Metallica Drummer Lars Ulrich Gushes Over a Must-Hear Album

2025-08-20

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich is one of the greatest metal drummers on the planet, but he’s not above giving another band props. – Author: Cat Badra, Photo from Ken Settle

One might think it would take a lot for Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich to be impressed by another rock or metal band, but one would be wrong. Ulrich, at his soul, is still simply a fan of good music, and that comes out when the drummer talks about his favorite bands and albums.

That love for music really came out in a recent post shared by the classic rock band Deep Purple. The group is reissuing their classic 1972 live album “Made in Japan,” which is one of their greatest moments. “Though life is perhaps too short to spend more quality time with Smoke On The Water, not even that old warhorse can dent ‘Made In Japan’s’ potency, its August 1972 shows from Osaka and Tokyo stellar feats of virtuosity despite the internal tensions that were already raging,” Mojo magazine notes of the reissue.

In getting people pumped for the reissue, Deep Purple has shared a video clip of Ulrich gushing over the original album. Who knew he was such a Deep Purple enthusiast?

In the almost three-minute clip for Deep Purple’s Official YouTube site, the Metallica drummer praises “Made for Japan” and also talked about his excitement for the newly reissued set.

“In my humble opinion, [it’s] hands down the best hard rock live album ever,” Ulrich says in the video clip. “I have heard it just about 18,000 times and every time I hear it, it just gets better and better and better. It’s so crazy cool. It’s so lively, it’s so energetic and just argggh. You know what I mean.”

He adds, “Maybe you’ve already heard it 9,000 times. Maybe you’ve never heard it. Wherever you fall, just check it the … out, because in terms of live hard rock and roll, this is as good as it gets.”

Ulrich also goes on to detail the Deep Purple set, saying that it offers “the three nights of the three different concerts [and] the versions of the songs” and that they’re all “so crazy cool.”

He adds, “But they’re different from each other. So, one night ‘Child in Time’ is this long, and the other night ‘Child in Time’ is that long and the third night ‘Child in Time’ is that long, because the solo is a different length. [Ritchie] Blackmore is in a different mood. Ian Paice is playing against him in this kind of way and it sets up these vibes. And then Ian Gillan goes over here and then Roger Glover’s holding this down. And Jon Lord goes here on the keyboards and over there and it’s also crazy … cool.”

In their initial review of “Made in Japan” in 1972, Rolling Stone noted of the set, “If you’re expecting something new in terms of either approach or material from Made In Japan, you will be severely disappointed, but if you’re a diehard fan of the group and not too interested in any great diversification from their old style, ‘Made In Japan’ is an assured treat. For ‘Made In Japan’ is Purple’s definitive metal monster, a spark-filled execution of the typical Purple style.”

It’s refreshing to see Ulrich gush over music just like anyone else. It shows that he’s still a bit humble, even being the drummer of one of the biggest bands in the world. Ulrich also inducted Deep Purple into the Rock Hall in 2016, so his love for the band is no secret.

Cat Badra
Posted by Cat Badra | Music, Rock News