MetallicaMetallica’s lead guitarist Kirk Hammett has looked back on the days of his learning how to play the guitar and, flashing forward to the present, described today’s songwriting and pop music as “crap.”
He shared his thoughts in a recent interview with The Irish Times, where he discussed how he initially learned to play the guitar by listening to records and playing guitar solos “over and over again.”
“It was a real challenge because if you got three different guitar players together and said, ‘Okay, play ‘I’m the One’ on Van Halen’s first album,’ all three guitar players would play it differently. There was some charm to that,” he said.
Hammett added that he misses the days when “people had to really struggle to learn,” because he believes good musicianship comes from struggle. “And it’s all in the determination and being inspired at the same time that forces you to come up with your own stuff and eventually your own sound and style,” he said.
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“I just worry about how things are so perfect these days, the musicianship. It’s great that all these guitar players have all this vast knowledge of technique at their fingertips. I wonder where it’s leading to.”
He doesn’t believe that today’s musicians are using their vast knowledge to the best of their abilities. With pop music in his sights, Hammett continued, “I hope it leads to a better quality of pop music, popular music, and just a better quality of songwriting. Because right now, songwriting and pop music is crap.
“I’m hoping that all these great musicians who can teach themselves through the internet step up and put all that great learning and all that great inspiration into creating new stuff, new songs, the future of music, and at a higher standard than what it is now, because I’ll say it again, K-R-A-P. Crap. Sorry for all you pop fans out there.”
Consequence of Sound notes that Hammett’s comments come just days after he was all over social media for wearing a t-shirt that read, “Taylor Swift Is a CIA Psyop” during Metallica’s recent concert in Budapest, Hungary.
In November, Metallica toured Australia for the first time since headlining Soundwave Festival in 2013. For the long-awaited shows, the American metal icons were joined by special guests Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies.
Reviewing Metallica’s recent Optus Stadium show, The Music’s Sam Mead declared: “The ante is upped as all members of the band take helm at the front of the catwalk and shred the life force out of Master Of Puppets to crowd now worshipping the gods of rock as they chant ‘obey your master’ getting a gift of fireworks for their efforts and a hearty chuckle. Cue rapture of applause.”
Mead also highlighted the “lusciously expressive” visuals, “effortless” musicianship and banter, and praised the night’s support acts.
