How bad is Kirk Hammett - let's be honest.

[shadowdevourer]

PEACE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ESicEzUtqk

 

[romanianreaper]

I still think Kirk Hammett is an easy target. I started listening to Metallica back in 85' and can tell you that during that time, he was considered a guitar hero up there with all of the shredders. I can also tell you that nobody back then was doing what Metallica were doing and nobody sounded like them. I cut my teeth on Hetfield's riffs, but Hammett's solos had just as much to do with those early Metallica albums being great.

Hindsight is always 20/20. In this day of digital music and guitarists trying to outdo each other, Hammett seems like a joke. I don't think it is fair though to compare today's guitarists with a guy that threw a Gibson V on and played those solos thru 80's-era amps and minimal effects.

 

[romanianreaper]

I was there from day one and I have said it before and I'll say it again...

"Metallica died with Cliff Burton"

You know I think there might be some truth to that man. I remember how I felt when I heard he died and everyone knows that Cliff added that certain vibe to their music.

 

[p4vl]

I was there from day one and I have said it before and I'll say it again...

"Metallica died with Cliff Burton"

You know I think there might be some truth to that man. I remember how I felt when I heard he died and everyone knows that Cliff added that certain vibe to their music.

It is absolutely true. Keep in mind Cliff's influence on their taste in music, like the Misfits. After he died (and keep in mind that most 24-year-olds don't deal with their friend's death very well) roles within the band changed and not just in terms of songwriting.

Metallica was/is a riff band, even when Dave was in the band. When they fired Dave, they wanted another thrasher, not a shredder. Even Dave wasn't a shred guy, although his solos are/were incredibly aggressive.

Ride the Lightning is Kirk's finest hour. Great tone, great solos, not one note out of place. In fact, he did a better job than Mustaine would have, hypothetically. All of Megadeth's 'ballads' range from mediocre to terrible.

 

[mooncobra]

Well as I always say in any thread Hammett related, "He may not be the best lead player in the world, but he is the best one in Metallica"

There is SOME reason they keep him around. None of us may ever know the answer to that question. Kind of like Maiden keeping "that other guy" around. At least Janik can play. Kirk is the luckiest guitar player in rock/metal. Was in the right place at the right time. I guess their bonds of friendship go farther than needing Rusty Cooley on leads.

I like hetfields solos MUCH BETTER than hammets. I cant stand hammets playing, but that's just me. maybe he has something on hetfield or lars? blackmailing them? I could see that. lars lives about a 1 minute drive from my house, and believe me, the dude is a full blown turd!! actually, it has been a while since I have seen that little midget. his wife literally towers over him, talk about beauty and the beast. he is known as the local menace among the local townfolk. he demands tables at restaurants with no reservations, has a terrible napoleon complex and starts shit, and is THE WORST MOST DANGEROUS DRIVER on the road!! total hazard to public safety and the town youth. I also see hetfield from time to time, he seems to keep to himself and appears to be mellow. maybe when hetfield was still drinking heavy or lars was having some sort of Napoleonic hissy fit, one of them butchered someone or lars could secretly sniff the pickle? I don't know, it has always baffled me that hammet was allowed to stay in the band?

You know....you really don't have to try so hard to be in the "in crowd". This is probably the most ridiculous statement I have seen on RT. Well done.

sorry steve, I was not trying to be in your guys cool "in crowd." Perhaps you didn't realize my post was a joke, I don't think hammet really saw hetfield murder someone and I don't think lars really sniffs the pickle as I see him truckin around town with his super model wife. try not to take everything so seriously. by the way, I know I will never be cool enough to be in your guys "in crowd."

 

[crankyrayhanky]

After he died roles within the band changed and not just in terms of songwriting.

Yes. Like I imagine he would tell Lars and James to STFU when they started their incessant bickering...and perhaps give Kirk a kick in the pants to keep him on top of his game
His leaving entered in Newstead, who served their role as a bullying target for 20 years to collect his check

 

[moronmountain]

He has some decent and memorable leads on tape, and he has a flashy looking style IMO. I mean when he was younger, I thought he looked cool, could play some fast pentatonics, and could play James' riffs well enough to get by. I agree that he almost seems like he's gotten a bit "less" as he's gained experience, but you could honestly say the same thing about James' writing ability and (to some extent) his live playing as well. Let's face it, they used to be a pissed off bunch of metal heads that have tons of money now, and probably have trouble finding things to be really pissed off about lol! I think players peak creatively at some point, and with some it's near the beginning. When I saw "a day in the life" with them making the black album, I thought to myself, "nope they are not the same dudes as before." I mean they had a therapist babying them along instead of a 24 pack of Hamms, Maddog 20/20, some shake, and whatever else they could get their hands on when they were young. Metallica's last really killer album IMO was Justice, but what do I know when it comes down to it?

