The Reason Metallica's 'Load' and 'Reload' Sound So Different, According to Producer Bob Rock

In a new episode of The Metallica Report podcast, iconic producer Bob Rock recalled why Metallica's Load and Reload sound quite different from each other, as well as from the rest of their discography.

By the mid-'90s, Metallica were the biggest band on the planet. The success of The Black Album turned them into superstars due to its mainstream appeal and they continued their sonic evolution as the decade continued.

Load, featuring hits such as "King Nothing" and "Mama Said," came out in '96, and its successor, Reload (featuring "Fuel, "The Unforgiven II"), in '97. The records seemed to deepen the split in Metallica's fanbase even more because they were even further removed from the band's thrash roots than The Black Album was.

What Changed When Metallica Were Working on 'Load' and 'Reload'?

During the podcast episode, Rock suggested that the reason Load and Reload stood out against the rest of the band's catalog at the time, sonically, was due to the band's influences shining through on the material more than they ever had before.

"I don't know whose idea it was — maybe it was Lars [Ulrich] because he's this guy that thinks big and looks at music maybe like I do," Rock reflected.

According to the producer, Ulrich had mentioned other bluesy rock groups he was into, including Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones and Guns N' Roses, where there were two guitar players.

"Before Load, James [Hetfield] did all the rhythm [guitar]. So the idea was, Kirk [Hammett] was going to play rhythms along with James and that changed everything. Some people don't like it."

Rock then explained why he's always preferred to have bands record music live in the studio rather than piece-by-piece, because it allows artists to get a better idea of how the finished product may sound when it's all done in harmony.

"What [Metallica] realized through the recording of The Black Album was there was something different about that. And in Load, they embraced it. And they had different influences because they'd been on the road for, what, three years?"

Not only did Metallica's time on the road impact the sounds they experimented with, but they also decided to change recording locations and work on the songs in New York.

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"They went into different things, and to me, that is what a band does. I don't follow the rules of metal, which is probably wrong and I'm sorry... I wasn't the guy that said, 'We gotta copy The Black Album.' I was glad we weren't copying The Black Album, because you can't make The Black Album again."

Rock added that because they came up with so many tracks, they decided to turn the material into two albums, thus Load and Reload. 

What Was the Key Difference Between 'Load' and 'Reload'?

Despite being from the same batch of material, Rock noted that there was a difference in the sound of the two albums. Because they worked on a good amount of Load in New York, they had to use different equipment than what they'd grown used to.

"When we were in New York, they didn't have the consoles that we used before, the [SSL] 6,000. All the studios that were available had an SSL 9,000, and it's a different ball of wax. Randy Staub and I fucking hated it because it kept breaking down," Rock explained.

As a result, he said Reload has a much more aggressive sound that was more in line what they'd released in the past because they were able to return to the gear they'd used previously.

"So I'd like to remix Load," Rock said laughing. "But that's never going to happen."

Listen to the full podcast episode below.

The Reason Metallica's 'Load' and 'Reload' Sound So Different, According to Bob Rock