Torben Ulrich first became infamous in metal circles in 2004, when the Metallica drummer's father was captured telling Lars to "delete that" during a Some Kind Of Monster scene where Lars asked for – and duly received – feedback on a proposed St Anger album track.
Torben is, himself, a seasoned musician as well as a performer, writer, choreographer and composer and has been releasing music under many guises for decades. But today, Torben has achieved the almighty feat of releasing a new album at the grand old age of 92. Okay, it might not be rock, but the so-called exploration of “athleticism, philosophy and mysticism” via spoken-word and cello sounds pretty intriguing too.
In an Instagram post featuring the drummer with his dad – otherwise known as the “Heavy Metal Gandalf” – Lars explains: “This is my dad… he’s the one on the left. 92 years old and just getting started…Today, as one does at his age, he’s putting out another record... This one being a collaboration with his dear friend @legoldston.
"If anybody’s interested in checking it out, it’s available on the @obscure_terrible Bandcamp page. Definitely something to aspire to.”
The record is titled Oakland Moments: Cello, Voice, Reuniting (Rejoicing), and is the first recording from duo Torben Ulrich and Lori Goldston, who have united under the name Obscure & Terrible. Oakland Moments features Torben reading from his collection of original texts and poems, coupled by Lori Goldston’s ambient cello playing.
Goldston has collaborated with an array of artists; from writers, film makers to playwrights. Her talents are wide-ranging, and she has worked with names including Earth, Nirvana, David Byrne and many others.
The virtuoso gene has also made its way to the newest generation of the Ulrich family tree, as Lars' son has proved to be quite the musical extraordinaire through his killer drum skills.
As mentioned, you can find Oakland Moments via their Bandcamp page, however if you were hoping for a physical copy of the album, you’re out of luck, as the limited-edition cassette tapes have already sold out.
