Metallica Mixer Says Burying the Bass on 'AJFA' Was 'Stupid'

Steve Thompson, the engineer who mixed Metallica's ...And Justice for All, said he "thought it was stupid" to bury the bass on the album.

The mixer was the latest guest on the Appetite for Distortion podcast, as he also worked on Guns N' Roses' landmark 1987 album Appetite for Destruction. During the conversation, Thompson touched on his work with Metallica and one of the most heavily-discussed subjects in the band's history: the infamous lack of bass on their fourth studio album.

"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 recalled.

"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. 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."

Check out the full conversation below.

Metallica Mixer 'Thought It Was Stupid' to Have No Bass on '...And Justice for All'

What Happened to the Bass on '...And Justice for All?'

According to producer Flemming Rasmussen, the members of Metallica asked for the bass to be turned down during the mixing process because they couldn't hear their parts as loudly as they wanted to.

"And the story is that Metallica flew in, listened to what they'd done, and they went, 'No, no, no.' 'Where's my drum sound?' 'Where's my guitar sound?' And actually Lars said, 'Now take the bass down so you can just hear it'," the producer told the Chilean radio station Futuro in an interview in 2025, adding that he still didn't know why they made that decision.

Kirk Hammett gave a more technical explanation to Decibel Magazine in 2008 [via Guitar World] and said that Newsted's bass tone "interfered" with Hetfield's tone, which was what led them to have the bass turned down. He also said that they were trying to experiment with a "dry, in-your-face sound" at the time.

Check out the songs Metallica have never played live in the gallery below.