10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Metallica

by William Boyd

1. Hardwired Is The First Album With No Songwriting Credit From Kirk Hammett

Metallica's lead guitarist Kirk Hammett performs during a concert in Asuncion, Paraguay, Monday, March 24, 2014.(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Jorge Saenz/AP

The band’s latest release Hardwired… to Self-Destruct was a mighty return to form for the metal icons, with stellar cuts like “Confusion,” “Dream No More,” and “Spit Out The Bone” peppering it.

However, many fans were surprised when it was revealed that Kirk Hammett wasn’t involved in the songwriting process – a first for the reserved riff machine. The reason given for his writing absence was that he had lost 250 ideas for riffs contained within his missing phone.

Speaking about the unfortunate incident, he told KISW 99.9 in 2016: “It was devastating for me. I had to start at zero again while everyone else had material for songs.”

The album was successful despite his restricted songwriting input, but it’s still surprising that a long-term member like Hammett wasn’t as prominent from a creative standpoint.

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Music Journalism graduate and freelance writer from Northern Ireland, who enjoys scouring the music archives for the best sounds from the past and present. Writer for the awesome publications WhatCulture, Metal Injection, Scribol, The Gamer, and Prefix.