Metallica

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“It’s like Brian May walked over to his tone booth and just turned it up to 11!” Kirk Hammett names his favorite Queen song – and it’s a seriously deep cut

By Jonathan Horsley published 20 March 24

Metallica may have covered Stone Cold Crazy, but that’s not Hammett’s no. 1…

Morley Ccliff Burton fuzz wah reissue 20224

“Cliff Burton’s secret weapon, modernized to grow his legacy”: Morley reissues Cliff Burton’s trademark wah fuzz pedal in tribute to the revolutionary Metallica bassist

By Phil Weller published 19 February 24

Housing Burton’s signature “old-school ripped speaker” tone, as heard on For Whom the Bell Tolls, the reissue is enhanced with modern features including switchless activation and a glow-in-the-dark treadle

Jason Isbell, Phoebe Bridgers, James Hetfield and Larkin Poe

“We were all delusional enough as kids to think this might happen to us”: boygenius, Metallica, Paramore, Larkin Poe, Jason Isbell and Joni Mitchell win big at the Grammys 2024

By Matt Owen published 5 February 24

Molly Tuttle, Chris Stapleton and newly anointed Fender signature artist Juanes also took home awards during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony

“I think Metallica thought that I knew who they were. I didn’t. They thought I was in awe of them – not true… it wasn’t enjoyable”: Whiskey in the Jar was the hardest song Thin Lizzy’s Eric Bell ever tackled, and he didn't enjoy playing it with Metallica

By Andrew Daly published 2 February 24

In a wide-ranging conversation with GW, Bell also acknowledges that he could never have returned to Phil Lynott’s band after an infamous onstage meltdown in 1973 – but at least he apologized to his beloved Strat for his behavior that night...

“What Ace Frehley and Joe Perry do isn’t precise, there’s some sloppiness, but they know how to create a wide sound... it’s unlike anyone else”: Low-end veteran Chris Wyse on his Metallica audition and his love of the Gibson Ripper L-9 and Tech 21 SansAmp

By Andrew Daly published 29 January 24

With the ability to create seemingly unending deep pockets, Wyse has landed gigs with Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley, Tal Bachman, The Cult, and, most recently, the Hollywood Vampires

Gibson Custom Shop Kirk Hammett 1989 Les Paul Custom

“Artfully aged by the Murphy Lab to match the look and feel of Kirk’s original”: Gibson’s Custom Shop takes on Kirk Hammett’s mod-heavy, “blacked-out” 1989 Les Paul Custom – and it’s safe to say it’s nothing like Greeny...

By Matt Parker published 23 January 24

The Metallica guitar god debuts his latest signature Les Paul – and it’s a little different to his other recent custom shop build...

“We’d love to be plugging PRS guitars into Mesa/Boogie amps, but for now it’s an old, worn-out Gibson Les Paul Studio”: Return to Dust’s brand of grunge metal has millions of views on TikTok. Now they face the challenges of entering the real world

By Andrew Daly published 12 January 24

For guitarist Matt Joseph, 2024 is about acquiring skills now they’ve secured festival billing alongside Slipknot, Judas Priest and Pantera. For 17-year-old bandmate Sebastian Gonzales, it’s about handling being away from his family

“It was a huge risk – to this day I’m wondering if I pulled it off or not. But it was how I felt inside. I didn’t want picture-perfect solos”: Kirk Hammett reflects on his all-improv lead approach – and explains why he doesn’t sweat onstage mistakes

By Jonathan Horsley published 12 January 24

Kirk Hammett looks back on a landmark year in Metallica, reveals how Joe Bonamassa helped him snag one of the rarest Les Pauls ever made, and explains what caused him to mess up the intro to Nothing Else Matters – and why it doesn’t matter

Les Claypool backstage on August 4, 1995 in New York City, New York. Lars Ulrich of Metallica performs at Royal Arena on February 3, 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Lars said, ‘You’re not really used to this kind of music, are you?’” Les Claypool on his failed Metallica audition

By Joel McIver published 11 January 24

According to James Hetfield, Les Claypool was “too good” for the thrash metal giants

