from gearslutz:
"yup, thats Cole Rehearsal in Hollywood. they wanted to avoid the "typical" recording studio so they got permission to put a hole in the wall for cables and made most of the record in their rehearsal room. i love the drum sounds, especially the toms... "
"I rented that room for a couple of months after they did that. There was a big hole in the wall where they ran the snake into the next room.
If you go into Cole, it's the first room on the left.
When I had the room, they'd come in and rehearse in the space across the hall. They really sounded huge. I remember the guitar player was using a 4x10 at the time.
The room was really nothing spectacular sound-wise. It had a bunch of burlap-y stuff on the wall with insulation behind it. Nothing you couldn't get just about anywhere.
It smelled gross. Don't even sit on that carpet. "
"I remember reading something with Gggarth and he said the drums were cut in a room with full PA and the whole band including Zakk playing along live. Zakk cut his vocals in the control room in front of the mains cranked to high hell. "
EDIT: apparently Evil Empire was cut at Cole's and S/T was Sound City in Van Nuys. Supposedly Brendan O'Brien did the original mix for Evil Empire but the label wanted the sound of the first album so they brought Andy back. Anyways it sounds like both were done pretty much live so that would explain the incredible feel captured.