“I don’t think bad guitar solos even exist anymore. Everyone is just so much better than they used to be”: Kirk Hammett doesn’t pay attention to solo trolls – and thinks “bad” solos are a thing of the past

(Image credit: Javier Bragado/Redferns/Getty Images)

In 2022, Metallica made their long-awaited return with 72 Seasons – their eleventh studio effort, which was initially previewed with the much-discussed lead single, Lux Æterna.

Following the song’s release, much was made of the electric guitar playing. Specifically, Kirk Hammett’s guitar solo was put under the microscope, and faced some backlash from ’Tallica fans and online commenters.

While some released whole videos on “Why everyone HATES the solo in Metallica’s new song”, others performed their own ‘improved’ versions, all while leveling criticism at the solo’s original architect.

At the time, Hammett hit back at the online haters and shrugged off their words, and in the latest issue of Total Guitar he once again addressed the controversy surrounding his solo.

Namely, he’s offered a rebuttal to those who believe his Lux Æterna solo is bad by proposing that there’s no such thing as a bad solo. According to the Greeny owner, bad solos simply don’t exist.

“I don’t think anyone really sucks. These days, I don’t think bad guitar solos even exist anymore because everyone is just so much better than they used to be,” Hammett observes.

“Like, in the ’60s there were bad guitar solos. You would find them in pop songs, where you’d go, ‘Urgh! Nice try. Next!’ But that’s the past, and that’s a good thing.”

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Hammett goes on to establish a wider argument that it’s nigh-on impossible for a professional musician to really ‘suck’ at their craft.

“My attitude is that if you’re out there and you’re touring, and you’re making albums, and you’re recording, there is no way you suck,” he explains.”

“And so I can’t stop being bewildered by all these people who say, ‘This guy sucks! That guy sucks!’ Hey, I’ve got news for you – you don’t get to where you’re at if you fucking suck! Okay? These people are talking on 10 per cent of what they see in all of these people musically. It’s incredible.”

That’s not to say he won’t be taking a different approach to solos on the next Metallica album, though. As Hammett explains, he adopted a particular method of creating his lead efforts on 72 Seasons, which hoped to harness some “spontaneity”.

“I didn’t want picture-perfect solos, because some of my favourite players’ solos were kind of rag-tag, a lot of them, and I love that. Don’t get me wrong – I love precision, too.

“Having said that, this is a one-time thing. I don’t think on future albums I will be doing this, because if I do I have a real fear of repeating myself. So this is not going to be my approach to solos on the next album.”

Visit Magazines Direct to pick up the newest issue of Total Guitar, which features the full interview with Kirk Hammett.