“Big jets moving, bombers, people in battle, distress, crying – the Vietnam War added a lot of darkness to his playing”: Kirk Hammett on how Jimi Hendrix’s guitar style helped birth metal and psychedelia

By Jonathan Horsley published 22 December 23

The Metallica man and Hendrix fan argues that the guitar icon's influence on metal is under-appreciated

Mark Tremonti, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett

“I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Master of Puppets”: Mark Tremonti on how Metallica's classic record changed his life – and how James Hetfield's right hand shaped his picking style

By Amit Sharma published 20 December 23

The metal trailblazers had an immeasurable impact on the Alter Bridge axeman – here, he discusses what makes Hetfield and Kirk Hammett such a potent duo

“We called that riff ‘The Batman Riff’”: Kirk Hammett admits Metallica lifted the Batman theme on 72 Seasons

By Matt Owen published 19 December 23

Thought that riff in Shadows Follow sounded awfully similar to a certain classic superhero theme? Turns out Metallica knew exactly what they were doing

“I hate to say it, but non-musicians – who are the majority of the listening world – are not going to remember guitar solos”: Kirk Hammett says it doesn’t matter how good or flashy a solo is – most people are going to forget them anyway

By Matt Owen published 15 December 23

According to the Metallica maestro, the average music listener doesn't share a guitar player's enthusiasm for a ripping solo

James Hetfield and Chad Zaemisch with an ESP Snakebyte electric guitar

“We didn’t have another band to point to and say, well, Sabbath is using it or the Scorpions are using it. James had the foresight to say, ‘Let’s try it. Maybe we’re the people to embrace it’”: James Hetfield’s tech shows you his 72 Seasons live rig

By Jacob Paul Nielsen published 23 November 23

Chad Zaemisch has been the Metallica leader’s right-hand man for 20 years. He discusses the metal titans’ amp modeling sea change, why his boss “chickened out” with his new 72 Seasons ESP Vulture, and what happens when things go very, very wrong onstage…

James Hetfield performs live with his ESP Horizon Double Neck Montreal

“The Double-Neck Montreal makes me think of the smell of your own burning flesh”: James Hetfield opens up about the agony of his 1992 pyro accident, and how his scorched ESP left a lasting legacy on Metallica

By James Hetfield published 13 November 23

In this exclusive extract from his new book, the Metallica frontman describes the experience of getting torched by pyro while playing guitar, and offers a closer look at the damage done to his ESP double-neck during the band’s fateful 1992 performance in Montreal

“A meticulous recreation of Kirk’s prized original”: Epiphone has launched a Kirk Hammett signature 1979 Flying V – and it’s a lot more affordable than the Gibson Custom Shop version

By Matt Owen published 31 October 23

Made in partnership with the Gibson Custom Shop, the Metallica man’s accessible Epi pays homage to “one of the most important heavy metal guitars of all time”

Sophie Lloyd Metallica Enter Sandman shred cover

“Yes, that’s a real spider”: Sophie Lloyd’s Enter Sandman (Shred Version) adds extra fretboard flair to Metallica’s thrash classic – alongside some snakes and a tarantula named Rosie

By Matt Parker published 27 October 23

The British YouTuber and virtuoso guitarist has upped the shred quota on the iconic Metallica tune

“I’m trying to show the world that a bass player can do many things”: Watch the first trailer for Geddy Lee’s new docuseries, featuring Les Claypool and Robert Trujillo

By Nick Wells published 26 October 23

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? also stars Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur

“My go-to guitar in the studio”: This Fender Telecaster lived in Metallica’s HQ and became Kirk Hammett’s writing workhorse – now it’s going under the hammer

By Matt Owen published 10 October 23

The single-cut became an integral part of Metallica’s writing process, and helped craft St. Anger and Death Magnetic

Kirk Hammett rarely plays guest solos, but he teamed up with folk-rockers Goodnight, Texas to deliver “an absolute vintage wah solo” on Greeny – hear it now

By Matt Owen published 25 September 23

Hear how the Metallica maestro helped the band usher in a heavy new sonic direction with the help of one of music's most famed Les Pauls in this Guitar World exclusive premiere

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