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The Latest Breaking News from Kirk Hammett

“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

"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

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"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

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“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

"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

Metal Hammer

"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

MusicRadar

“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.

Metal Hammer

“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

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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…

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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

Guitar World

“It was funny when I first met James Hetfield. I was like, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar. You paved the way for me’”: Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft

Mastodon's Bill Kelliher also credits Slayer's Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman for changing his previously nonchalant attitude to warming up before a show

Guitar World

“James really absorbed the dual-harmony thing and took it to heart. He made it his but it was originally Cliff’s”: Kirk Hammett on Joe Satriani’s influence and Metallica’s ’84 masterpiece Ride the Lightning

Master of Puppets gets all the attention, but it was Ride the Lightning that made the metal legends sound heavier, more epic, and musically more audacious

Metal Hammer

Watch man play Metallica's Pulling Teeth bass solo while squatting 225lbs. Definitely DO NOT try this at home

Here's something you don't see everyday. A man squatting 225lbs while playing epic Cliff Burton Metallica solo

Guitar World

“Us guitar players in the West, we all have the same base vocabulary, the same handful of stereotypical licks. But Mdou’s music, it’s almost free of that stuff”: Mdou Moctar finds a new fan in Metallica’s Kirk Hammett

The Tuareg guitarist’s latest album continues to expand the horizons of contemporary rock

MusicRadar

"At first, based on the music and the riff, the band and their management thought it could be the first single… then they heard James’ lyrics": When Metallica and Bob Rock changed tack and gambled with Enter Sandman

Via some riff editing from Lars Ulrich

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