Why Kirk Hammett didn’t write much for new Metallica album

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Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett didn’t contribute much to 10th album because loss of phone full of riffs meant he had to “start at zero”

Metallica

When Kirk Hammett lost his phone containing hundreds of song ideas he also lost the chance to contribute much to Metallica’s upcoming album, he’s revealed.

The guitarist had recorded more than 250 riffs onto the handset before it went missing in 2014, but he’d never backed them up.

And it meant he wasn’t able to bring those ideas to the table as the band wrote Hardwired… To Self-Destruct, which will be released in November.

Hammett tells KISW 99.9: “It was devastating for me. I had to start at zero again while everyone else had material for songs.

“By the time I got a few ideas flowing and formed, most of the songs were already written.”

He forced himself to look on the bright side: “I had to think, ‘Okay, I have stuff – but it looks like it’s going to make it onto the next album.”

Hammett recently said he refused to read any online comments about latest track Hardwired. But he did watch the video released this month featuring kids listening to Metallica for the first time.

“I loved it,” says the guitarist. “The one kid who kept saying, ‘This sounds so familiar,’ I love that, because maybe he heard Metallica as a toddler or something.

“It made me think. Not only did we have a reaction for him, but we were confusing for him. I loved that aspect.

“I loved it when one of them said, ‘When is it going to stop?’ I felt that – when was it going to stop?”

Hardwired… To Self Destruct arrives on November 18. Metallica tour South America in October, with many more tour dates to be announced in due course.

The Hardwired... To Self-Destruct cover

The Hardwired... To Self-Destruct cover

Metallica: Hardwired… To Self-Destruct deluxe edition tracklist

Disc 1

  1. Hardwired
  2. Atlas, Rise!
  3. Now That We’re Dead
  4. Moth Into Flame
  5. Dream No More
  6. Halo On Fire

Disc 2

  1. Confusion
  2. ManUNkind
  3. Here Comes Revenge
  4. Am I Savage?
  5. Murder One
  6. Spit Out The Bone

Disc 3

  1. Lords Of Summer
  2. Ronnie Rising Medley
  3. When A Blind Man Cries
  4. Remember Tomorrow
  5. Helpless (Live at Rasputin Music)
  6. Hit the Lights (Live at Rasputin Music)
  7. The Four Horsemen (Live at Rasputin Music)
  8. Ride The Lightning (Live at Rasputin Music)
  9. Fade To Black (Live at Rasputin Music)
  10. Jump In The Fire (Live at Rasputin Music)
  11. For Whom The Bell Tolls (Live at Rasputin Music)
  12. Creeping Death (Live at Rasputin Music)
  13. Metal Militia (Live at Rasputin Music)
  14. Hardwired (Live in Minneapolis)

Metallica 2016 Latin America tour dates

Oct 26: San Juan Coliseo De Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
Oct 29: Quito Parque Bicentenario, Ecuador
Nov 01: Bogota Hipodromo De Los Andes, Columbia
Nov 03: Guatemala City Estadio Cementos Progreso, Guatemala
Nov 05: San Jose Estadio Nacional, Costa Rica

Metallica’s Global Citizen set to be streamed live

Martin Kielty
Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.