by Exodus guitarist Gary Holt recently defended Kirk Hammett’s legacy in thrash metal. He called out fans who overlook the Metallica guitarist’s foundational contributions to the genre in a statement shared on The Metallica Report.
Holt’s comments focused on Hammett’s often-underappreciated role as one of thrash metal’s pioneers. Hammett played in both Exodus and Metallica during the genre’s formative years.
“I started coming up with some riffs. Kirk wrote everything when I joined the band. And for all intents and purposes, he is one of the founders of thrash metal,” Holt said. “I think people leave Kirk out of that discussion a lot, and I think it’s bullshit, ’cause he played in two of [the pioneering thrash metal bands]. He deserves double fucking credit.”
Holt also reflected on the musical evolution that occurred during Hammett’s time with Exodus and the influences that shaped their sound.
“But Exodus was, like, super thrashy and we were starting to get a little more away from the early Iron Maiden influences and stuff,” he continued. “My brother Charles — and Kirk admits this too — my brother Charles was a super punk rocker, British hardcore punk, and he introduced us to tons of stuff that would later be instrumental in my influence [when it comes] to writing in Exodus, especially Discharge above all others.”
The guitarist described the transition period when Hammett left Exodus to join Metallica. This marked a pivotal moment in both bands’ histories.
“And I was writing riffs and coming up with killer shit, but when Kirk left, it was kind of he handed the baton off to me, and myself and my bandmates, especially [then-Exodus vocalist Paul] Baloff, we were able to craft the band in our image, take it where we wanted,” Holt explained. “Not that we weren’t already, not that we wouldn’t have ended up there in the end, but it became kind of like a musical passing of the torch. And the first two songs I finished after Kirk left, and we hadn’t found [bassist] Rob McKillop yet, was ‘No Love’ and ‘Strike Of The Beast’.”
Holt’s defense of Hammett comes with deep historical context. The transition between the two guitarists represents one of thrash metal’s most significant lineup changes.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Hammett left Exodus to join Metallica on April 1, 1983, replacing Dave Mustaine in a move that would reshape both bands’ futures. The timing was crucial. Hammett quickly learned Metallica’s set by immersing himself in their demo cassette, No Life ‘Til Leather, which had become essential listening in the Bay Area metal underground.
Loudwire noted that before joining Metallica, Hammett had already formed key friendships with band members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. They bonded over their shared musical vision and created memorable backstage moments that would prove instrumental in his eventual recruitment.
The guitarist’s commitment to his craft extended well beyond his early thrash metal roots. Ultimate Metallica documented that after joining the band, Hammett dedicated himself to continuous improvement by taking guitar lessons from virtuoso Joe Satriani. He explored musical styles beyond metal, including jazz and blues.
This relentless dedication to expanding his musical vocabulary helped Hammett develop the distinct sound that would later stand out on albums like Load and Reload. This demonstrates the evolution that Holt references in his comments about Hammett’s foundational role in thrash metal’s development.
