If you listen to the new Metallica album (try to ignore the lack of songwriting), you notice that Lars sounds like he’s beating on real drums, as opposed to “album drums”. I mean that it sounds a lot more like what I’ve heard when I’ve heard bands practicing live.
What is done to make drums sound like they do on so many rock albums, in which a lot of the hollowness is taken out? What did Metallica do differently?
it’s may be that they’ve simplified the micing of the drums, one overhead and one on the bass drum (for adding punch in the mix)
thereby capturing the sound of the room (and giving that ‘live’ sound)
Usually it’s mic on every piece of the kit, meaning you don’t capture any of the room ambience.
I haven’t listened to too much Metallica and not the new album at all, so I’m not sure what the difference might be in this specific instance.
However, a few things come to mind:
(1) miking, as nickannan stated. Also, where the drums were recorded. Drums are often recorded in a dead room and a small touch of reverb added via effects, but it’s possible this was recorded in an “acoustically lively” room and left as is.
(2) the mixing. various effects, such a gating and compression, are frequently used on drums. Use of these effects varies by style and time period as they go in and out of favor with producers (I know musicians who claim they can tell when a recording was made simply by listening to how the drums have been processed - think the big 80s drum sound ala Phil Collins). They can be used to make drums sound “punchier” by subtly shaping the dynamic contour of the sound. I think this is what you’re refering to by “hollowness”.
Just a guess, but they may have used that trice David Bowie (?) used; in addition to having a mike right in front of his face, he would have one with a noise gate on it 5 feet away and another with a noise gate on it 10 feet way etc.
Or, they might have done what nickannan said. 
Sounds like they took a cue from Gary Larson and turned the “suck” dial way up.
No, no, no—y’all have it all wrong. 
Seriously, the snares were left off of the snare drum (which sounds mistuned in the first place) which is the main source of the boing-y sound.
Usually, in addition to proper tuning, mic’ placement, and proper EQ’ing in general, physical dampening such as duct tape, felt, Moongel, extra padding in the bass drum, ring-shaped pieces of Mylar (modern drumhead material), etc. etc. is used in order to cut the overtones and make the drums more punchier.
Yeah, leaving the snares off woould make a lot of differnce, and I think that’s a lot of it. Good point.