 

[geetarmikey]

Ok, first of all, I'm not -

a; Some idiotic basement guitarist as some have guessed. I actually make my living from playing guitar (Playing in 4 bands and teaching Mon- Thurs).
b; Jealous of Kirk's position/playing and want to attack him because of it. Sure, I'd LOVE to play in such a huge band and I'm happy with my own playing, even though I always think I could improve loads!
c; a Metallica hater. It was because I've been watching the awesome Live Shit '89 and '92 vids and his playing was really grating on me throughout.

Spare me the arguement of "Well let's see you sell 100 million albums and play in one of the world's most successful bands". Just because I'm not doing that, doesn't mean I can't criticise it.

But just watch this from 1989 from the start of his attempt at 'Little Wing' intro and solo at about 3.07 and tell me it sounds decent. I'll tell you what I hear - a basic, 'just about passable' go at the intro, then awful out of tune bends in solo with that 'weird' vib of his.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk9Um1tDAxM

I did like the point someone mentioned about how he doubles one of the best rhythm players around and that's a great point which I never thought of. In every interview I've seen with him, he seems like a really cool guy as well and very grounded which must be difficult after having so much constant success and criticism from hacks like me

I respect your opinion, but because he can't play little wing, his whole body of work is completely tossed aside? Little wing is about the last thing I want anybody except Hendrix play and that aint going to happen. Not sure what this proves?

Never said his whole body of work should be tossed aside, but he does such a amaturish job of the intro with no style or with decent tone that it's a great example of why I personally can't stand his playing. The awful intonation and vibrato in the solo that follows it only prove my point even further and this is to an arena full of people!

Skip to about 5.09 on this video, when he does some sort of repeating melody; it's like he's done a "Kirk Hammett Shreds" parody video, but performed it himself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF7pBOcWn5A

 

[JimmyBlind]

I've got a lot of time for Kirk Hammett. True, you might not classify him with the Gambale, Moore, Gilbert, Vai, Petrucci etc technical players of that ilk, but I don't think he ever tried to be one either. He was the lead guitarist of one of the most successful metal bands in human history. I think that deserves respect.

He's also unusually humble & laid back, particularly in contrast to Hetfield & Ulrich who are a couple of utter, utter ball bags.

8:22 to 9:06

How two people can appear so pleased & smug at virtually shattering the dreams of one of their closest friends for personal success is beyond callous.
Along with the marketing of guitar hero metallica, which was a purposefully lucrative endeavor for them, shows that they're not even satisfied with the millions of dollars they've already made. I digress.

 

[moronmountain]

Here's a question. You're a guitar player and you wrote all the songs and you sing, you're the leader of the band. You need a drummer and there's a guy who's a technical wizard but has a reputation for being a dickbag. He doesn't get along well with others and has a negative outlook towards other bands and musicians. Then there's another guy who is good enough to fill the position, he's not the best out there but can play all the songs. He likes to hang out and bullshit stories, is fun to party with, and can take negative criticism, and has a reputation that he's generally cool to be around.

Who do you want in your band? There's a lot more to it than vibrato ability.

I get what you're saying, but I will (have) actually put up with quite a bit of BS to keep a killer drummer. It always ends up being a disaster, but man they sure do make the entire band sound better while they're there. Guitar players though? Pft, they are a dime a dozen lol! You're only as good as your drummer.

 

[thegame]

I was there from day one and I have said it before and I'll say it again...

"Metallica died with Cliff Burton"

The first three albums are ground breaking "underground metal magic"...

They were brutal and honest and James & Kirks playing were stellar and bleeding edge AFAIC.

RTL & MOP are pure master pieces that can never be matched by the remaining members in 10 life times and set a new standard for metal.

