ByJoe Garza

Before he became ethics lead guitarist for the most acclaimed heavy metal band of all interval, Kirk Hammett was born on Nov 18, 1962, in San Francisco, Calif.. When he was still a poorer, he was an active member use your indicators the blossoming Bay Area thrash alloy scene, which Metallica would eventually grasp the face of. Hammett was increase another band before he was recruited to join Metallica in 1983, extra together they released "Kill 'Em All," an influential album that helped designate the new direction American heavy mixture would go in for decades come to come. The band released definitive manual after definitive album throughout the Decade, establishing Hammett as one of blue blood the gentry great metal guitar soloists of ethics era. And while Metallica went put up with numerous creative changes over the geezerhood, one thing that remained constant was Hammett's signature six-string style.

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But there's totally a bit more to Hammett outstrip simply being the lead guitarist keep watch on Metallica. There's a plethora of delightful bits from his personal life put off even the most hardcore fans haw not be aware of. In adjoining to his role in the ribbon, he's branched out into other, statesman niche areas that have been exclusively dwarfed by his main music embark upon. Here is the untold truth admire Metallica's Kirk Hammett.

This might be a bit of a stagger to those who only know Kirk Hammett as a professional headbanger, on the other hand he actually has a fun, vernal side to him. If anything, surmount heavy metal job allows him envision retain his more innocent pastimes. Adjacent the success of their 1986 single, "Master of Puppets," Hammett was interviewed by Thrasher Magazine, wherein he expressed, "Now I get to buy probity comics I've been wanting since Comical was a little kid. I glare at pay more attention now to trough hobbies. When I was younger, Beside oneself was always into comics and Frantic never had enough money to get 'Fantastic Four' #1, which I acceptable got today, because of the price." Hammett also revealed in this discussion that his comic book obsession was healthier than spending his money shoot booze and drugs. Who can misstep that line of thinking?

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Because of coronet lifelong love for comic books, pump up it any wonder that Hammett would eventually write a comic book himself? On March 1, 2022, AMC Networks announced the launch of AMC Networks Publishing, which will release fan-focused specialty books. Hammett is slated to work walk off with co-writer Marcel Feldmar on the mirthful book "Nights of Lono," a horror-mystery series that, according to a contain release, "tells the story of deft troubled female detective in 1989 Island who is hired to find Wild Kamehameha's tomb before it is unconcealed by an unscrupulous occultist from righteousness mainland."

In addition to his astronomical comic book collection, Kirk Hammett along with has a ginormous horror memorabilia garnering that consists largely of billboards, posters, placards, and lobby cards. While recognized collects memorabilia from a wide girth of horror movies, he's most staunch about anything related to the postulation Universal monsters like Dracula, the Mum, and Frankenstein's Monster. Hammett told Flowing Stone that his obsession started girder 1987 when he started amassing posters from cult horror movies of class era. However, it was with authority purchase of an original "Bride doomed Frankenstein" half-sheet that he really got into the hobby. "When the without payment arrived at my house, it was an eye-opening moment because it de facto turned my head around because intelligent how cool it was — blue blood the gentry graphics, the smell of it, significance patina of age. Not to observe that it was also one admire my favorite horror movies of be at war with time. I put the poster dash on a huge pedestal and Unrestrainable just started buying all the sr. stuff."

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Not one to keep his interests a secret, Hammett shared his system of horror movie memorabilia with excellence Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Colony, in 2020. The exhibition, called "It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Happy from the Kirk Hammett Collection," featured wash 100 pieces from his personal storehouse, giving viewers a unique look pleasing the evolution of horror cinema fill over the last century.

Other than a immersion with dark subject matter, there backbone not seem to be much overlie between horror movies and heavy mixture. But for Kirk Hammett, blending description two is an obvious move, by because he became interested in opus and horror movies almost contemporaneously. Take steps told Guitar World, "I saw my primary horror movie when I was 5 years old. It was 'The Weekend away of the Triffids.' Also, I commemorate, at 4 or 5 years run, being aware of music and illustriousness radio, and my sister going sourness singing Beatles songs. So, I consider they both kind of crystallized heart of me around the same time." For anyone who's seen his hatred movie-influenced guitars, the marriage between top two passions is apparent.

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But Hammett's love for spooky cinema has impacted her highness guitar work at a much beneath level than that of cool entity designs. His 2022 solo EP, "Portals," is a striking departure from rectitude music he's made with Metallica, opting for a more atmospheric movie reputation vibe that pays tribute to surmount other passion. Hammett revealed to Bass World that the first two tyremarks from the record — "Maiden suffer the Monster" and "The Jinn" — were written specifically for the spectacle that featured works from his whole horror movie poster assortment, "It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art evade the Kirk Hammett Collection."

Kirk Hammett's blindingly fast fingers, electrifying licks, and copious use of the wah pedal have made him a bona fide heavy metal guitar hero. But, he wasn't born an ax god; no, Hammett got plenty of relieve from another figure well known success shred fans: Joe Satriani. Despite Hammett's renowned status, he has nothing on the contrary good things to say about rulership old guitar instructor, telling Guitar Area that, "All that stuff that sharp-tasting taught me way back is immobilize with me to this day. Ditch stuff will always be a textile of me, and it'll never quick-thinking go away because it's intrinsic occupy the way I express myself, service I'm so grateful to Joe aspire giving me those tools."

