RICK RUBIN & METALLICA

Pictured: Russell Simmons & Rick Rubin; circa 1980s.

For their last album (the rather disposable St. Anger), Metallica attempted to attract old school fans by saying they'd returned to their roots and by having longtime artistic collaborator Pushead handle illustration duties for the album sleeve. Personally, I had no faith that the album would be good. The sound was stripped down and boring, much like everything Bob Rock (the architect of Metallica's commercial success yet critical downfall) has produced for the band. And, for the most part, I've not cared about a single Metallica album since And Justice For All.

With that said, I must admit my interest was piqued when I read that Rick Rubin is being brought on board to produce the band's next album [click here for the article]. While Metallica's decision making and artistic skills have been hindered for more than a decade, this could very well be their smartest choice since kicking out guitarist Dave Mustaine.

Rubin's vision as a producer is impeccable. While his choice of artists is not always to my liking (i.e. System Of A Down, etc.), the signature sound that he coaxes from his artists is a feat I've always admired. His most critically-acclaimed work in recent years had been his collaboration with the late Johnny Cash. However, he's also produced albums that have been overlooked by the mainstream music press. Of most recent note was Saul Williams' Amethyst Rock Star, released on Rubin's own American Recordings label in 2001.

Let's just say I'm cautiously optimistic about this new pairing. I just wonder why it took Metallica so long to consider working with Rubin. Slayer has known that Rubin is the cat's pajamas for the past 20 years.