These are Kirk Hammett’s favourite Kirk Hammett guitar solos

(Image credit: Jeremy Saffer/Metal Hammer)

Kirk Hammett is a guitar hero. It’s as simple as that. The Metallica legend owns a sound and style that’s been widening the horizons and flooring the jaws of impressionable youths for more than 35 years. His passion and personality, flamboyance and finesse, melodic nous and attacking zeal have motivated countless youngsters to pick up a six-string.

We asked him to pick his three favourite solos from the many he’s laid down with Metallica over the years…

Hero Of The Day

Kirk: “The way it goes from minor to major, it starts with a rhythmic thing then brings the next part to the next level… A lot of people would disagree, and I don’t know why, but to me it’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever done.”

Fade To Black

Kirk: “One of a slew of solos I love playing live because I get to improvise, change it all up, never play the same solo twice. I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to play from the first lick, and I love that, I love knowing that I’m dancing on the knife-edge, that’s the excitement I fuckin’ live for.”

One

Kirk: “Lars called me and said, ‘Can you come down? We need a solo on the new song demo.’ I remember showing up with my guitar, Lars played me the track a couple of times and I fiddled with it, figured out where James was going. I said, ‘OK, press record.’ Next thing I know, my hand is tapping on the neck, following the chord progression, it just came out of air! Afterwards I was thinking, ‘Well, that was kind of a trip!’”

Published in Metal Hammer #311

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