Kirk Hammett
Latest about Kirk Hammett

“Is he gonna call Eddie Van Halen a boomer?” Kirk Hammett weighs in on Tim Henson and the boomer bends controversy
By Jenna Scaramanga published
“It’s only accessible to… a very small category of people,” says the Metallica guitarist of Polyphia’s music

Greeny will always be Kirk Hammett’s pride and joy. But this uber-rare 1959 Gibson ES-335 is a close second – and it has a surprising history
By Chris Vinnicombe published
What’s rarer than a Burst, rarer than a korina Flying V, and even rarer than a korina Explorer? A vintage guitar that Kirk Hammett believes is second only to Greeny when it comes to the best-sounding instruments in his arsenal…

When Metallica hit the road for their first national tour, crowds weren’t convinced by their music
By Phil Weller published
James Hetfield and co went on tour with British heavy metal band Raven when they came over to the States in the early 1980s – but they didn’t always win over the audience

Jerry Cantrell and James Hetfield have talked about making an album together
By Matt Owen published
The two guitar heroes have recorded together in the past, and collaborated at a number of benefit concerts. Could a fully fledged album be next?

Kirk Hammett sent Jack White his signature Gibson Les Paul – and received the White Stripes legend’s wild Fender Triplecaster in return
By Matt Owen published
The Metallica guitarist, who sent White one of his Greeny Les Pauls, seemingly can’t put down the innovative Telecaster revamp

Metallica pull out all the stops for All Within My Hands charity gig – bringing out oddball Danelectros, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and rarities
By Phil Weller published
With the help of some special guests, Metallica played deep cuts, new covers, and a very interesting reimagining of one of their recent releases all in the name of charity

The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there
By Richard Bienstock published
The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there, including Dave Mustaine, Scott Ian, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and, of course, Metallica themselves

“Reveal coming soon”: At long lost, is Gibson finally working on James Hetfield signature guitars?
By Matt Owen published
The Metallica frontman is poised to receive a Gibson Custom Shop creation that pays homage to his famed ‘So What’ 1984 Explorer. Could signature guitars be next?

How Kirk Hammett ended up in possession of the legendary ‘Greeny’ Les Paul – and why he had no interest in it at first
By Matt Owen published
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

Kirk Hammett on why bad solos are dying – and dealing with armchair guitar critics
By Jonathan Horsley published
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
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