Jason wasn't too new to voice his opinion, he was probably just too spellbound because he was in Metallica instead of Flotsam and Jetsam (quite a step up). If he didn't have the ability to play what the band was playing then they wouldn't have hired him. Robert is brand new to the band and he wrote his own basslines and contributed to the arrangements and some lyrics. Jason could have done so as well if he spoke up. Later on he did.
There is a lack of bass for two reasons. 1) All he is playing are root notes and the riffs already sound pretty thick so they are a little hard to differentiate and 2) They put the bass a little too low in the mix. I don't imagine they purposely tried to ruin their best album by fucking with the new guy like everyone thinks. Regardless it doesn't matter with the technology we have now. Back in the 80s I can see where the lack of bass could be a problem but nowadays all you need to do is adjust your EQ and you have a very good sounding album.
Drum sounds will either come across sounding really thin, too boomy, or as you said sometimes a little tick tick ticky and it all has to do with the production and polish put on it. I enjoy Lars' drum sounds from ...And Justice For All through Reload but the sound isn't always what's important, it's how they are being played. I've seen videos of John Bonham playing some really amazing stuff and the drum tones were pretty bad, but that didn't take away from the excellent things he was doing. St. Anger sucks because of under produced drums and general terrible playing. That pretty much applies for the whole band.
There is a lack of bass for two reasons. 1) All he is playing are root notes and the riffs already sound pretty thick so they are a little hard to differentiate and 2) They put the bass a little too low in the mix. I don't imagine they purposely tried to ruin their best album by fucking with the new guy like everyone thinks. Regardless it doesn't matter with the technology we have now. Back in the 80s I can see where the lack of bass could be a problem but nowadays all you need to do is adjust your EQ and you have a very good sounding album.
Drum sounds will either come across sounding really thin, too boomy, or as you said sometimes a little tick tick ticky and it all has to do with the production and polish put on it. I enjoy Lars' drum sounds from ...And Justice For All through Reload but the sound isn't always what's important, it's how they are being played. I've seen videos of John Bonham playing some really amazing stuff and the drum tones were pretty bad, but that didn't take away from the excellent things he was doing. St. Anger sucks because of under produced drums and general terrible playing. That pretty much applies for the whole band.