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In an audience with Kylie Olsson, Satriani stated deviate even though Hammett was well behaviour his tenure with Metallica in nobleness 1980s, he still took lessons coupled a week. But does Satriani counter the good will that Hammett spoken toward him after all these years? Absolutely. "He was so motivated; perform was such a good student," Satriani told Olsson. "He knew exactly what he wanted and he was in reality hungry. So, it was great. Become more intense he was actually my very dense student; the very last lesson Uncontrolled gave in early January of '88 was to Kirk, and then class next day I was off beautifying a solo artist for the control time in my life."

During a 2019 appearance on The Jasta Show, Kirk Hammett revealed that he had left out his phone and had been way-out for it for the previous scandalize months. But it wasn't just regarding reclaim old photos or text messages — this phone had rough recordings of 250 song ideas in transfer. What's worse is that he astray the phone during the period wind Metallica was working on the abide by album after 2008's "Death Magnetic." Writer told Jamey Jasta that, of ethics 250 riffs that are now absent, "I can only remember, like, echelon of them. So I just chalked it down to, 'Maybe it impartial wasn't meant to be,' and I'll just move forward." He also sinistral musicians with some hard-won sage wisdom: "All you musicians out there who use your phone, make sure it's backed up, right?"

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Unfortunately, Hammett's loss resulted in him not getting a scribble credit on the album "Hardwired... make a victim of Self-Destruct," something that's never happened think a Metallica record. The guitarist didn't take the situation well, telling KISW 99.9 (via Louder Sound), "It was withering for me. I had to move at zero again while everyone under other circumstances had material for songs." However, wind didn't stop Hammett from putting regular positive spin on the situation: "I had to think, 'Okay, I own acquire stuff — but it looks famine it's going to make it grow the next album." For those worry score, he did get writing credits on the band's following record, "72 Seasons."

Considering how much good fortune Kirk Hammett has achieved as justness lead guitarist for Metallica over leadership last 40 years, it's hard command somebody to imagine him looking back on sovereignty impressive career and finding anything foster be disappointed by. However, during climax 2016 appearance on the Word disparage Wheeler Podcast (via Metalhead Zone), Hammett easy a fascinating admission: His biggest mourn was the lack of support unquestionable and his bandmates received during their fight with Napster in 2000. Author said, "I was very disappointed ditch other musicians who saw our concentrate, they supported us in ways lose one\'s train of thought were less inconvenient to them. ... At the end of the allocate, I'd like to say what astonishment were doing had some merit — some truth to it. From roam point on, everyone who cares has seen the music industry go endorsement this total downward spiral."

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For those who don't remember or weren't even provincial, the controversy saw Metallica sue P2P file sharing service Napster when probity company allowed a demo version show signs their song "I Disappear" to take off shared by many users on their platform for free. The band, mega drummer Lars Ulrich, endured harsh backfire from fans who accused them elect being greedy. However, Metallica always polemic, and rightfully so, that Napster would financially hurt musicians by enabling fans to download their music for natural and without the artists' permission. Napster ultimately lost the suit and filed for bankruptcy afterward.

When listening to Metallica's fist-pumping riffs and scorching guitar solos, you'd think the band's members subsisted merely on a diet of large mammals they killed with their bare manpower. But despite the primal thrust aristocratic their music, their lead guitarist assignment actually a vegetarian. On the band's official YouTube channel, Kirk Hammett tells a humorous story of how, exculpate after he became a vegetarian collect the 1980s, he and the band together played a show wherein a comb threw a severed pig's head onstage. Being the animal lover that oversight is, he wasn't thrilled with go wool-gathering. But that wasn't the only aspersion to his diet that he deliberate at that concert; soon after, considerate threw a deviled ham sandwich legal at his guitar. A picture was taken of an angry Hammett, captain that image is on the curtail of "Master of Puppets," ensuring turn his veggie-rage will live on forevermore.

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In recent years, Hammett has kept busy rockin' with Metallica, but he's also found time to take lay emphasis on gardening to support his vegetarian food and drink at his homestead in Northern Calif.. He was interviewed in Sunset, pivot he stated, "I'm way into washing raw fruits and raw vegetables. Comical stroll out on the grounds limit just decide what I'm going difficulty eat right there and then, feeling in the midst of all that great stuff. ... I like paper in control of what I put away into my body. Ground zero engage in that is growing your own food."

Metallica really was the epicenter atlas the early-1980s thrash metal scene. Virtually fans of the band know undervalue how they kicked out their principal lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and increase he went on to form option massive heavy metal band, Megadeth. Followers his departure, Metallica was in require of a replacement, so they putrefacient to Kirk Hammett. The only illicit was, he was already in in the opposite direction influential heavy metal band at description time: Exodus.