Standing in front of "Music Plus" in LA first thing in the morning waiting for it to open with a crowd of thrash heads to grab MOP the first day it was released (on vinyl and cassette only) is day I will never forget.

The original Garage Days with the Diamond Head cover is the only other notable release IMO.

After that bus accident there was no more magic or Metallica.

"RIP Cliff & Metallica"

I was there from day one as well and Justice narrowly remains my favorite. I have to call BS on most of your post.

 

[rupe]

Here's a question. You're a guitar player and you wrote all the songs and you sing, you're the leader of the band. You need a drummer and there's a guy who's a technical wizard but has a reputation for being a dickbag. He doesn't get along well with others and has a negative outlook towards other bands and musicians. Then there's another guy who is good enough to fill the position, he's not the best out there but can play all the songs. He likes to hang out and bullshit stories, is fun to party with, and can take negative criticism, and has a reputation that he's generally cool to be around.

Who do you want in your band? There's a lot more to it than vibrato ability.

Still not over the fact that the Sykes/Portnoy project never got off the ground?

 

[leib10]

While everyone's being honest, how many of you dislike him because you're jealous of him? Or because you feel like he doesn't deserve the success he's had as much as you or some other marginally better guitarist in a less-successful band? Show of hands...

These threads are nothing but petty bullshit. If you're such a guitar genius, why don't you go join a band and take the world by storm and show everyone how it's done. Then maybe you can pass judgment on "lesser" guitarists like Kirk Hammett and Synyster Gates because they aren't as good as you or (insert spandex-wearing, classically-trained has-been from the '80s here). Here's a thought- if you don't like their playing, don't listen to them and keep it at that. If you're not willing or able to take their places, shut the fuck up and get back to your regular jackoff life. Both of those guitarists are doing way more than average artists to help keep rock and guitar playing alive in a music atmosphere filled with drum machines, synth, autotune, and vapid songwriting.

 

[Mr. Willy]

I don't get it...it's wrong now to have an opinion? How can an opinion even be wrong? We might agree or disagree with it, but that's why it's an OPINION.

 

[rupe]

While everyone's being honest, how many of you dislike him because you're jealous of him? Or because you feel like he doesn't deserve the success he's had as much as you or some other marginally better guitarist in a less-successful band? Show of hands...

These threads are nothing but petty bullshit. If you're such a guitar genius, why don't you go join a band and take the world by storm and show everyone how it's done. Then maybe you can pass judgment on "lesser" guitarists like Kirk Hammett and Synyster Gates because they aren't as good as you or (insert spandex-wearing, classically-trained has-been from the '80s here). Here's a thought- if you don't like their playing, don't listen to them and keep it at that. If you're not willing or able to take their places, shut the fuck up and get back to your regular jackoff life. Both of those guitarists are doing way more than average artists to help keep rock and guitar playing alive in a music atmosphere filled with drum machines, synth, autotune, and vapid songwriting.

Although I'm not a fan of these threads that attempt to tear down pro players, you simply can't swing that hard in the opposite direction either by saying that people shouldn't pass judgement unless they're "better". I'm not a pro chef but I sure as hell have opinions on the places that I eat. I'm not a movie/TV producer but I have strong opinions on movies and TV shows. I'm not an engineer but I have opinions on cars, homes/buildings, electronics, etc. A player or fan commenting on another player is no different...they don't need to be an accomplished musician in order to determine what they like and don't like...and shouldn't be chastised for sharing an opinion regardless of how stupid it may appear to be.

 

[geetarmikey]

While everyone's being honest, how many of you dislike him because you're jealous of him? Or because you feel like he doesn't deserve the success he's had as much as you or some other marginally better guitarist in a less-successful band? Show of hands...

These threads are nothing but petty bullshit. If you're such a guitar genius, why don't you go join a band and take the world by storm and show everyone how it's done. Then maybe you can pass judgment on "lesser" guitarists like Kirk Hammett and Synyster Gates because they aren't as good as you or (insert spandex-wearing, classically-trained has-been from the '80s here). Here's a thought- if you don't like their playing, don't listen to them and keep it at that. If you're not willing or able to take their places, shut the fuck up and get back to your regular jackoff life. Both of those guitarists are doing way more than average artists to help keep rock and guitar playing alive in a music atmosphere filled with drum machines, synth, autotune, and vapid songwriting.

