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The Latest Breaking News from Kirk Hammett

"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

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“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

“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

Guitar World

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

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“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

Metal Hammer

“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

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

Guitar World

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

Metal Hammer

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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

Guitar World

“For many wah enthusiasts, Clyde McCoy wahs are considered the ‘Holy Grail’, and Xotic has replicated its tonal recipe”: Xotic XW-2 Wah – Red Limited review

Xotic is only making 1,000 of these, which is a shame, because it is maybe the most beautiful wah pedal you will ever see. But how does it sound?

Metal Hammer

“So funny, so personable, so goofy”: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett remembers hitching a ride from David Bowie

Metallica’s guitarist has told the story of how David Bowie came to the rescue when he didn’t have a ride to his hotel

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Metal Hammer

The isolated bass track from Metallica’s Orion proves that Cliff Burton was a master of his instrument

Orion without guitars and drums is still a majestic experience. That’s how incredible Cliff Burton was.

Metal Hammer

“We’d play a song in a certain tempo. Three weeks later, it would be twice as fast”: who invented thrash metal? Kirk Hammett has a theory

Kirk Hammett was there at the birth of thrash with his original band Exodus, so he should know more than anyone who invented the genre

Guitar World

“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

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

MusicRadar

“When somebody buys my signature Duesenberg in a store, they're buying exactly what I play on stage”: Dave Baksh of Sum 41 interview

Dave Baksh lifts the lid on the gear used to record Sum 41’s last-ever album and details the benefits of a digital rig and recording remotely

Louder

“That was it for me, a rock god lead guitarist playing on it”: how Metallica’s Kirk Hammett helped a dance classic to come full circle

The Metallica man collaborated with techno duo Orbital for a song on the soundtrack to Spawn

MusicRadar

"With effortless playability and the credentials to absolutely nail those iconic Peter Green, Gary Moore and Kirk Hammett tones": Epiphone Kirk Hammett "Greeny" 1959 Les Paul Standard review

The world's most famous Les Paul finally gets the Epiphone treatment – but is it worth it?

Metal Hammer

Every Metallica instrumental ranked from worst to best

From (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth to Suicide & Redemption, we’ve rearranged the six Metallica instrumental tracks in reverse-order of excellence

1 2 3 4 5

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