Editing Kirk Hammett (section)

=== Metallica (1983–present) ===
{{Main|Metallica}}
In 1983, Metallica traveled to the east coast to record its debut album, ''Kill 'Em All''. Due to lead guitarist [[Dave Mustaine]]'s substance abuse and violent tendencies, he was fired shortly after their arrival, and would eventually form the band [[Megadeth]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cecolini|first=Vinny|date=November 1998|title=Foreclosure of a Team|journal=Metal Hammer}}</ref> Hammett received a phone call from Metallica on April 1,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nightswithalicecooper.com/2020/07/15/kirk-hammett-was-on-the-toilet-when-he-was-asked-to-join-metallica/|title=Kirk Hammett Was on the Toilet when He Was Asked to Join Metallica|access-date=January 21, 2021|archive-date=July 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721003424/https://nightswithalicecooper.com/2020/07/15/kirk-hammett-was-on-the-toilet-when-he-was-asked-to-join-metallica/|url-status=usurped}}</ref> and flew out to New York for an audition on April 11, the same day Mustaine was let go. Vocalist/guitarist [[James Hetfield]] said: "The first song we played was "[[Seek & Destroy|Seek and Destroy]]", and Kirk pulled off this solo, and it was like ... things are going to be alright!". Hammett was instantly asked to join the band.<ref name=Metallica.com/>

[[File:Kirk Hammett live in London 15 September 2008.jpg|thumb|upright|Hammett performing live in London in 2008]]
Hammett has written a number of riffs for Metallica since ''[[Ride the Lightning]]'' (the band's second album). One of his riffs was used on "[[Enter Sandman]]" - which went on to become one of Metallica's most popular songs. It was the first track and the first single on the band's [[Metallica (album)|self-titled album]] (also known as ''[[Metallica (album)|The Black Album]]''), and was ranked 399th on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of [[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/t/cover-story/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417042040/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs|url-status=dead|title=Cover story|archive-date=April 17, 2010|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> The bridge for "[[Creeping Death]]" was originally an Exodus riff that Hammett took with him to Metallica.

In 1986, during the band's European leg of their tour to support ''[[Master of Puppets]]'', the group had a dispute over sleeping arrangements on their tour bus. The outcome of the dispute was decided by a card draw, which [[Cliff Burton]] won by picking the [[Ace of spades|Ace of Spades]]. Once the draw was completed, Burton looked at Hammett and said "I want your bunk", to which Hammett complied, saying that he might be able to sleep better in the front of the bus anyway. In the early hours of the following morning, Metallica's tour bus slid off the road and overturned in [[Sweden]]. Burton was thrown through the window of the bus, which fell on top of Burton and subsequently killed him.<ref>Whitaker, Sterling. [http://ultimateclassicrock.com/metallica-bassist-cliff-burton-dies-in-a-bus-accident/ 28 Years Ago: Metallica Bassist Cliff Burton Dies in a Bus Accident] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406084054/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/metallica-bassist-cliff-burton-dies-in-a-bus-accident/ |date=April 6, 2015 }}, ''ultimateclassicrock.com'', re-published September 27, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2015.</ref> Hammett has stated in an interview that he once thought that it easily could have been him who was killed instead, since Burton was sleeping in what was considered to be Hammett's bunk. In Kirk's own words: "You know to this day I just think, it could have been me or it couldn't have been me but ... it's never left me to this day."

Between the end of touring (and promoting) the ''[[Metallica (album)|Black Album]]'' and the start of touring in promotion of ''[[Load (album)|Load]]'', he studied at [[San Francisco State University]], focusing on [[Film theory|film]] and [[Asian art]]s.<ref>{{cite episode | title=Metallica|series = Behind the Music| series-link = Behind the Music| season=2 |number=9}}</ref> Hammett went through a "blues period" around this time - which had some influence on Metallica's ''[[Load (album)|Load]]'' and ''[[Reload (Metallica album)|Reload]]'' albums.<ref name="auto3">Tolinski, Brad. [http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-kirk-hammett-discusses-metallicas-death-magnetic Interview: Kirk Hammett Discusses Metallica's 'Death Magnetic'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414233422/http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-kirk-hammett-discusses-metallicas-death-magnetic |date=April 14, 2015 }}, ''[[Guitar World]]'', November 21, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2015.</ref> He also began listening to a lot of jazz music. Hammett described this period of his life as "great education", because he was able to discover where all of his own rock influences had gotten their own guitar licks.<ref name="auto3"/> However, even though jazz music had a profound effect on his improvisation skills and solos, Hammett felt that he was delving too deep into the genre. Since ''[[Death Magnetic]]'', Hammett has gone back to being "primarily" a metal guitarist,<ref name="auto3"/> but some of his influences of jazz and blues music still remain.<ref name="auto3"/>