Although I'm not a fan of these threads that attempt to tear down pro players, you simply can't swing that hard in the opposite direction either by saying that people shouldn't pass judgement unless they're "better". I'm not a pro chef but I sure as hell have opinions on the places that I eat. I'm not a movie/TV producer but I have strong opinions on movies and TV shows. I'm not an engineer but I have opinions on cars, homes/buildings, electronics, etc. A player or fan commenting on another player is no different...they don't need to be an accomplished musician in order to determine what they like and don't like...and shouldn't be chastised for sharing an opinion regardless of how stupid it may appear to be.

This was exactly what I was going to say, I guess they hadn't read my post about how it's fair game to critique anything and how I'm not jealous and un-satisfied with my supposed "jackoff life".... however stupid my opinion appeared to be

 

[leib10]

While everyone's being honest, how many of you dislike him because you're jealous of him? Or because you feel like he doesn't deserve the success he's had as much as you or some other marginally better guitarist in a less-successful band? Show of hands...

These threads are nothing but petty bullshit. If you're such a guitar genius, why don't you go join a band and take the world by storm and show everyone how it's done. Then maybe you can pass judgment on "lesser" guitarists like Kirk Hammett and Synyster Gates because they aren't as good as you or (insert spandex-wearing, classically-trained has-been from the '80s here). Here's a thought- if you don't like their playing, don't listen to them and keep it at that. If you're not willing or able to take their places, shut the fuck up and get back to your regular jackoff life. Both of those guitarists are doing way more than average artists to help keep rock and guitar playing alive in a music atmosphere filled with drum machines, synth, autotune, and vapid songwriting.

Although I'm not a fan of these threads that attempt to tear down pro players, you simply can't swing that hard in the opposite direction either by saying that people shouldn't pass judgement unless they're "better". I'm not a pro chef but I sure as hell have opinions on the places that I eat. I'm not a movie/TV producer but I have strong opinions on movies and TV shows. I'm not an engineer but I have opinions on cars, homes/buildings, electronics, etc. A player or fan commenting on another player is no different...they don't need to be an accomplished musician in order to determine what they like and don't like...and shouldn't be chastised for sharing an opinion regardless of how stupid it may appear to be.

This was exactly what I was going to say, I guess they hadn't read my post about how it's fair game to critique anything and how I'm not jealous and un-satisfied with my supposed "jackoff life".... however stupid my opinion appeared to be

Suppose that's true. Why did you start this thread? What purpose does it serve?

 

[Bob Savage]

average artists to help keep rock and guitar playing alive in a music atmosphere filled with drum machines, synth, autotune, and vapid songwriting.

Although I'm not a fan of these threads that attempt to tear down pro players, you simply can't swing that hard in the opposite direction either by saying that people shouldn't pass judgement unless they're "better". [/quote]

Yep, logical fallacy. One has little to do with the other. The topic is also very subjective so that throws another wrench into the sprocket.

That said, the way people express their opinion is often rude and many times presented dogmatically, insulting those with a differing opinion.

 

[GtarLover]

average artists to help keep rock and guitar playing alive in a music atmosphere filled with drum machines, synth, autotune, and vapid songwriting.

Although I'm not a fan of these threads that attempt to tear down pro players, you simply can't swing that hard in the opposite direction either by saying that people shouldn't pass judgement unless they're "better".

Yep, logical fallacy. One has little to do with the other. The topic is also very subjective so that throws another wrench into the sprocket.

That said, the way people express their opinion is often rude and many times presented dogmatically, insulting those with a differing opinion.[/quote]


Bob, thanks for being a voice of reason. Anyone can have his/her opinion, that doesn't bring discredit or shame to another's opinion.
We talk about tone, gear, ability, etc...I am of there opinion that when someone has the guts to get up on stage, play their music, and has fun doing it then they are doing something that I would like to be doing and I respect them for it. That doesn't mean I enjoy every band I hear, quite the contrary, yet it does mean I give credit for going for it.

Anyway, Kirk is a member of Metallica, arguably one of the most successful metal bands ever. Nuff said.

 

[marvcus]

Suppose that's true. Why did you start this thread? What purpose does it serve?

You could ask this question in 99% of all threads on any forum.

Oh, and Kirk sucks.