Kirk Hammett shows no signs of slowing down. The Metallica guitarist is currently deep into his first full-length solo album, which will differ from his 2022 instrumental EP Portals by featuring vocals. Alongside this, he’s already looking toward Metallica’s next album, with an impressive amount of material prepared. While the band is still touring in support of 72 Seasons, Hammett expects work on the next record to begin within a year.
“I have 767 new ones for the next album,” Hammett shared in an interview with Rolling Stone. “It’s such a nightmare going through all of it. I’m the one responsible for it all, and I can’t even manage it… I don’t think we’ll start the next album for at least another year because we’re still finishing the 72 Seasons tour. Once we’ve wrapped up this tour, including stops in places like Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, we’ll take a short break and then jump right back into it.”
Alongside his Metallica commitments, Hammett is fully immersed in his solo work. “I’m actively gathering ideas for my second solo album,” he explains. “It’s going to be a fusion of many styles. One moment, I’ll be writing classical progressions; another, it’s something heavier, and then I’ll write a funk tune. The songs I’m writing demand vocals this time. So, I’m thinking, who will be the vocalist? I hope it’s not me—I already have too much to do on stage… I also have an instrumental piece called ‘The Mysterion,’ which feels like it’s 2000 years old. It’s based on ancient Greek texts I’ve been reading, and I never would’ve written it if I hadn’t started exploring those texts.”
As Metallica looks to the future, Hammett is open to revisiting the sound of their 1990s era. “Who knows? We might decide to return to the ’90s sound. It’s not a bad idea! We haven’t talked about it yet, but when Load and Reload came out, there was a lot of backlash. Now, when I meet fans, they love that era. We play ‘Fuel’ and people go wild. ‘Until It Sleeps’ gets the crowd singing along. It reminds me of when I was a teen and didn’t listen to Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin III because it was more acoustic, and I only wanted the high-energy stuff. Over time, though, I really came to appreciate it.”
Though he owns a large collection of guitars, Hammett prefers not to keep track of the number. “I stopped counting a long time ago,” he admits. “The number bums me out because I can’t play them all. Over the years, I’ve tried to reduce the collection because it’s frustrating knowing guitars are sitting unused. It’s a result of tours, where certain guitars are needed, then go into cases after the tour and don’t get used again. James and I both have countless guitars like that.”
Hammett maintains a core collection of about 40 to 50 guitars he plays regularly. “These are my favorites, and most of them are in my book. The most iconic is Greeny,” he says, referring to the 1959 Les Paul Standard once owned by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green. “Greeny is unique because when you plug it into any amp, it makes the amp sound better. There are very few guitars that do that. It doesn’t matter what amp you use—Greeny just shines through.”
At 62 years old, Hammett is as driven as ever. “At 62, many artists start winding down, but I feel like I’m still climbing,” he reflects. “I haven’t reached the summit yet. I’m still improving, still full of creative energy. I feel like I’m still building momentum.”
Rather than overthinking his music, Hammett now lets it come to him naturally. “The best stuff comes when I don’t think about it,” he says. “If it just comes to me, it has this organic feel. I just sit with my guitar and see what happens. I don’t want to overanalyze it or work hard at it. I don’t want to do algebra with music—I failed algebra twice. I just want to let the music flow and see what the universe and muse send me.”
Looking ahead, Hammett believes Metallica’s future depends on the band members’ health. “A lot of it comes down to personal health,” he explains. “We’re all pretty healthy and fit. Sometimes, I forget I’m 62 because I don’t feel it. I feel like I’m still in my thirties. I surf, bike, run, walk, do yoga and meditate every day. I’m not winding down—I’m ramping up. I know Lars feels the same. As long as we stay healthy, we’ll keep going.”
Hammett also weighed in on current guitar trends, specifically comments from Polyphia’s Tim Henson, who referred to traditional lead-guitar techniques as “boomer bends.” While not offended, Hammett questioned the statement’s broader implications.
“I love Henson’s style—it’s unique and his technique is amazing,” Hammett says. “But, is he going to call Eddie Van Halen a boomer player? The question is, how relatable is it? It’s cool to listen to a few times, but sometimes people want music that’s not so complicated. They want raw emotion. Is he capturing that? It’s a very distinct emotion, so it’s not as accessible on a larger scale. It’s only relatable to people who get it.”
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