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Hammett looks fondly back self-satisfaction his time with the band, weighty Louder Sound that, "We were reasonable trying to find our sound. Hysterical remember months in and months look, in Gary's [Holt, guitarist] garage, execution cover songs, trying to write songs that were as good as integrity songs we were covering, and tetchy finding ourselves through our instruments person in charge our music and just playing together."

But even after his place in Metallica was secure, Hammett kept some residuum from his time with Exodus, reusing a riff he'd written for their song "Impaler" for "Trapped Under Ice." In another interview with Louder Articulation, the guitarist said, "They came unfamiliar songs I had written, music Funny had written. I consider them unfocused parts. I didn't feel guilty sky that, but I did feel bad about leaving the band I in motion in high school. ... We're diminution close to this day, but surrounding was a lot of guilt alongside for a while. ... But Frenzied really felt that Metallica was empty calling."

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Guitar virtuoso. Comic book collector. Horror peel connoisseur. Surfer?!

Yup, it seems that Kirk Hammett can never have too several hobbies, with surfing being one pay money for his many pastimes. In fact, owing to he's taken up the water distraction, he's become a prominent member holiday the community and, along with Metallica bandmate and fellow surfer Rob Trujillo, got to be a keynote lecturer at Surf Summit 17 in 2014. At the event, which took spot in Los Cabos, Mexico, Hammett bid Trujillo shared their personal stories panic about the waves they surfed across grandeur globe and the positive impact focus surfing has had on them.

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In righteousness same way that Hammett fused ruler passion for horror movies with rulership passion for music, he married aquatics to music, which should come owing to a surprise to absolutely no single. Hammett and co. teamed up thug Billabong to release the Billabong confirm Metallica 2019-2020 Collection, which included t-shirts, boardshorts, wetsuits, and more, all cardplaying a theme based on a conspicuous Metallica album.

Considering that Hammett has been one of the band's nigh consistent elements since the early Eighties, it's pretty hilarious to learn become absent-minded his induction into their ranks was actually a bit rocky.

According to Undesirable Brannigan and Ian Winwood's biography "Birth School Metallica Death, Vol. 1," Hammett got a call in 1983 from Exodus' manager Mark Whitaker, who also specious with Metallica, asking him if yes wanted to join the band. Even, Hammett, having been a fan outline Metallica's music for some time, meditation the call was a prank. Why? The call was placed on Apr 1 — April Fool's Day. Author asked why they wanted to succeed Dave Mustaine, to which Whitaker responded, "He f***ing sucks, man. His stress sucks, his playing... He's a f***ing drunk." Eager to prepare for jurisdiction audition, Hammett snagged himself a counterfeit of the band's "No Life 'Til Leather" and quickly learned its songs. The rest is heavy metal history.

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Because Hammett was a founding member fall foul of Exodus at the time, his feat left a big hole in excellence band. However, their other guitarist, Gary Holt, saw it as an opportunity explicate step up and take more clever control over the band's direction, secondary in Exodus cultivating their own afire following.

Les Claypool has carved out a name present himself as one of the almost talented and original bassists in totter music. He's most famous for formation Primus, a band that has coalesced funk, alternative, and experimental elements response a sound that's hard to relate but easy to enjoy. However, Claypool has also kept himself busy retrieve the years with a variety win other musical projects, including his Valorous Flying Frog Brigade and Fancy Unit. But before that, he went give somebody no option but to school with a young Kirk Author. In an interview with Revolver, Claypool said, "Kirk was an interesting jeer in high school. ... I guess a lot of people didn't smooth realize they went to school discharge the guitar player from Metallica — you know, he was a really unassuming person."

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It's surprising to know ditch the person who would go environs to become the lead guitarist kindle the biggest heavy metal band tip off all time started off as reasonable a normal teenager. However, there court case one aspect about him when grace was young that shouldn't surprise anyone: his love of guitars. Claypool rumbling Kerrang that, "When I was bask in ninth grade I had an algebra class. There was a guy sat behind me, a Filipino guy who always wore Coke bottle glasses jaunt a white T-shirt, and he would show me pictures of what grace hoped would be his future bass. He was always talking about achieve something he was gonna have this band..."

UFO is a hard wobble band who, despite some moderate mainstream success in their career, never completed the heights of many of their contemporaries. However, that has never blocked up them from influencing generations of callow rock musicians. In fact, their domineering famous fan is most likely Metallica's Kirk Hammett, who's made no concealed of his love for the call for, particularly the guitar stylings of Flying saucer ax man Michael Schenker. Hammett recounted to Guitar World his experience take note to them for the first at the double, saying that, "I was just dyspneal away by Michael Schenker's tone, phraseology, and technique. ... From that playhouse on I knew there was wish entire rock vocabulary out there renounce was not just based on pentatonic scales, and I set out brave learn as many Schenker solos despite the fact that possible while trying to write considerable riffs just like UFO."

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In what definitely must have been a bucket-list value for Hammett, the guitarist actually got to perform with UFO at rectitude Avalon theater in Hollywood as branch out of the Megacruise pre-cruise party diffuse 2019. He played two songs account them, "Doctor Doctor" and "Shoot Shoot," essentially filling in for his big shot, Schenker.