After it was officially announced (Feb. '06) that Rick Rubin was going to produce the next Metallica album, in EFI 6.2 we asked several Virginia Fuelers if Rick Rubin was going to be the "Hero of the Day"? Instead of doing a boring album review, in this article, we ask some of the same Fuelers, "Was Rick Rubin the Hero of the Day?"

From Willis (Mechanicsville, VA)

I still wouldn't call him the 'Hero of the Day', but I sure think he did a fantastic bi-partisan job. The band themselves and their personal good vibes created that music that came to be know as Death Magnetic. Rob's new blood certainly added flavor as well. It sounds like a Metallica record - the last three Bob Rock records did not (to me). Look at me, I'm talking myself into it ain't I? I respect Rubin's talent a lot, and I love a lot of his records (Slayer, Beasties, Slipknot, Tom Petty, etc.), but I would sooner call Rob Trujillo the 'Hero of the Day' first.

From Joanna (Bowie, MD)

So...was Rick Rubin the Hero of the Day? Well, what do you think?! I think consensus says: Yes! Most assuredly.

My initial reaction to Death Magnetic was that it might be the best album they've put out since ...And Justice For All. The Black album has great songwriting and top notch production, but Death Magnetic has something else; it has an intensity, an anger, an edge that I think the band searched for but missed with St. Anger. The covers of Load and Re-Load might be Serrano's Piss and Blood or Blood and Semen, but the music on Death Magnetic is visceral. If you didn't know Rick Rubin or weren't a fan before, I think you have to be now. If not, then read the go read the interview with him in So What! 15.3 and then go play Death Magnetic...really loudly.

Note: Joanna is a former Chapter Head, former Social Director, and one of the founding members of Virginia Fuel

From Tom (Richmond, VA)

I've been floored since I heard "My Apocalypse." The thrash is back! Yes, Rick Rubin was the 'Hero of the Day'. He put some speed back in there and had them pull out the melancholy crooning that killed that momentum on St. Anger. During the month-long "Mandatory Metallica" on Sirius I heard Lars saying that Rick ordered the band to get themselves in the mind set of the early days: listen to the music you listened to in those days, think about what pissed you off in those days, go to some of your old hangouts, anything to duplicate the "vibe" from that era. They did and I'd say it worked.

First off: the guitar solos. Kirk continues to stay at the top of his game. At the 6:16 mark of "Suicide & Redemption" - I don't know what he's doing exactly but it's a funny intro to the solo. That song in particular, they let him go nuts and he deserves it. He's also gotten more creative, not just the same wah-pedal stuff, there are a few new tricks on display. Check out the 4:36 mark of "The End Of The Line". It sounds like he jumped the gun into the break, but that was intentional. It sounds really cool, and it's very different from what he normally does. I'm also glad the twelve-stepper lyrics are gone. As club owner Billy Sparks told Prince in the movie "Purple Rain" after a really introverted tearjerker song: "Nobody digs your music but yourself!"

It would have been nice to see the return of the concept album, but maybe in these days they've grown out of it or realized political and religious commentary is just cliche. (Have you heard Slayer's last album? Same anti-God, anti-war lyrics, it's boring now.) The riffs are better than St. Anger, too. Some fat could be trimmed, take my personal favorite off of
Death Magnetic, "All Nightmare Long". The first 0:40 could be deleted, start it at 0:41 and recycle that intro into "Bleeding Me II."

The higher pitched yelling from "Disposable Heroes" made a glorious comeback in "All Nightmare Long" as well. It's nice to know Jaymz still has a range after all these years. So yeah, the cut and paste pro-tooling has been abandoned for a more natural sounding assembly of riffs. I can only imagine that was Mr. Rubin's doing. The songs are long again, but it's not just the same 3 minutes song played two and a half times anymore. It's a good mix of old aggression (minus the galloping riffs) with the new arrangments and themes (minus the nu-metal minor chords and "waaah me" lyrics). Great stuff, I hope Mr. Rubin's on for the next album too.

From Junior (Norfolk, VA)

Well, looks like Rick Rubin was the 'Hero of the Day', to me anyways. It seems Metallica has raised some eyebrows again...in a good way. Getting Bob Rock out of there was the best thing for the band. I can't wait for the next album to come out. I know it's way to early but, we try. Death Magnetic has the nasty sound I like. It get's you thinking about what's coming next...

