and Reload, it’s hard to imagine him doing Metallica justice (or ….And Justice, if you will). Not to mention, the guy was kicked out of AC/DC for attempting to have someone killed (and for having drugs). He’s probably not going to be back in any stadium-headlining bands ever again.