Hammett wanted to have guitar solos on Metallica's 2003 album, ''[[St. Anger]]'', but drummer [[Lars Ulrich]] and producer [[Bob Rock]] thought that the solos did not sound right in the songs. He later admitted himself, "We tried to put in solos but they sounded like an afterthought so we left them out".<ref>[http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-s-hammett-explains-why-there-are-no-guitar-solos-on-st-anger/ METALLICA's HAMMETT Explains Why There Are No Guitar Solos On 'St. Anger'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102125212/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-s-hammett-explains-why-there-are-no-guitar-solos-on-st-anger/ |date=November 2, 2016 }}, ''[[Ultimate Guitar]]'', June 9, 2003. Retrieved April 7, 2015.</ref> Recording for ''St. Anger'' was halted in 2001 so that Metallica frontman [[James Hetfield]] could enter rehab for alcohol abuse.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79038/metallicas-hetfield-in-rehab Metallica's Hetfield In Rehab] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925203815/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79038/metallicas-hetfield-in-rehab |date=September 25, 2015 }}, ''billboard.com'', July 20, 2001. Retrieved April 8, 2015.</ref> Due to tensions within the band (which were well-documented in the Metallica documentary ''Some Kind of Monster'') at the time, Hammett expressed interest in working on a solo album.<ref name="auto4">Gregory, Jason. [http://www.gigwise.com/news/46156/metallicas-kirk-hammett-i-was-ready-to-go-solo-after-st-anger Metallica's Kirk Hammett: ''I Was Ready To Go Solo After 'St Anger'': But was drawn back...] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413131315/http://www.gigwise.com/news/46156/metallicas-kirk-hammett-i-was-ready-to-go-solo-after-st-anger |date=April 13, 2015 }}, ''gigwise.com'', September 17, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2015.</ref> According to Hammett, if he ever worked on a solo album, it wouldn't be "super-duty" heavy metal,<ref name="auto5">[http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=16823 Kirk Hammett: Metallica Has A Lot More To Say] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416005931/http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=16823 |date=April 16, 2015 }}, ''metalunderground.com'', November 27, 2005. Retrieved April 8, 2015.</ref> and may include some classical guitarists.<ref name="auto5"/> When he was asked about his experiences of recording ''St. Anger'', Hammett said:

{{blockquote|Honestly, I was ready to start working on a solo album. I had a bunch of music I was sitting on. I was going to ask Lars [Metallica's drummer] to play drums on it.<ref name="auto4"/>}}

On April 4, 2009, Hammett, along with Metallica bandmates Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, and [[Robert Trujillo]] and former Metallica bandmates [[Jason Newsted]] and the deceased Cliff Burton, were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. In 2009, Hammett provided the foreword to British author [[Joel McIver]]'s book ''To Live Is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton''.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120530064914/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=112537 BLABBERMOUTH.NET – METALLICA Guitarist Provides Foreword To First-Ever CLIFF BURTON Biography]}}. Roadrunnerrecords.com. Retrieved on November 5, 2010.</ref>
[[File:Kirk Hammett by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|upright|Hammett in 2013]]
In April 2015, Hammett admitted to losing his phone - which contained 250 new "ideas" for Metallica's upcoming studio release.<ref>Kennelty, Greg. [http://www.metalinjection.net/ouch/kirk-hammett-lost-his-phone-containing-250-ideas-for-the-new-metallica-album "Kirk Hammett Lost His Phone Containing 250 Ideas For The New METALLICA Album"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625054752/http://www.metalinjection.net/ouch/kirk-hammett-lost-his-phone-containing-250-ideas-for-the-new-metallica-album |date=June 25, 2015 }}, ''metalinjection.net'', published April 20, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2015.</ref><ref name="auto6">[http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/kirk-hammett-lost-his-phone-containing-250-musical-ideas-for-next-metallica-album/ "KIRK HAMMETT Lost His Phone Containing 250 Musical Ideas For Next METALLICA Album"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619123939/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/kirk-hammett-lost-his-phone-containing-250-musical-ideas-for-next-metallica-album/ |date=June 19, 2015 }}, ''blabbermouth.net'', published April 18, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2015.</ref> The incident happened about six months prior to the admission (around November 2014).<ref name="auto6"/> The phone was not backed up and Hammett can only remember eight out of the 250 "ideas" he had.<ref name="auto6"/> On the subject, Hammett said:

{{blockquote|For me, music comes at all times of the day. When I get a riff, sometimes it's a complete riff and I can just play it and there it is, sometimes it's half a riff and I have to tweak it. Sometimes it's just a rhythm or a note selection. Or sometimes it's just something that I hum in my head. But it can come from anywhere, and I put it on my phone, and I make sure the phone is fucking backed up.<ref name="auto6"/>}}

In 2016, Hammett provided the foreword to author Greg Prato's book ''German Metal Machine: Scorpions in the '70s''.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/German-Metal-Machine-Scorpions-70s/dp/1519491670 German Metal Machine: Scorpions in the '70s] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802221528/https://www.amazon.com/German-Metal-Machine-Scorpions-70s/dp/1519491670 |date=August 2, 2020 }}. Retrieved on November 5, 2019.</ref>

On February 8, 2022, it was announced that Hammett would release an [[extended play]] entitled ''[[Portals (EP)|Portals]]''. Said to be inspired by "classical music, soundtracks, horror movies and maybe a little [[Ennio Morricone]]", the EP is his solo debut and was released on April 23, 2022.<ref>[https://www.metallica.com/news/2022-02-08-kirk-hammett-portals.html Kirk Hammett Makes His Solo Debut With "Portals"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210002015/https://metallica.com/news/2022-02-08-kirk-hammett-portals.html |date=February 10, 2022 }}, February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.</ref>