When it comes to how metalheads feel about the drumming skills of Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich, opinions can be quite divisive. While some folks brush off his drumming, there are those who think he is an incredible talent; one individual who is a fan of Ulrich’s drum skills is Gojira drummer Mario Duplantier.
During a recent conversation with Craig Reynolds on his Downbeat Podcast, Duplantier expressed his fandom of Ulrich and said how people should not be writing him off as a drummer. Per Duplantier (the following was transcribed by Revolver):
“We need to bring some justice for him, because it’s not about moving tempo-wise. It’s what he created in the past. I’m a bit tired of seeing all this conversation about Lars because what he did create is quite unique. Listen to fucking …And Justice For All. It’s amazing.”
At one point during this conversation, Reynolds made a comment regarding how incredible it is to see Ulrich play long songs (like “Master of Puppets”) at 60 years old, to which Duplantier said in reply:
“It’s very physical. And what he brought to the table back in the day — you know, playing without shirts and doing all these faces, and standing up behind the kits – is almost more important than the rest.
“It’s the the personality on stage for me as a kid, I was just fascinated. It was not about the technique, you know? ‘Is it tight? Is he [playing well]?’ I didn’t care. I just saw someone behind the drums. A true personality.”
What do you make of Duplantier’s points? Do you think Lars Ulrich deserves more credit as a drummer?
Below you will find all the dates associated with Gojira’s upcoming North American tour.
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Leg 1:
- April 18, 2023 – Portland OR – Veterans Memorial Col.
April 20, 2023 -Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
April 21, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
April 22, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ – AZ Federal Theatre
April 23, 2023 – Las Vegas, NV – Virgin
April 26, 2023 – Dallas, TX – Toyota Music Factory Amp
April 28, 2023 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
April 29, 2023 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
April 30, 2023 – Oklahoma, City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre
May 2, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Municipal Aud.
May 4, 2023 – Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amp
May 5, 2023 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amp
May 6, 2023 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amp
May 7, 2023 – Asheville, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee Center
May 9, 2023 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live
May 10, 2023 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
May 11, 2023 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena
Leg 2:
- August 9, 2023 – Cincinnati, OH – MegaCorp Pavilion
August 10, 2023 – Cleveland, OH – Jacob’s Pavilion
August 11, 2023 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE Pavilion
August 12, 2023 – New York, NY – Coney Island Amp
August 13, 2023 – Syracuse, NY – Oncenter
August 15, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple
August 17, 2023 – Toronto, ON – Echo Beach Amp
August 18, 2023 -Montreal, QC – Place Bell
August 19, 2023 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
August 20, 2023 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall
August 23, 2023 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion
August 25, 2023 – Hammond, IN – Horseshoe
August 26, 2023 – Omaha, NE – Westfair Amp
August 27, 2023 – Minneapolis, MN – Waite Park Amp
August 29, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
August 30, 2023 – Kansas City, MO – Azura Amp
September 1, 2023 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amp
September 2, 2023 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amp