Metallica’s members are all in their 60s, yet their music remains as physically demanding as ever. Despite this, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett is showing no signs of slowing down. Speaking on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Hammett shared that as long as the band members are healthy and mentally sharp, they have no plans to retire. “As long as we have our health and our mind, I think we can just keep on going,” Hammett said. He added that he feels much younger than his 62 years, staying active with surfing, biking, running, and practicing yoga and meditation daily. “I don’t feel like I’m 62. I feel like I’m still somewhere in my thirties,” he said. “I go out and surf, I bike, I run, I walk, I do all sorts of crazy stuff physically.”
Hammett also pointed out that drummer Lars Ulrich is in great shape too, making it clear that the band is in good condition to continue playing. Even bassist Rob Trujillo, he joked, doesn’t have a single gray hair. “I don’t know what it is — maybe playing this music, maybe just being in this band — it’s a fountain of youth for us,” Hammett said. “I have no plans to give up anything. This is my life.”
The interview also dove into how Metallica’s Black Album (1991) aligned with the rise of grunge, a movement Hammett had been tuned into early on. “I remember getting the first Sub Pop singles in like 1987,” he recalled, adding that James Hetfield was listening to a lot of the same grunge bands. “I still have all those single-of-the-month records — Nirvana, Mudhoney, Tad, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Green River,” he shared. “We knew things were happening.” Metallica’s music, especially the riff to “Enter Sandman,” was deeply influenced by these early grunge bands. Hammett credits Soundgarden as the direct inspiration behind that iconic riff.
Kurt Cobain, the late Nirvana frontman, was a huge fan of Metallica. Hammett recalled a moment when Cobain asked him if they were going to play “Whiplash” at a show. “Kurt loved Ride the Lightning,” Hammett said. “There’s a riff on Bleach that reminds me of ‘Ride the Lightning.’” Despite his famous riffs, like the one in “Enter Sandman,” Hammett is quick to clarify that fans often misattribute which riffs are his. “It’s literally a crowd of riffs and people trying to randomly pick out which ones I wrote,” Hammett explained, emphasizing that he doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.
One album Hammett is particularly proud of is Death Magnetic (2008), which he says is filled with his riffs. In particular, he calls the bridge riff of “The Thing That Should Not Be” one of his heaviest compositions. “I’ve been chasing that heaviness ever since,” he said. “Trying to write a riff that hits that same way.”
In addition to his musical career, Hammett has amassed an impressive collection of vintage guitars, which he showcases in his new coffee-table book, The Collection: Kirk Hammett. In his years as a guitar collector, Hammett has developed a strong sense of camaraderie with other collectors, preferring to trade instruments rather than buy them outright. “When you trade, everyone’s happy, man,” Hammett explained. “When cash is involved, there’s something empty-feeling about it.”
He credited blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa with helping him track down a prized guitar, a black 1959 Les Paul Standard that Hammett had been chasing for a decade. “I have to thank Joe for that opportunity, for not buying it, ’cause he already has one,” Hammett said. In return, Hammett gifted Bonamassa a replica of Greeny, his prized 1959 Les Paul Standard that was once owned by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green.
With no plans to retire and a love for guitars that runs as deep as his passion for music, Hammett’s legacy as both a guitarist and collector is sure to endure for years to come.
Metallica in Their 60s, But Kirk Hammett Says Retirement is Not Coming Soon
