Lars Ulrich's role in Metal Church in 1981

Just want to know how long he lasted in metal Church back in 1981 was it just one audition or he played drums on some of the early demos?

Metal Church's Wiki page only mentions a "brief audition period" with Ulrich in the band.

MC's first demo (Red Skies) came out in 1981 and Lars wasn't on it. By that time he's already started trying to get Metallica together.

Did Lars go to Seattle or was MC in LA at that time?

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

Did Lars go to Seattle or was MC in LA at that time?

MC were originally Frisco based. They split up and Kurt Vanderhoof moved to Washington State where he set up shop again, still using the MC name with new players.

Lars was a terrible drummer when Metallica first popped up in El Lay, no wonder MC didn't pick him. 

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

Lars is proof that it's not about your skill level, it's about what you do with what you have.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Lars is proof that it's not about your skill level, it's about what you do with what you have.

Exactly.

As much as people bitch and complain about Lars you can't fault the guy for his business sense. I'd like to see everyone that complains about Lars have to compare their bank accounts to his.   

Well, bitching is still free so it doesn't affect either his nor my bank accounts.

I must be an idiot when it comes to drumming. I had no idea Lars was ever considered a mediocre drummer.

I never realized Lars was considered mediocre either. And I don't have the ear to have ever caught it either.

Lars didn't start to sound mediocre to me until Bob Rock got his hands on him and started re-training him to play differently for their 90s albums.

S.D. wrote:

Lars didn't start to sound mediocre to me until Bob Rock got his hands on him and started re-training him to play differently for their 90s albums.  

I would agree with this by and large. I don't think he was ever jaw-dropping, but his playing on the first 4 is decent (especially AJFA).

MetallicSeminarian wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Lars didn't start to sound mediocre to me until Bob Rock got his hands on him and started re-training him to play differently for their 90s albums.  

I would agree with this by and large. I don't think he was ever jaw-dropping, but his playing on the first 4 is decent (especially AJFA).

Lars used to win those "drummer of the year" awards in the press all the time back in the day...... The first whispers of "lars sucks on drums" started in the mid 90's, around the Load era.

thejokeriv wrote:

MetallicSeminarian wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Lars didn't start to sound mediocre to me until Bob Rock got his hands on him and started re-training him to play differently for their 90s albums.  

I would agree with this by and large. I don't think he was ever jaw-dropping, but his playing on the first 4 is decent (especially AJFA).

Lars used to win those "drummer of the year" awards in the press all the time back in the day...... The first whispers of "lars sucks on drums" started in the mid 90's, around the Load era.

Yep! That was coincidentally around the time he started sucking on drums.

Yeah,he was a very good drummer back in the day.Especially AJFA.Anyone have any doubt just check out some live clips from that era.Im no Lars fanboy but he definitely had skills then.

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

He was terrible in the beginning era of Metallica.   (IMHDO) After seeing them a few times, the talent in the band was this red headed guitar player  

Lars actually improved and showed some talent.   (IMHDO) After major success, Lars quit practicing, perhaps maybe even caring and it showed in his playing

I still contend that Hetfield was VERY influenced by Mustaine's style but became successful on much of his own merit.

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

His playing may have been average at best, but his drive and determination to make Metallica as big as they possibly could be was world class. They didn't become huge despite Lars, they became huge because of him. The guy had a spot on Slagels' record before he had a band!!!

If the more talented players wanted it as much as he did. Things might have gone better for them.

James B. wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

He was terrible in the beginning era of Metallica.   (IMHDO) After seeing them a few times, the talent in the band was this red headed guitar player  

Lars actually improved and showed some talent.   (IMHDO) After major success, Lars quit practicing, perhaps maybe even caring and it showed in his playing

In this area, I'd value your opinion. It takes a drummer to judge on another drummer. Drumming, to me, just was background noise to keep the beat. I never realized what really goes into (and I know there's more to it than just banging on the kit) so I'll go by what you're saying.

