Kirk Hammett

From prolific metal guitarist and songwriter for Exodus (and formerly Slayer) Gary Holt comes an entertaining and deeply personal memoir of Holt's "destruction-laden" life, along with a firsthand account of the genesis of the Thrash Metal scene, from its origins in the Bay Area to its world dominationSince exploding out of the Bay Area heavy metal scene in the 1980s, thrash metal has made its way to every corner of the globe, conquering worldwide charts with every passing year. As the guitarist and primary songwriter of Exodus, and as an originator of the subgenre and one of its fiercest proponents, Gary Holt watched as his peers-Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax-soared to superstardom. As his fellow artists amassed millions of fans and record sales, Exodus' albums received critical recognition and inspired generations of listeners but struggled to reach the same heights of success, as the band was plagued by years of bad management, bad luck, and bad decision-making. In A FABULOUS DISASTER, Holt shares a deeply personal account of what it was like to "live fast, play fast, and crash hard" as thrash metal dominated the globe. Holt's "destruction-laden farce" follows our narrator through the highest of highs and lowest of lows as he and his bandmates juggle major label contracts, MTV-sponsored tours and festivals, growing addictions to alcohol and meth, and the loss of key founding members. In the throes of addiction, Holt's own fall from grace is swift; one year, he's playing on the MTV Headbanger's Ball Tour with Anthrax and Helloween, and the next, he's struggling to find minimum wage jobs as he battles drugs, divorce, and the dissolution of his creative prospects. Ultimately, after the tragic death of one of his closest friends and former bandmates-Holt decides that enough is enough and realizes the only one who can save him is himself. Newly sober and determined to resurrect his career, he commits himself to Exodus, pushing the band to new heights. He then joins Slayer, one of metal's biggest bands, and plays massive venues around the world, including Madison Square Garden. After Slayer's unexpected retirement, Holt devotes his attention full-time to Exodus once again, recording and playing with more passion than ever before. An "unadulterated odyssey through decades of insanity," punctuated by Holt's unique insight and knack for storytelling, A FABULOUS DISASTER is a thrill ride from start to finish. His story proves that redemption-even from the pits of rock 'n' roll excess-is always possible.

Today, Metallica are known as consummate musicians, but it wasn t always that way. Their early career is marked by a gradual evolution from garage thrash to sophisticated, progressive heights an evolution driven by their bass player, Cliff Burton, who pushed the band to new heights with his songwriting ability and phenomenal bass skills across the band s first three albums, including their undisputed masterpiece, Master Of Puppets. Cliff s life was short but influential; his death at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on a Swedish mountain road was sudden and shocking. Following his passing, Metallica went on to huge global success, but by their own admission they never pushed the creative envelope as radically as they had done during the first four years of their career. The cult of Burton grows year on year, and so too the list of bassists acknowledging his influence in metal and beyond. Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Metallica s debut album, Kill Em All, this revised and updated edition of To Live Is To Die adds a new chapter on Cliff s enduring legacy as well as a preface from Testament bass master Steve Di Giorgio.

(Guitar Educational). In 1993, Guitar World magazine introduced a column called "The Sound & the Fury," penned by Metallica's master of metal guitar himself, Kirk Hammett. In his column, Kirk didn't just talk about his licks, riffs, warm-ups, and techniques, though he taught them. Along the way, he also answered a multitude of questions on every imaginable topic sent in by readers. As a result, "The Sound & the Fury" became a firm favorite and ran for several years. This book combines Kirk's columns into one convenient volume. Topics include: Kirk The Story So Far; Metallica The Story So Far; Kirk's Influences and Inspirations; The Axes, Amps, and Pedals He's (Ab)Used Throughout His Career; Exercises and Warm-Ups; Lead-Playing Tips and Techniques; The All-Important Art of Rhythm Guitar; Licks, Riffs, and Leads Discussed and Dissected; and much more This book also includes access to recorded demonstrations of dozens of music examples played by Nick Bowcott. Audio is accessed online using the unique code inside the book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.