In the latest issue of Total Guitar, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett talked about his solos in the band’s most recent album, ’72 Seasons.’ Even after the backlash he received because of his ‘bad’ solo in ‘Lux Æterna,’ the rocker defended his solos against the fans.
“I don’t think anyone really sucks,” he explained. “These days, I don’t think bad guitar solos even exist anymore because everyone is just so much better than they used to be.”
In 2022, Metallica teased their album with ‘Lux Æterna.’ The release of the song caused controversy about Hammett’s solo. It faced some criticism from Metallica fans and online commentators. Some people even made videos titled ‘Why Everyone HATES the Solo in Metallica’s New Song’ or shared their own ‘better’ versions.
However, the guitarist has another take on the matter.
“I hate to say it for all your readers out there, but non-musicians, who are the majority of the f*cking listening world, they are not going to remember guitar solos,” he said during an interview with Guitar World. “They are gonna helluva remember a great melody, and they’re really gonna remember a great song – especially a song that’s gonna bring them to a different place from where they were five minutes previously.”
Hammett has created numerous solos during his journey with Metallica, and he is in the mindset that a solo should complement the song. And he figured it out at only 15 years old.