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The Latest Breaking News from Kirk Hammett

“There was a very real chance that James wouldn’t be coming back. And all that time we spent waiting was horrible”: The tumultuous inside story of Metallica’s St Anger album

In 2003, Metal Hammer flew to New York to interview Metallica ahead of St Anger. We found a band who were bruised, battered but defiant

Metal Hammer

“Add some gain and it’s got this weird kind of chainsaw distortion that I love... of course I feel in love with it”: Kirk Hammett has a second Les Paul that was previously owned by Gary Moore – and Moore said it sounded even better than Greeny

The Metallica lead guitarist offers Mark Agnesi a tour of his epic guitar collection on GibsonTV, with a coffee table book to follow. But will we ever see his ESP KH-1 with the onboard theremin?

MusicRadar

“I gave my friend a call and said, ‘What have you got for me today?’ He goes, ‘Oh, I have a guitar for you…’” How Kirk Hammett ended up in possession of the legendary ‘Greeny’ Les Paul – and why he had no interest in it at first

The Metallica guitarist never intended to buy Peter Green and Gary Moore's iconic single-cut – but changed his mind once he finally got his hands on it

Guitar World

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“Greeny is my Excalibur!”: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett says he’s still in love with that famous guitar

He calls it “a magic piece of wood”

MusicRadar

"His kid goes to our kid’s school, he's a lovely guy": how Metallica's Robert Trujillo and James singer Tim Booth became unexpected lunch buddies

The James frontman has been hanging out with the Metallica man in LA

Louder

“I can’t stop being bewildered by all these people who say, ‘That guy sucks!’ I’ve got news for you – you don’t get to where you’re at if you suck! Okay?” Kirk Hammett on why bad solos are dying – and dealing with armchair guitar critics

Towards the end of 2023, we caught up with Metallica's affable lead guitarist to take stock of one of the greatest years in the Bay Area metal behemoth's history, and to talk guitars, songwriting and gear

Guitar World

From 'metal' to banda: Metallica thrills Mexico with their cover of "La Chona"

Metallica thrills Mexico with their cover of "La Chona", during their first show after seven years without a show there

Latin Times

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"You had guys who would jump into the crowd and then walk across people’s heads." Inside the year that turned thrash metal into a global phenomenon

From Anthrax's Fistfull Of Metal to Exodus's Bonded By Blood and Metallica's Ride The Lightning, 1984 was the year thrash broke big

Metal Hammer

"To my ears, it sounds like me when I was 15 years old": Michael Schenker reveals how he hears his influence on Kirk Hammett's playing in Metallica

"People who copy that particular style will sound a little undeveloped because my vibrato wasn’t right"

MusicRadar

Fun fact of the day: Metallica use or give away 6,000 guitar picks a night

The metal superstars also haul 64 guitars around on tour and make their way through 25 drumsticks per show

Metal Hammer

Watch Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo cover Rush anthem Working Man in Canada

The Metallica duo’s latest ‘doodle’ covered a Canadian classic turning 50 this year

Metal Hammer

“I don’t think bad guitar solos even exist anymore. Everyone is just so much better than they used to be”: Kirk Hammett doesn't pay attention to solo trolls – and thinks “bad” solos are a thing of the past

The Metallica guitarist's lead effort in Lux Æterna came under intense fire from online commenters upon its release, with some even recording their own 'improved' versions

Guitar World

“I don’t think the underground or extreme metal scene will ever dig us. It’s elitist”: How Trivium defied the gatekeepers and split the critics with The Crusade

Trivium broke big with 2005’s Ascendancy – but a year later, The Crusade saw the backlash hit

Metal Hammer

Watch Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo jam Ministry’s Just One Fix live onstage

The Metallica duo have also done ‘doodles’ of songs by Iron Maiden, Prince, Abba and more

Metal Hammer

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Metal Hammer

"The annoying thing is that our album played Madison Square Garden before we did": the night Metallica launched The Black Album with the world's biggest listening party

The band hired an arena to unveil their monster fifth record to fans

Metal Hammer

“Lots of people hated it at first. Fans wanted them to do Kill ’Em All 20 per cent faster”: how Metallica defied the haters and changed the course of metal with Ride The Lightning

Metallica’s second album Ride The Lightning turns 40 on July 27 – this is how they made one of metal’s greatest records

MusicRadar

"The first time I saw him, James and I had gone to the Whisky a Go Go in '82. We saw Cliff play, and just absolutely lost our minds.": Memories of Metallica's lost bass titan Cliff Burton as band launches virtual exhibit

The first of four planned exhibitions includes interviews, photos, early recordings, letters and more

Metal Hammer

“Yes, we sell out – we sell out every seat in the house, every time we play!” 11 times Metallica were accused of ‘selling out’ for ridiculous reasons

Playing acoustic guitars. Making a music video. Getting haircuts?! Here are all the times Metallica incensed heavy metal’s purists.

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Guitar World

“It has become impossible to continue business”: Fernandes Guitars – the company behind iconic electrics played by Billie Joe Armstrong, Kirk Hammett and Robert Fripp – has filed for bankruptcy

The Japanese firm, which was also behind the Sustainer pickup and Burny guitars, was founded in 1969

Guitar World

“There aren’t many bassists that could do this job. Playing with Metallica is the most demanding gig there is”: Robert Trujillo reflects on the legacy of Jason Newsted and Cliff Burton

If you know your Metallica history, you’ll know that Robert Trujillo is the fourth player to fill the Metallica bass role

Metal Hammer

Kirk Hammett says Metallica don’t tour enough: “What it’s all about is playing guitar and writing, recording, going out on tour”

Metallica’s guitarist wants to spend more time on the road, according to his recent appearance on the metal titans’ podcast

Metal Hammer

“Their music means so much to us”: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett names the band he considers the “architects” of heavy metal

Metallica’s lead guitarist tips his hat to the icons who, he believes, refined the modern heavy metal sound

Guitar World

“There are no shocks on this album. I like bands to stay true to the sound that works. I’m happy that AC/DC have been making the same record for 50 years” Kerry King on his unapologetic solo debut – and how long before Slayer jump back into the coffin

As one half of Slayer’s fearsome guitar attack, Kerry King shaped the sound of extreme metal. With a new album andanew sparring partner, he hasn’t mellowed…

Guitar World

“Less versatile than the Greeny tributes… but it’s the perfect weapon to seek and destroy”: ESP LTD KH-V Kirk Hammett review

The latest signature model for the Metallica guitarist is a lot pointier than his previous offering – and the tones match the looks

Guitar World

James Hetfield is the undisputed master of metal rhythm guitar – and his downpicking will seriously test your abilities

Get to grips with the Metallica frontman’s punishing palm-muting and chugging rhythms

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