Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is set to release his first solo record.
And fans will get to hear the offering — dubbed “Portals” — on April 23.
The four-song instrumental EP is described in a news release as “a collection of gateways to myriad musical and psychic destinations” as well as “an invitation to inner worlds accessible only by music and the psyche it fuels.”
“This music was created with what I describe as an Audio-Cinematic approach. They’re soundtracks to the movies in your mind,” Hammett says.
The guitarist recorded the work in multiple locations, ranging from Los Angeles to Oahu to Paris.
Hammett also also produced the EP, which is comprised of the songs “Maiden and the Monster” and “The Jinn” on side A, with “High Plains Drifter” and “The Incantation” on the flip side. The latter two tracks were co-written by Edwin Outwater, who adds keyboards as well as leads members the the L.A. Philharmonic on the EP. Outwater and Hammett previously collaborated on the S&M2 concerts featuring Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Other contributors to “Portals” include drummers Jon Theodore and Abraham Laboriel, bassist Greg Fidelman, Emmy-winning arranger Blake Neely and acclaimed musician/sound engineer/producer Bob Rock.
The EP being released via Blackened Recordings across digital platforms and on CD. It will also be released as a Record Store Day exclusive ocean blue vinyl EP (with download card).
