Tales From the Studio: Metallica

Where did the magic happen?
We recorded the basics at Sound City in Van Nuys. Rick Rubin wanted us to get out of HQ-our place in San Francisco-and closer to his.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult was it to record this record?
Three. There was no nine-person documentary-film crew, no psychiatrist.

The money spent recording this album could buy …
A year's subscription to Blender. Trust me, all the flights we took to L.A. were on Southwest. They have the best on-time record. There's no first class. Who gives a shit? I'd rather be on time than sit in a seat that's two and a half inches wider.

Studio demands include?
Electricity.

You guys didn't have some vanilla-scented candles?
I think you can answer that yourself.

Most frequently ordered takeout dish?
Strange fruits and imported cheese.

Why should someone buy your album?
Because even people who are not on the payroll say it's really good.

Casualties during production?
Brain cells? Sanity? You've heard all that before. We didn't lose any band members, and we didn't have to do a midnight move-all-the-equipment-when-nobody's-watching dine and dash.

Album you unabashedly ripped off?
… And Justice for All.

The haters will say?
The same thing they've been saying since 1984: that Metallica is over. They hated us since the beginning, and they still hate us 25 years later, even though they have every record and go to every show. We have the No. 1 haters in the world. I'll put our haters up against any band's. Fuck you and your fucking entry-level haters! Ours fucking rule!