Gojira’s Mario Duplantier on Lars Ulrich’s drumming: “We need to bring some justice for him”

Gojira’s drummer Mario Duplantier has defended Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich. In a recent interview on Stray From the Path drummer Craig Reynolds’s Downbeat Podcast, Duplantier said that, in addition to his skills behind the kit, Ulrich deserves far more respect than he gets.

“We need to bring some justice for him because it’s not about moving tempo-wise,” said Duplantier. “It’s what he created in the past. I’m a bit tired of seeing all this conversation about Lars because what he did create is quite unique. Listen to fucking …And Justice For All. It’s amazing.”

Craig Reynolds added that for a 60-year-old, Ulrich’s ability to play eight-and-a-half-minute songs like “Master of Puppets” is remarkable and physically demanding.

“It’s very physical,” added Duplantier. “And what he brought to the table back in the day — you know, playing without shirts and doing all these faces, and standing up behind the kits – is almost more important than the rest. It’s the the personality on stage for me as a kid, I was just fascinated. It was not about the technique, you know? ‘Is it tight? Is he [playing well]?’ I didn’t care. I just saw someone behind the drums. A true personality.”

You can watch the full interview below: