Is Kirk Hammett the worst guitar icon of all time?

[BenjaminW]

Kirk Hammett on Why Good Solos Aren't All That Important Anyway: 'Most Listeners Aren't Going to Remember Them'

'Non-musicians, who are the majority of the listening world, they are not going to remember guitar solos.'

www.ultimate-guitar.com

 

[TheBlackBard]

Didn't Hammett have a solo album recently that folks were raving about?

Either way, I'm not comfortable ragging on any guitarists who are verifiably better than me. So that makes all of them. All the guitarists.

This honestly feels like the most level-headed answer in this whole damn thread.

 

[zaftigaudio]

check out the prince solo

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

You can't say this with a wanker like Yngwie in comparison. No one that has actually listened to Bach can think Yngwie is anything but complete trash. He is even worse than being the Nick Cage of guitar and I think Nick Cage absolutely sucks.
This run right here is what Yngwie is trying to do. His music is comic it is such trash. Hammett at least is fulfilling a role in an iconic band.

"Last seen 21 minutes ago · Viewing thread Drugs..." That explains it.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Hammett can't write a solo worth a damn imo, and James is a far better player/writer imo, but Kirk still has the chops to play hard shit consistently, so I can't really shit talk him too much.

I do think he relies on his musical crutches too much, but then again, so do guys like Jeff Loomis (oooh Diminished riffs) and Yngwie (harmonic minor and Bach rip off wankery) or Wylde (who also does tons of pentatonics/wah centric riffs lol)

 

[ShredmasterD]

As i sit in my chair with not a modicum of world wide success or decades on the road playing night after night putting in the10,000 hours, I can confidently say I have no standing to trash anyone like Kirk Hammett.

But, for those pretenders that completely rely on pre recorded tracks when performing live and cancel shows when their computers don't show up for the gig that I have plenty to say about.

 

[Nightside]

Nah Kirk just sucks

 

[SalsaWood]

I was actually going to say Malmsteen as well. Kirk at least is friendly and humble, even if he does have a mostly unremarkable style.

 

[RevDrucifer]

I’m curious which way people believe they’re punching in this thread.

 

[nightflameauto]

I’m curious which way people believe they’re punching in this thread.

We mostly think we're punching sideways. Unfortunately, only a few of us realize we're actually laying on our backs punching up.

 

[CrushingAnvil]

Thank you for giving me a forum for expressing my opinion on this topic lmao.

I don't hate Kirk as a person but it shits me to tears that he can spend the last 30 years going surfing, eating seedless grapes, doing bong rips and dicking about on his wah pedal instead of making sure he can play the setlist. Same with Lars. It's literally your only fucking job, guys - what the hell? You literally wrote these songs - how do you not know them?

 

[RevDrucifer]

Thank you for giving me a forum for expressing my opinion on this topic lmao.

I don't hate Kirk as a person but it shits me to tears that he can spend the last 30 years going surfing, eating seedless grapes, doing bong rips and dicking about on his wah pedal instead of making sure he can play the setlist. Same with Lars. It's literally your only fucking job, guys - what the hell? You literally wrote these songs - how do you not know them?

While they definitely had a period they weren’t playing great, it’s been over half a decade since they started giving a shit again.

 

[jl-austin]

I'm just going to say this. I can't even play his stuff. I can't bash him.

His idea of a good tone though.....

 

[ArtDecade]

What is your judgement?

 

[Drew]

I just found it funny how quickly they went from For Whom the Bell Tolls, Disposable Heroes, and One to the nO sTeP oN sNeK album cover and Don't Tread on Me after making some money.

To be fair to Metallica, the Gadston Flag didn't really come into all of its nO sTeP oN sNeK glory until after the Tea Party got their hands on it, almost 20 years later.

Also, I think we need to re-evaluate this thread in light of the new Machine Gun Kelly signature guitar.

 

[ShredmasterD]

Gibson announces another Kirk Hammett guitar. His signature Les Paul. not Greeney

https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/Kirk-Hammett-1989-Les-Paul-Custom/Ebony?sc_src=email_1584840&sc_lid=174666201&sc_uid=PaxEHrnlFF&sc_llid=98062&sc_customer=385c796a-80bb-4150-ad48-8b7294d6db13&utm_source=Emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1.23.24%3A+Kirk+Hammett+1989+Les+Paul+Custom

 

[TheBlackBard]

Kirk at his absolute worst pushes the shit in of any guitar player on this site.

 

[Nightside]

Kirk at his absolute worst pushes the shit in of any guitar player on this site.

We're talking about playing skills though, not sexual performance.

 

[TheBlackBard]

We're talking about playing skills though, not sexual performance.

It's an expression. You DO know what THAT is, right?