METALLICA's KIRK HAMMETT: 'These Days I Feel I Can Play Anything That I Really Set My Mind To'

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke to Guitar World about the recording process for the band's new disc, "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", which is scheduled for release this Friday, November 18. He said: "The whole mental preparation for this album was different. I used to wind myself up so much before I went into the studio, but I'm finally feeling much more comfortable in my abilities. I didn't work out anything before I walked into the studio. I just showed up and played. I wanted to capture a moment, keep it spontaneous and make it fresh, and see where it goes, because I have been guilty of overthinking."

Hammett added that a change in his lifestyle has provided him with a new appreciation for his guitar-playing abilities.

"I feel like I've just turned another corner," he said. "I've reconnected with my instrument in a way I never have before. I quit drinking, which changed things. On nights we had shows, I'd play the gig, go out afterward and get drunk, and then go back to my room and play for a couple hours. I still do that, but the big difference is I don't drink anymore and I retain what I played the next day. These days I feel I can play anything that I really set my mind to, whether it's Paganini or a jazz standard. It might take me a couple of weeks, but I can do it!"

METALLICA will celebrate the launch of "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" with what's being billed as Blackened Friday, a "very special and intimate live performance" this Friday (November 18),the day of the CD's arrival. The performance will be live-streamed around the world from London, and fans can catch the entire appearance live at www.houseofvanslondon.com beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday.

On Thursday, nearly 100 independent record shops across the country will be opening to sell the first copies of it. They'll also be stocked with prizes and giveaways, including limited-edition vinyl slip mats and posters.

In other news, METALLICA will play a special show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California on December 17. A special pre-sale begins on Thursday (November 17) at 10:00 a.m. PT to members of the METALLICA fan club. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

Winners will be e-mailed a personal code on November 16, along with more details about how to purchase tickets to the exclusive one-of-a-kind show. Non-fan club members will have a chance to buy tickets this Friday at 10:00 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster. Everyone who comes to the show is encouraged to bring a donation of canned goods to the venue on the night of the show.

"Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" contains a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music spread out over two discs.

Instead of a previously announced bonus disc of demos, the deluxe edition of the album will now feature a number of cover tunes that the band has recorded over the past few years, including a medley of Ronnie James Dio songs, IRON MAIDEN's "Remember Tomorrow" and DEEP PURPLE's "When A Blind Man Cries".

The deluxe version will also feature a live set recorded at Rasputin's in Berkeley, California on Record Store Day 2016 and a concert version of the song "Hardwired" recorded at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.