Kirk Hammett is naming this band the 'architects' of Heavy Metal

Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett is shedding light on some fellow rockers who he is calling the “architects” of Heavy Metal.

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During a recent Q&A in Munich, Hammett was reminded of a time he watched Judas Priest perform at the 2023 Power Trip Festival in Indio, California, and referred to them as the “architects of what we now know as heavy metal.”

“We were worshipping at the altar of Judas Priest,” Hammett said while looking at a photo of him and bandmate James Hetfield at the festival before sharing his admiration for their Judas Priest’s music.

“Their music means so much to us,” he continued. “And the way Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing played the guitars – I mean, they are architects of what we now know as Heavy Metal, to put it bluntly. And James and I, we love Priest.”

He continued on to recall just how memorable that specific performance at Power Trip was for he and Hetfield as they don’t typically get to enjoy sets from other groups. “We don’t really get a chance to see bands, a lot of times, when we’re playing a huge festival or something, because we’re always backstage doing press or getting ready for the show or rehearsing or whatever,” he shared.

“So when we did Power Trip, we got there early – a few days early – just so that we could see all the other bands. And it was great – the anticipation of seeing [headliners Iron Maiden , Priest, AC/DC [and] Guns ’N’ Roses , and actually seeing them. It was a wonderful time.”

Metallica is currently on the road with a handful of tour dates left over the summer. Check out where they’ll be below.

Metallica 2024 tour dates:
Jun 14: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, Denmark
Jun 16: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, Denmark
Jun 26: Oslo Tons Of Rock Festival, Norway
Jun 29: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jul 05: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Jul 07: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Jul 12: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain
Jul 14: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain
Aug 02: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA, USA
Aug 04: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA, USA
Aug 09: Chicago Soldier Field, IL, USA
Aug 11: Chicago Soldier Field, IL, USA
Aug 16: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN, USA
Aug 18: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN, USA
Aug 23: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Canada
Aug 25: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Canada
Aug 30: Seattle Lumen Field, WA, USA
Sep 01: Seattle Lumen Field, WA, USA
Sep 20: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 22: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 27: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 29: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico