Metallica’s lead guitarist Kirk Hammett believes he “should be a lot better” at playing his instrument.
The 62-year-old, who joined Metallica in 1983, admits this in an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer when asked about the quality of modern guitar playing.
“I see a lot of [people on YouTube] and I’m frigging impressed,” says he. “There are some incredible players out there, and I’m just shaking my head, thinking, ‘Why aren’t these guys working? Why don’t they record? But then I thought…maybe they can’t. Perhaps they have jobs, families, or other responsibilities that they cannot abandon.”
READ MORE: According To Kirk Hammett, He Wrote 767 Riffs For The New Metallica Album
The guitarist then turns to his own abilities. “I should be a lot better than I am,” he says. “I see some of these younger guitar players and think, ‘Where did I go wrong?'” Ha ha!”
H
e goes on to explain that his approach to playing is based on emotion rather than music theory: “It’s difficult for me to be objective or subjective about where I stand in all of this. I just know I enjoy playing the way I do, and if I keep playing from my cajónes, someone will be able to relate to that.
“I don’t need to brag or become egotistical by saying, ‘Hey, check out this three-octave arpeggio with tapping in the middle.'” I cannot be bothered! I have a grandiose style of performing; I’ve always been like that, even when I was just in my room.”
Despite Hammett’s self-deprecating assessment of his abilities, he is usually listed among the “best guitarists in metal.” Hammer recognized the main guitarist and his bandmate James Hetfield as the genre’s equal third-best guitarists in 2019. In an interview for the piece, Phil Demmel (Kerry King, ex-Machine Head) described Hammett as “the master of the memorable solo”.
The Collection: Kirk Hammett, a coffee table book based on his huge guitar collection, was published last month by Gibson Publishing. He is currently touring North America with Metallica. See the remaining dates below.
Metallica 2025 North American tour dates:
May 01: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN*
May 03: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN+
May 07: Blacksburg Lane Stadium, VA*
May 09: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH
May 11: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH
May 23: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA+
May 25: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA*
May 28: Landover Northwest Stadium, MD*
May 31: Charlotte Bank Of America Stadium, NC*
Jun 3: Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium, GA*
Jun 6: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL+
Jun 8: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL*
Jun 14: Houston NRG Stadium, TX*
Jun 20: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA+
Jun 22: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA*
Jun 27: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO+
Jun 29: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO*
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