Yesterday by The Beatles is the most covered song on the planet, but Metallica are surely one of the most covered bands on the internet. Everywhere you look there’s a new interpretation of Nothing Else Matters or Enter Sandman – we’ve featured a few of them! But do you think the guys in Metallica have ever sat down and listened to these new versions? Well, now they have… or least Kirk Hammett has.
Sitting down with YouTuber luisitorey, the solo maestro is asked his opinion on a selection of some of the more popular (and more bonkers) covers you can find online. From Rob Scallon’s banjo and Beatallica (which Kirk has actually heard before) through to salsa and merengue reworks, Kirk is genuinely impressed by the talent on display, doling out top scores like nobody’s business. He also reveals that he bought some lullaby versions of Metallica to put his kids to sleep, with The Unforgiven proving most successful.
But it’s the video of a young boy nailing Nothing Else Matters that mesmerises Kirk, who is convinced the kid will become a guitar hero one day. And we have to agree, it’s unfair how good he is considering he’s probably not even in high school.
Watch all of Kirk’s reactions below. The intro is in Spanish, skip to 1:36 for the interview in English.
What is your favourite Metallica cover version?