From Parvez (NOVA, VA)

The album is true to Metallica’s beings, as I had written about and hoped for in the 2006 article, "Rick Rubin: Hero of the Day?". They are happy with their sound, with the appreciation from the fan base, and with their new producer. To what extent is Rick Rubin responsible for this ‘success’? From what I have garnered, his only variation from Bob Rock’s general methodology is that Rubin was adamant Metallica finish writing their songs before entering the studio. I can only imagine this would have the effect of helping the band focus on each song as a ‘stitch in time’ instead of attempting to develop it continuously. This means greater efficiency in the studio; easier to do, and a more well-polished product. But as much as Bob Rock is an intimate friend of Metallica, Rick Rubin can only be the same. I imagine Flemming Rassmussen (produced Puppets and Justice) is still, too (if he’s still around; I don’t know).

‘Hero of the Day’ connotes that Metallica will outgrow Rick Rubin at some point and abandon his production engineering in favor of someone else. But the word ‘Day’ is too time-restrictive. Metallica has never stayed with a producer for less than a decade, save with the beginning of ‘Justice’. So maybe ‘Hero of the Decade’ for them, but then we lose the cool reference with the ‘Load’ song. They love him; he loves them; but their relationship is more professional than with Bob Rock. Rubin has a career and Metallica are a small part of that - the opposite is also true. So, yes, he is the ‘Hero of the Day’. God bless him.

From Lyle (Mobile, AL)

Was Rick Rubin the Hero of the Day? I say yes he was, in some ways. His job as producer is to do exactly what he seemed to do from the accounts the band has given. He listened to the music, said this sucks, that rocks, ditch this, keep that, etc. Personally, I believe that is what a producer should do, not write the music with the band. He pointed the guys down a path that allowed them to make Death Magnetic. His ear allowed him to hear stuff and give feedback which shaped Death Magnetic into the maximum kick ass album that it is. I don't know if another producer would have the vision, like I said in my fortune telling piece from EFI 6.2, that Rubin has. He doesn't just make albums, he makes lasting achievements in an artists catalog of music.

Having said that, it also seems to me the band was in a much better headspace than they have been in years. From Lars being pumped up by The Sword, or James digging Machine Head's "The Blackening," to Kirk being able to shred again ("The Judas Kiss"/ "Suicide and Redemption"/ "That Was Just Your Life," etc.) to Rob really being part of the band and bringing his love for heavy, groovy, fast music - it just seems the stars aligned and everyone was on the same page and wanted to make an album that stands the test of time, not the regular run of the mill crap which floods the market.

In closing I would say yes, without Rubin this album may not have been as great. I hope he is around for another one or two.

Note: Lyle's photographs have graced the cover of EFI several times, including this issue.

From Jeff (Richmond, VA)

YES, Rick Rubin was the 'Hero of the Day'! I got nothing against Bob Rock. He's a great producer. His resume speaks for itself. He was part of the glue that held Metallica together during the dark times in 2001-02. And I'm sure a majority of the songs on Death Magnetic would be relatively the same no matter who the producer was. I just think the way the album sounds would be totally different. Ask yourself, would Death Magnetic sound the way it does if Bob Rock was the producer? I don't think so.

I think this is Metallica's best album since Justice. I agree with what others have said, that the producer is responsible for leading them down the right path, and Mr. Rubin has done that.

For me, this is the first Metallica album in a long time, in which I LOVE every song on the album. Don't get me wrong - Load, Reload, and St. Anger all have some good stuff on it, and I like St. Anger more than most people do, but there were some songs on those albums that I just never listen to (cough, cough..."Slither"). But not this album...not Death Magnetic!

Amongst us fans, we really don't know how much/how little Rick Rubin affected the way Death
Magnetic sounds and feels. I don't really want to know or find out. All I know is Death Magnetic is a really, really, really good album. One good barometer on how good the album is - most of my heavy metal friends who like Metallica (but not as much as I do), think Death Magnetic is pretty darn good.

I think Metallica has at least 1 more album in them (maybe 2), and I really hope they decide to stick with Rick Rubin as their producer.

Note: Jeff is the current Chapter Head and EFI Editor