Metallica's Lars Ulrich has opened up about the criticism he has received about his drumming technique. In an interview with Metallica's So What fan club magazine, he said he doesn't have anything to prove at this point in his career. He explained, “Unlike years ago, I basically don't read any of the interviews that the other guys in Metallica do. Like 20 or 30 years ago, we would all sit and f*cking read every page of Kerrang! and every page of Circus magazine, see what so-and-so's saying and what the other band members were saying, what James Hetfield was saying about this and that. Now there's just none of that. I also don't really read what people say about Metallica.”
He continued, “20 years ago, it would've been, 'Oh, my God, somebody said something bad,' or, 'That person said a nasty comment in the comments section,' or whatever. Now, none of that really means anything to me … It's all good. I've got nothing left to prove, so it just doesn't register anymore.”
He added, “I’m literally immune to it. We just did a bunch of interviews, and sometimes, if I am being interviewed by a journalist who is also a fan, they'll say, 'When people say Lars Ulrich is a sh*tty drummer, I defend you.' Which is cool, but I've got to tell you, 20 years later, 30 years later, it just doesn't register anymore.”