THE BEAST

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich has spoken—and he didn’t crown one of his own records. Instead, the outspoken drummer hailed Deep Purple’s legendary 1972 double LP Made in Japan as “hands down the best hard rock live album ever.”

In a passionate new video message shared on Deep Purple’s official YouTube channel, Ulrich didn’t just praise the record—he practically worshipped it:

“I have heard it just about 18,000 times, and every time I hear it, it just gets better and better and better, and it's so crazy cool.”

Recorded during the band’s 1972 run of shows in Osaka and Tokyo, Made in Japan captured Deep Purple at their rawest, loudest, and most unpredictable. With no overdubs and a shoestring budget of just $3,000, the album went on to become a cornerstone of heavy music history, setting the bar for what a live rock record could sound like.

Now, 53 years later, Made in Japan is back—bigger than ever. The new reissue features all three nights of performances remixed and reimagined by prog wizard Steven Wilson, complete with Atmos and stereo mixes. In Lars’s words, it’s got “the kitchen sink and a bigger kitchen sink and more of the kitchen sink.”

But what really blows Ulrich’s mind is how different each version of the songs feels from night to night.

“One night ‘Child in Time’ is this long, and the other night it’s that long. Blackmore’s in a different mood, Ian Paice is playing against him, Ian Gillan’s taking off somewhere else, and Jon Lord is just crazy cool on the keyboards. Every performance is a trip.”

For Ulrich, this isn’t just a reissue—it’s a reminder of why Made in Japan stands untouchable in the live album pantheon:

“In terms of live hard rock and roll, this is as good as it gets. Made in Japan. Made in motherf***ing Japan.”

With Ulrich’s stamp of approval, it seems even the gods of metal still kneel before Deep Purple’s timeless masterpiece.