Quotes by Kirk Hammett

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

Wisdom

After months of playing air guitar to 'Free Bird', what really got me into guitar was watching a documentary about Jimi Hendrix and picking up the Woodstock soundtrack. Listening to his version of 'Star Spangled Banner' and 'Purple Haze.' My brother played acoustic guitar and, idolising him, I thought, 'I'm going to get a guitar.'

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

Metallica is like the phoenix rising from the ashes. We set everything on fire, and this is what has risen from it - 'St. Anger' being the fire and 'Death Magnetic' being the phoenix.

— Kirk Hammett

Life

The word 'retirement' doesn't really sit well with me. There comes a time when you reach a position in society or culture where people will not let you retire. You can say, 'Alright, I'm going to hang up my guitar,' but people will still not let you retire.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

Deep Purple definitely belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 'Cause they had great songs, great musicianship, they had an impact, and they're a huge influence on the heavy metal community as a whole.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

I think it's morally wrong to keep someone away from what keeps him happy.

— Kirk Hammett

Happiness

A lot of the main characters in horror movies are outsiders as well, so that outsider syndrome reverberates within horror fans and geeky collectors. It's kind of a rallying call that brings fans and collectors together who are a little socially retarded, maybe.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

A good horror movie should have peaks and valleys, a good horror movie should move you emotionally; a good horror movie should be exciting to watch and energizing in a weird kind of way.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

My guitars are my umbilical cord. They're directly wired into my head.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

Everyone has a side to them that's kind of unexplained and feels misunderstood.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

A life lived unexplored is a life not worth living.

— Kirk Hammett

Life

The same sensations that you get in heavy metal are in horror movies. Heavy metal sounds evil and horror movies are evil, ha ha!

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

Metallica is a very complicated, fragile thing. On the outside, it's all metal, but on the inside it's very delicate.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

For a while I was collecting Satan and devil stuff - you know, anything that had to do with old Beelzebub or Lucifer. But I had to put the brakes on it, because there's a lot of stuff out there, and the collection was just growing too quickly.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

When you're first starting out, there's always the temptation to hide behind distortion because it lets you get away with murder. But, when it comes to rhythm work, you've gotta back off that gain control a bit, especially if you're playing with another guitarist.

— Kirk Hammett

Success

Guitar playing is both extremely easy for me and extremely difficult for me at the same time.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

If a guitar is too easy for me to play, it makes me too laid back. I like to battle with my guitar.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

I fix things all the time. Every time I do a solo, I re-check it and correct things that don't hit the mark.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

When people are confronted with something they've never seen before, they really don't know how to react.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

Because of things like iTunes and streaming and social networking, it's destroyed music. It's destroyed the motivation to go out there and really make the best record possible. It's a shame.

— Kirk Hammett

Success

On 'Metallica,' I recorded six or seven different guitar solos for almost every song, took the best aspects of each solo, mapped out a master solo and made a composite. Then I learned how to play the composite solo, tightened it up and replayed it for the final version.

— Kirk Hammett

Education

For the 'Load' album, I was experimenting so much with tone that I had to keep journals on what equipment I was using. For 'Hero of the Day,' I know I used a 1958 Les Paul Standard with a Matchless Chieftain, some Boogie amps and a Vox amp - again, they're all blended.

— Kirk Hammett

Wisdom

I've learned that there's a signature Metallica sound, and if we stray too far from that, our fans get impatient, or they just don't understand, or they miss the point. And I'm not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing; it's just something we have to contend with.

— Kirk Hammett

Education

For 'Death Magnetic,' I used what I always use, which is my standard touring rack, which is filled with some Boogie stuff and a Marshall that I've had forever.

— Kirk Hammett

Life