Metallica's So What! fifth member blog recently caught up with guitarist Kirk Hammett, who discussed writing solos for the band's new album, Hardwired...To Self Destruct. An excerpt is available below:

Hammett: "I would play about 25 or 30 solos, all different, in two or three hours, and then Lars would come in and say, 'How are things going?' Greg and I would give him a progress report. And then, I'd start playing some other stuff... that's when Lars would come up with suggestions, coaching me on, maybe going into this direction or to that direction, or talking about when he and James were getting the song together how they might've heard the solo sounding."

"When Lars would come in, typically the solos would change direction, which was a good thing because the first 25 to 30 solos would be in one direction and then the next 20 or 30 solos would be in a different direction because Lars would be in there suggesting something. And then when we'd take a break, I'd go in and just play whatever."

"Usually he would say something like, 'Play through the bar, don't stop after four, play through the bar.' Or at the end of the solo, where I would maybe wind it down and end on a low note, he would say, 'Try ending it dripping up high.' I mean, it's fairly elementary stuff. He doesn't say stuff to me like, 'Now go to C-sharp diminished.' He doesn't get technical. It's just merely suggestions, you know? Coaching is probably the best term that I can come up with."

"You know, it's also because Lars is so into lead guitar playing. His favorite musician isn't John Bonham or Ringo Starr. You know who his favorite musician is? Fucking Ritchie Blackmore!"

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Metallica released their new album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, on November 18th. Check out BraveWords’ 8.5/10 review at this location.

Hardwired...To Self-Destruct is Metallica’s first studio album since 2008's multi-platinum Death Magnetic. The album was produced by Greg Fidelman, who engineered and mixed Death Magnetic, and is available at Metallica.com in various configurations including: CD, Vinyl, Digital, Deluxe, and Deluxe Deluxe Versions.

Deluxe Edition (Digital Download and CD)

Disc One
“Hardwired”
“Atlas, Rise!”
“Now That We’re Dead”
“Moth Into Flame”
“Am I Savage?”
“Halo On Fire”

Disc Two
“Confusion”
“Dream No More”
“ManUNkind”
“Here Comes Revenge”
“Murder One”
“Spit Out The Bone”

Disc Three (Bonus)
“Lords of Summer” (2016)
“Ronnie Rising Medley”
“When a Blind Man Cries”
“Remember Tomorrow”
“Helpless’ (Live at Rasputin Music)
“Hit the Lights” (Live at Rasputin Music)
“The Four Horsemen’ (Live at Rasputin Music)
“Ride the Lightning’ (Live at Rasputin Music)
“Fade to Black” (Live at Rasputin Music)
‘Jump in the Fire” (Live at Rasputin Music)
‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (Live at Rasputin Music)
“Creeping Death” (Live at Rasputin Music)
“Metal Militia” (Live at Rasputin Music)
“Hardwired” (Live in Minneapolis)

"Spit Out The Bone" video: