Kirk Hammett Working hard on his first solo album in full length. And in contrast to his first Solo-EP,, Portal from 2022, there will probably be a guest singer, as he was in the new episode of our podcast Rolling Stone Music Now reveals. He also has a huge brand new Riffs for the next Metallica-Album, with which the band will probably start within a year, shortly after the end of its current tour.
Hammett has published a new book. The Collection: Kirk Hammett. It shows its breathtaking Collection of Vintage guitars. On the occasion of the publication, he sat down for a new interview across his entire career. To hear the entire episode, go here To the podcast provider of your choice. Stop Apple podcasts or Spotify. Here are some highlights from the conversation:
He doesn’t know how many guitars he has: “I decided a long time ago not to count,” he says. “The number is ready. Because I can’t play everyone. And so I have tried to reduce this number over the years. Because it drives me crazy to know that guitars are in suitcases that are never played. I have a core collection of around 40 to 50 guitars that I try to play constantly. And these are my favorite guitars. And most of them are in the book.”
“I have 767 new ones for the next album”
He has an incredible number of new riffs compiled for the next Metallica album: “I have 767 new ones for the next album,” he says. It is also a nightmare to look at this stuff. And I am the one who is responsible for all of this, and I can’t. I do not assume that we will start with the next album before the end of another year. Because we still 72 Seasons End tour. As soon as we have completely completed them and have traveled to all remote places such as Asia, Australia and New Zealand, we will probably treat ourselves to a little break. Not too much. And then we will get back to work right away.
A solo album is in progress. “I am currently actively collecting ideas for mine [erstes] Solo album, “he says.” I think it is best to be described that it will be a merger of all possible styles. Suddenly I write classic progressions. And suddenly I write tougher things and suddenly I write a kind of radio matter. There will be vocals. Because the songs that I wrote this time.
So I wonder: okay, who will take over the vocals? I don’t know it. Hope, it’s me not. I already have too much to do on stage. I have an instrumental piece that sounds to me as if it were 2000 years old. And it’s called “The Mysterion”. It is based on all the stuff I read the ancient Greek texts. And it’s amazing for me. Because I would not have this instrumental piece if I hadn’t started reading these old texts. ”
We play “fuel” and people turn through
He is fascinated by the suggestion that Metallica her sound from the nineties. “Who knows? We could just say: ‘Okay, let’s go back to the nineties. This is not a bad idea! We haven’t said it yet. And it is interesting because as ‘Load “ and “Reload” There was a lot of counter -reaction. But nowadays I meet fans who love this era. We play “fuel” and people go crazy. We play “Until it Sleeps” and people know every word. It’s a bit like then when I was a teenager and all Zeppelin albums except “Zeppelin III” heard. Because it was more acoustic. And I just wanted the energetic, aggressive things. But over time I have “Zeppelin III” Really learned and noticed how wonderful it is. “
He likes to remember parties with the late Marianne Faithfull,, who sang in “The Memory Remains”. “Lars and I loved Marianne and we hung with her,” he says. “Once Lars and I and Anita Pallenberg, the first wife of Keith Richards, went out for dinner. And what kind of dinner that was. And what stories we heard. Anita and Marianne really liked to hang out with Lars and me. Because we could keep up with them. Every drink, every saying, everything. We took a lot of drugs that evening. Marianne was never slow.”
“I caught you, right?”
The Cooperation with Lou Reed Lulu was a profound experience. “This album means so much for me for various reasons,” says Hammett. “The texts are great. From title to title it is poetry. I am a big Lou-Reed fan. Spending time with him and working musically with him meant so much. And the song” Junior Dad “. I can’t listen to it, man. He makes me cry. I remember Lou said: “I have a song for you and I want him to be on the album.” And he played him for James and me. And at the end of the song I looked at James and James looked at me. And we had both tears in our eyes. Then Lou Reed came in and saw both of us cry in the kitchen. He smiled and said, “I caught you, right?”
“No belly dance music!”
Reed was not a fan of guitar solos. ‘I remember that I started doing a bit of wah wah, and he just went to the microphone and said:’ No, ”recalls Hammett.” I said, ‘What?’ And he said: ‘No guitar solos.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ And then I remember to go to a Phrygian dominant.
At the age of 62, Hammett is still creative. “I am 62 years old, and many artists take it easy at the age of 62. I have the feeling that I was still climbing the summit. I haven’t yet reached the tip of the mountain. I have not yet reached the keystone of the pyramid. Still up.
His creative process is now purely spontaneous. “What I don’t think about is usually the best because I just think of it,” he says. “And if it occurs to me in a natural way, it has an organic kind of feeling. And so everything comes to mind these days. I just sit there with my guitar and see what happens. I refuse to work hard on something. And if I work hard, then I mean to simply analyze it and try to say:” It feels like I’m going to do algebra afterwards. I don’t want that. I failed in algebra for two years in a row. I will not want to do algebra when it comes to music. “
“Lars is also in a really good shape”
He believes that Metallica can go on indefinitely as long as they are healthy remain. “A lot has to do with personal health,” he says. “I think we are all pretty healthy and quite fit. And sometimes I hunted how old I am because I don’t feel like 62 years old. I still feel like in the mid -thirties. And, well, I go surfing, ride, walk, go for a walk and do all possible crazy things as far as physical fitness is concerned.
I am still capable of everything. Do yoga every day and meditate every day. I don’t have the feeling that I retire. If at all, it gets more and more hectic around me. And I know that I am not the only band member to do it. Lars is also in a really good shape. As long as we are healthy and at mind, we can simply continue in my opinion. ”
Sometimes people just want to feel pure emotions
He thought that the guitarist of Polyphia, Tim Henson,, the traditional lead guitar technology referred to as “boomer bends”. “I like that,” he says. “But you know, will he also call Eddie van Halen as boomer guitarist? I like [Hensons] Style really very much. He is really unique and it is amazing in terms of technology. But then it is the ancient question, how understandable is it? It is good to listen to him three or four times. Can you really get involved?
Sometimes people just want to listen to music and don’t feel challenged. Sometimes people just want to feel pure emotions. Is he concerned with pure emotions? No. It’s so complicated. It is a very pronounced emotion that he strives for. And therefore the question arises how accessible it is on a larger scale. Well, it is only accessible to people who like or can understand it. “
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