Steve Thompson, the engineer who mixed Metallica’s …And Justice for All, recently spoke about the infamous lack of bass on the band’s fourth studio album. He shared his account on the Appetite for Distortion podcast, and he said he was against the decision from the beginning.
“When I worked with Metallica, I thought they were the best at what they did. [I] loved them, absolutely loved them… Our philosophies were different though, I believed in bass and [Lars Ulrich] didn’t. And when we did ‘…And Justice for All,’ I got nailed for why there’s no bass in the mix,” Thompson said.
He added that the final call rested with the band.
“This is what they wanted. I mean I fought hard but at the end of the day, it’s their record. If that’s what they want, that’s what you have to give them,” he continued.
Thompson also gave his view of the bass parts themselves.
“I didn’t agree with them. I thought it was stupid because Jason [Newsted’s] bass parts were a great marriage with [James] Hetfield’s rhythm guitars — perfect. But you know, it is what it is,” he said.
His comments revisit one of the most debated production choices in heavy metal. Flemming Rasmussen produced …And Justice for All. Thompson and Michael Barbiero mixed it. The bass was recorded in full. It was pushed so low in the final mix that Newsted’s lines are nearly inaudible on the finished record.
Thompson has long said the mix began with Ulrich’s drum sound. Ulrich arrived with a specific idea of how his drums should sound. The drums were reshaped first. Thompson said Ulrich then asked him to bring the bass down until it could barely be heard. Thompson has said he first lowered it almost as a joke. He considered the part great.
Newsted has said he was “f**king livid” when he first heard the finished album. His parts had been buried. Hetfield and Ulrich had approved the result.
Rasmussen has distanced himself from the mix. He has said he did not mix the album. Thompson and Barbiero were already hired by the time he got involved. He has also said fans should ask Hetfield and Ulrich why the bass was reduced.
Toby Wright, who worked on the album’s recording sessions, described the mood in the room at the time.
“At the time, the theology in the room between Lars and James was that if you can hear the bass it’s 2dB too loud.”
Decades later, the missing bass remains one of the most discussed features of the album. Fans still debate it.