The fact that the newer material didn't demand much ("stripped down" is the buzzword) didn't help that decline at all.

007 wrote:

James B. wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

He was terrible in the beginning era of Metallica.   (IMHDO) After seeing them a few times, the talent in the band was this red headed guitar player  

Lars actually improved and showed some talent.   (IMHDO) After major success, Lars quit practicing, perhaps maybe even caring and it showed in his playing

In this area, I'd value your opinion. It takes a drummer to judge on another drummer. Drumming, to me, just was background noise to keep the beat. I never realized what really goes into (and I know there's more to it than just banging on the kit) so I'll go by what you're saying.

This. As a guitarist, I enjoy nitpicking other well-known guitarists' work (relevant: Kirk Hammett is just not that great). Drumming is a different beast that I rarely complain about because I rarely hear anything wrong going on. Sometimes something will catch my ear (Nicko has that effect) but it's once in a blue moon, so all drummers to me are almost equal. Hearing it from another drummer is a different, and respectable, story.

007 wrote:

James B. wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

He was terrible in the beginning era of Metallica.   (IMHDO) After seeing them a few times, the talent in the band was this red headed guitar player  

Lars actually improved and showed some talent.   (IMHDO) After major success, Lars quit practicing, perhaps maybe even caring and it showed in his playing

In this area, I'd value your opinion. It takes a drummer to judge on another drummer. Drumming, to me, just was background noise to keep the beat. I never realized what really goes into (and I know there's more to it than just banging on the kit) so I'll go by what you're saying.

I am the furthest thing from a musician, but the 5/4 time changes between Lars and Cliff on Master of Puppets was never done before. At least, I never heard anything like that before [or since, really]. One of the reasons I still sleep on a MoP pillow every night. I might just be shooting rainbows with that observation though.

corplhicks wrote:

007 wrote:

James B. wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

He was terrible in the beginning era of Metallica.   (IMHDO) After seeing them a few times, the talent in the band was this red headed guitar player  

Lars actually improved and showed some talent.   (IMHDO) After major success, Lars quit practicing, perhaps maybe even caring and it showed in his playing

In this area, I'd value your opinion. It takes a drummer to judge on another drummer. Drumming, to me, just was background noise to keep the beat. I never realized what really goes into (and I know there's more to it than just banging on the kit) so I'll go by what you're saying.

This. As a guitarist, I enjoy nitpicking other well-known guitarists' work (relevant: Kirk Hammett is just not that great). Drumming is a different beast that I rarely complain about because I rarely hear anything wrong going on. Sometimes something will catch my ear (Nicko has that effect) but it's once in a blue moon, so all drummers to me are almost equal. Hearing it from another drummer is a different, and respectable, story.

Kirk is damn good at what he does and he doesn't get enough credit. He showed a huge leap in his talent on Ride The Lightning.. those lessons with Joe Satriani paid off big time. If you listen to him play you can hear the Uli Jon Roth influences all over his solos (especial Kirk Solo time live)

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

007 wrote:

James B. wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

Was? Sad part is how big they got with his average at best playing while other, better players were left behind. That's the entertainment business I guess.

He was terrible in the beginning era of Metallica.   (IMHDO) After seeing them a few times, the talent in the band was this red headed guitar player  

Lars actually improved and showed some talent.   (IMHDO) After major success, Lars quit practicing, perhaps maybe even caring and it showed in his playing

In this area, I'd value your opinion. It takes a drummer to judge on another drummer. Drumming, to me, just was background noise to keep the beat. I never realized what really goes into (and I know there's more to it than just banging on the kit) so I'll go by what you're saying.

I am the furthest thing from a musician, but the 5/4 time changes between Lars and Cliff on Master of Puppets was never done before.  At least, I never heard anything like that before [or since, really].  One of the reasons I still sleep on a MoP pillow every night.  I might just be shooting rainbows with that observation though.

Yep! Back before Lars got lazy (can't think of another way to put it).