Kirk Hammett Hopes Next Metallica Album Will ‘Bring People Together’

Metallica's Kirk Hammett — who's revealed that the music the veteran metal act is currently working on is "very appropriate for the times" — hopes that the next Metallica album will help heal discord and bring people closer together after a trying 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guitarist conveyed that aspiration to Classic Rock in a brief interview that emerged on Friday (July 30).

"Metallica has always been about bringing people together through music," Hammett said. "I think the sentiment now is that people need music more than ever to bring everyone together and collectively celebrate that we've got to this point."

He continued, "There's a lot of division in the world, and, hopefully, this Metallica album will cut through the division and bring people together in ways that are more beneficial for everyone overall."

Hammet's comments follow a January update from his Metallica bandmate Lars Urich, who reported then that work on a follow-up to 2016's Hardwired… to Self-Destruct was going but slowly.

Still, this week, Hammett said the band has "tried to make the most of the Covid year-and-a-half, and we've been pretty successful, We've got together remotely and worked, and we've got together [properly] and worked. Things are moving really well."

Metallica wrote at least 10 new songs while in quarantine — Hammett surmised earlier this week that the group hasn't reached their peak. Before a new album emerges, however, Metallica will issue a remastered version of their 1991 Black Album on Sept. 10, including deluxe editions of the enhanced effort now available to pre-order on the group's website.

Alongside the reissue, tribute set The Metallica Blacklist will also emerge — it contains Black Album covers by over 50 other artists, including Miley Cyrus, St. Vincent, Ghost, Weezer and others.

Metallica recently shared rare versions of "Don't Tread on Me," "Wherever I May Roam," "The Unforgiven," "Holier Than Thou" and "Sad But True" as excerpts from the expanded Black Album.