I've read elsewhere that James has said that Kirk is totally un-interested and disconnected in the studio. Lars and him will be discussing something and Kirk is just reading and not participating.
Maybe he just isn't into it anymore and treats it more like work rather than his hobby.
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Also - everything about this album cycle has been great ( long wait aside ** ) - I love how they dropped the info for the new album, the first single and video all in one day like BOOM.
Plus a 3CD edition of the album with Lords of Summer as a studio quality bonus track for those that wanted it - and it's on the bonus disc for people who don't want it on the album etc...
A music video for every song - and a making of for every song.
Actual music aside - i'm not sure what else anyone could want.
BUT if I did have to pick something - I was hoping for a live-in-the-studio playthrough of the whole album as a DVD again
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** - But as I always said - the long wait will be worth it if the album is great - which to me it definitely is. It pretty much ticked all my "expectation" boxes...
PLUS - weirdly - the actual studio time for Hardwired is A LOT LESS than it was for Death Magnetic.
Death Magnetic - entered the studio Late 2005 - Album Late 2008
Hardwired - Entered the studio late 2014 - Album out late 2016.