Iconic producer Bob Rock recently looked back on his experience working with METALLICA on their eponymous 1991 self-titled album (“The Black Album”), noting that the band were “suspicious” of everyone, and “intense” to work with.
“Metallica are not wimps,” Rock tells Metal Hammer. “They believe that they’re the best band in the world, and everyone else needs to get out of the way.”
METALLICA were initially turned down by the sought after producer to mix the effort, who had instead decided to work with BON JOVI guitarist Richie Sambora on his solo album. However, Rock would ultimately change his mind and enter the studio with METALLICA with his eye on producing them instead of just mixing the record.
“Metallica didn’t trust outsiders,” Rock remarked. “Not just me, they were suspicious of everybody. I can say that I’d never been involved with people who were as intense as them.”
Throughout the eight-month-long project, Rock noted that many tensions arose, especially as a result of he and the band members challenging each other.
“Making an album can be an intense experience,” he admitted. “You’re thrown into a room with other strong-willed, creative people for months and months and you have to find a way to listen to each other and make it work. I never said, ‘No, you’re wrong.’ I just showed them other ways to potentially get what they wanted.”
However, he noted that such disagreements and tensions helped some of the most legendary bands in rock ‘n’ roll history — such as The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith — to create their masterpieces.
“It’d be kinda boring if everyone did everything you suggested!” he concluded.