Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is well known for his use of a wah pedal in his playing. He recently spoke to Guitar World and was entirely unapologetic about his love of the effect.

Hammett: "The wah enables me to mirror the inner voice in my head and in my heart. That’s what I’m hearing. All these manipulated notes and tones, because that’s what the human voice is like. We cycle through all these different tones and frequencies when we speak. When I step on that wah pedal and hear that click... well, I’m hearing that clicking in my brain and in my heart at the same time."

Hammett added that he's all too aware of his association with the effect, admitting that he "can’t think of anybody who uses the wah pedal as much as I do".

Read more here.

Metallica’s new album, 72 Seasons, was released on April 14 via the band’s own Blackened Recordings. The band have achieved their fourth UK #1 album, and first in 15 years, with 72 Seasons.

The heavy metal outfit reach the summit with their eleventh studio album; outselling the rest of the Top 5 combined. Previously, the group enjoyed chart-topping success with their eponymous 1991 LP Metallica, 1996 release Load and 2008 record Death Magnetic.

72 Seasons also tops the UK's Official Vinyl Albums Chart, proving the most popular record on wax this week, and lands at #1 on the Official Record Store Chart as the week’s most-purchased LP in the UK’s independent record shops.

Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, Metallica say: “Number 1 in the UK? Spectacular! We’re grateful. Thank you, UK - we can’t wait to see you!”

As mentioned earlier, 72 Seasons also debuted at #1 on Australia's ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart.

Produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track 72 Seasons is Metallica’s first full length collection of new material since 2016’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct.

For a full listing of configurations and further information, go to metallica.com.

72 Seasons tracklisting:

"72 Seasons"
"Shadows Follow"
"Screaming Suicide"
"Sleepwalk My Life Away"
"You Must Burn!"
"Lux Æterna"
"Crown Of Barbed Wire"
"Chasing Light"
"If Darkness Had A Son"
"Too Far Gone?"
"Room Of Mirrors"
"Inamorata"

"Inamorata" video:

"You Must Burn!" video:

"Chasing Light" video:

"Crown Of Barbed Wire" video:

"Too Far Gone?" video:

"Shadows Follow" video:

"72 Seasons" video:

"If Darkness Had A Son" video:

"Screaming Suicide" video:

“Lux Æterna” video:

"Sleepwalk My Life Away" video

"Room Of Mirrors"