Stereogum: Kirk Hammett – “High Plains Drifter”

“High Plains Drifter” shares a title with the 1973 Clint Eastwood Western. Metallica always take the stage to Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy Of Gold,” from the score to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, so it’s cool to see that Eastwood fixation coming through in Hammett’s other work. The song is a proggy, classical-influenced instrumental that combines Hammett’s guitar with dramatic, rising strings. Parts of its sound like the fluttery acoustic-interlude moments from Metallica records, and parts of it also recall spaghetti Western soundtracks. But by the time “High Plains Drifter” comes to an end, Hammett is once again shredding hard.

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