Kirk Hammett

Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist and songwriter for the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2009, Hammett was ranked number 15 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.

Early life

Hammett was born on November 18, 1962 in San Francisco, and raised in the town of El Sobrante, California. He is the son of Teofila "Chefela" (née Oyao) and Dennis L. Hammett (a Merchant Marine). His mother is of Filipino descent and his father was of part Irish ancestry. He attended De Anza High School in Richmond, California. While attending De Anza High School, he met Les Claypool of Primus, and they remain close friends.

Hammett has a well-known passion for horror movies; that stretches back to the late Sixties. After spraining his arm in a fight with his sister at the age of five, Hammett’s parents placed him in front of the television. It was during this time that he first watched The Day of the Triffids. After that, Hammett found himself drawn to his brother’s Frankenstein figures, and it wasn’t long before he was spending his milk money on horror magazines. For the better part of the next decade, Hammett dove deep into the horror scene.

Podcasts:

Famous quotes by Kirk Hammett:

"I'm not into that whole Satanic thing. It's just something to fall back on if you don't have much imagination. Singing your fiftieth song about having lunch with Satan - I'm not into it. It's silly."
"I'm very fortunate to be doing the thing I do best, which is play guitar. There aren't many other things I could do."
"My guitars are my umbilical cord. They're directly wired into my head."
"Just because you know umpteen billion scales, it doesn't mean you have to use them all in a solo."
"Guitar players in the nineties seem to be reacting against the technique oriented eighties."
"Kirk Hammett, lead guitar and attempted vocals"
"We're the underdogs. We haven't had a top ten hit, and we look like a bunch of bums out there. Amidst all this glam, and this huge production, we're going to stick it out. But that's what we're here for - and that's what put us here in the first place."
"I would have to say I'm bored with the standard rock, guitar solos, but I've done it for five albums now, and this time I wanted to go in a completely different direction. I wasn't interested in showing off any more."
"I didn't want to fall into the trap of competing with all these other great guitar players. I just want to sidestep the whole thing and get out of the race."
"I'm death obsessed. You know, I have death all over my house. I have a stuffed two headed sheep!"
"For me, one of the most perfect times to watch a horror movie is when it's cold and raining outside and there's pretty much no outdoor activity to be done. It kind of sets the mood."

Kirk Hammett

ALBUMS

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Latest News for: Kirk Hammett

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Kirk Hammett Readying First Solo Album, 767 Riffs For New Metallica Album

Stereogum 24 Mar 2025
Metallica’s Kirk ... Kirk Hammett showcasing his collection of guitars, which occasioned a visit to the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast.
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“We were all basket cases!”: Kirk Hammett says he was just as “ornery” and difficult ...

Guitar.com 24 Mar 2025
Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett has addressed claims he is the “peacekeeper” in the band, which used to be “fuelled” by toxic masculinity ... In other news, Kirk Hammett is partnering with Gibson to release The Collection.
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Metallica’s Kirk Hammett reveals he’s working on debut solo album: “It’s gonna be a fusion ...

NME 24 Mar 2025
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett has revealed he is working on his first solo album, which will be “a fusion of all sorts of styles” ... Kirk Hammett, in which he explores his extensive guitar collection and reflects on his life in music.
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Kirk Hammett has 767 new riffs for next Metallica album, says their sound could “go ...

NME 24 Mar 2025
Kirk Hammett has revealed he has 767 new riffs for the next Metallica album, and thinks the record might see them “go back to the ‘90s again” ... Kirk Hammett, which will explore his guitar collection and ...
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“Old-school players have beautiful technique – but they’re not so innovative with the actual sound”: ...

Guitar.com 24 Mar 2025
Steven Wilson has spoken regularly about his dislike of guitar players who don’t experiment with their tone ... READ MORE ... Kirk Hammett says he was just as “ornery” and difficult as James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich in Metallica’s early days ... ....
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Metallica’s Kirk Hammett to release new book exploring “extraordinary guitar collection and life in music”

NME 21 Mar 2025
Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett is set to release a new coffee table book exploring his guitar collection and life in music ... No one knows this more than Kirk Hammett.” ... Kirk Hammett will be published in three formats and is available to order here.
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Remember when Lollapalooza was cool? New book ‘Uncensored’ dives into the history

Chicago Tribune 18 Mar 2025
If you’re a music fan of a certain age, “Lollapalooza ... Now that’s influence. Though as the authors make depressingly obvious ... Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, left, and bass guitar player Robert Trujillo perform at Lollapalooza on July 28, 2022 ... 1 of 5.
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The Vision Pro Metallica concert video is the best Apple Immersive video yet

The Verge 15 Mar 2025
... songs — “Whiplash,” “One,” and “Enter Sandman” — interspersed with documentary-style footage and voiceover from Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, bassist Robert Trujillo, and guitarist Kirk Hammett.
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Metallica's epic Mexico City show comes to Apple Vision Pro, bringing viewers closer to their hits

The Manila Times 12 Mar 2025
Filmed during the sold-out finale of their M72 World Tour last year, Metallica's concert brings viewers closer to James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo with high-resolution, 180-degree video and immersive spatial audio.
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Metallica’s epic Mexico City show comes to Apple Vision Pro, bringing viewers closer to their hits

Boston Herald 12 Mar 2025
Filmed during the sold-out finale of their M72 World Tour last year, Metallica’s concert brings viewers closer to James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo with high-resolution, 180-degree video and immersive spatial audio.
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AP Trending SummaryBrief at 7:15 a.m. EDT

The Call 12 Mar 2025
... World Tour last year, Metallica’s concert brings viewers closer to James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo with high-resolution, 180-degree video and immersive spatial audio.
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AP Trending SummaryBrief at 9:40 a.m. EDT

The Call 12 Mar 2025
... World Tour last year, Metallica’s concert brings viewers closer to James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo with high-resolution, 180-degree video and immersive spatial audio.
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