In a new interview with *Metal Hammer*, Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett named the band's 1991 self-titled LP — known widely as The Black Album — as the record featuring his best guitarwork.
When asked about his finest moment as a guitarist, Hammett did not point to the band’s more technical material from the 1980s. Instead, he highlighted the era of *The Black Album* as the peak of his playing. He stated that many of the solos on the album came together naturally, saying those solos wrote themselves and that almost all of them worked out instantly.
He acknowledged two exceptions: the solos for The Unforgiven and My Friend of Misery. These were the only parts he wasn’t fully prepared for during the sessions. In particular, Hammett reflected on the difficulty of developing a solo for *The Unforgiven*, which became a known challenge during the album’s production.
According to *Metal Hammer*, producer Bob Rock was not satisfied with Hammett’s initial ideas for *The Unforgiven*, which led to the guitarist discarding all his pre-written parts and coming up with a spontaneous solo. This experience, Hammett explained, influenced how he approached soloing from that point forward.
Hammett added that he rarely listens to Metallica’s old recordings and tends not to dwell on past achievements. However, he recognizes that during the recording of *The Black Album*, his playing was, in his words, spot on.
Released nearly 35 years ago, *The Black Album* remains one of Metallica’s most commercially successful and influential works.
