Kirk Hammett is not a wah abuser.

[DemiFrost]

...well maybe he is, but have you guys heard Blind Guardian's live album?

 

The wah is used the whole damn time, except where he actually needs it!

 

...sound clips okay?

[Electric I]

Said it before & once again - kirk hammett is in dire need of a wahbotomy.

I'll take yer word for it on the blind guardian thing...

[Tone Bone]

My guess is that Blind Guardian probably listens to Metallica, and they just managed to develop Kirk's bad habit. I still prefer Blind Guardian over Metallica's new {censored} any day.

[Ben J]

Originally posted by DemiFrost ...well maybe he is, but have you guys heard Blind Guardian's live album? The wah is used the whole damn time, except where he actually needs it! ...sound clips okay?

True



I love Blind Guardian though.

[BAZGUITARMAN]

I used to love Kirk`s playing. In the old day when he had the fire in his blood. I didn`t care if he used a wah or not. It just sounded good. Up through AJFA. After that he just lost the fire and it shows in his work since then. No longer any passion.

Eric

[Locky]

I think his recent playing is heavily hindered by the calcium deposits he's getting in his hands.

[STEEL KAGE]

Originally posted by Ben J True I love Blind Guardian though.

Hell yeah, Ill take their player over Kirk ANYDAY!!!

[Tone Bone]

Originally posted by STEEL KAGE Hell yeah, Ill take their player over Kirk ANYDAY!!!

We're well aware of your views on the subject of Hammett, Kage.

Now can someone give us a number on how many pages this thread will go on for? Kirk bashing is a pretty hot topic around here sometimes.

[STEEL KAGE]

Originally posted by Tone Bone We're well aware of your views on the subject of Hammett, Kage. Now can someone give us a number on how many pages this thread will go on for? Kirk bashing is a pretty hot topic around here sometimes.

Yeah, my opinion of him is pretty well known. Ive just seen SO many players in that genre that smoke in every aspect of playing; Feel,Technique,Taste,Phrasing etc that It boggles my mind that some people put him up on a pedestal

To each his own but to me, He was in the right place at the right time, nothing more...

Kage

[GnR102385]

I love Metallica, before Kirk became a wah user. But I will take Blind Guardian any day of the week. He doesnt "abuse" the wah as Kirk does, he uses it to get a unique tone that fits their style.

[Nelg]

Originally posted by STEEL KAGE Yeah, my opinion of him is pretty well known. Ive just seen SO many players in that genre that smoke in every aspect of playing; Feel,Technique,Taste,Phrasing etc that It boggles my mind that some people put him up on a pedestal To each his own but to me, He was in the right place at the right time, nothing more... Kage

 

 

Maybe, but you could probably say that about any famous band.

 

Pantera were discovered by some record company rep because he was stuck in Texas because of a hurricane, and was just told to check the band out by a friend.

[GnR102385]

Originally posted by Nelg Maybe, but you could probably say that about any famous band. Pantera were discovered by some record company rep because he was stuck in Texas because of a hurricane, and was just told to check the band out by a friend.

 

 

Well Metallica was already on the road to fame, Kirk just happened to have the lead guitar job fall in his lap.

[Nelg]

Originally posted by GnR102385 Well Metallica was already on the road to fame, Kirk just happened to have the lead guitar job fall in his lap.

 

 

Actually Metallica were all pretty much piss poor until Master of Puppets. I remember Kirk saying that he had something like one or two pairs of underwear during the Ride The Lightning tour.

 

It's easy to say now that they were on the road to fame, but the fact is that none of them even knew if or when their big break would come - they just lived off whatever they made from gig to gig. And probably spent the rest on booze.

 

Kirk joined before Kill em All was released, and Metallica were still a bunch of nobodies then.

[Grendel1]

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN I used to love Kirk`s playing. In the old day when he had the fire in his blood. I didn`t care if he used a wah or not. It just sounded good. Up through AJFA. After that he just lost the fire and it shows in his work since then. No longer any passion. Eric

 

 

C'mon man, what about the Unforgiven solo?

[GnR102385]

Originally posted by Nelg Actually Metallica were all pretty much piss poor until Master of Puppets. I remember Kirk saying that he had something like one or two pairs of underwear during the Ride The Lightning tour. It's easy to say now that they were on the road to fame, but the fact is that none of them even knew if or when their big break would come - they just lived off whatever they made from gig to gig. And probably spent the rest on booze. Kirk joined before Kill em All was released, and Metallica were still a bunch of nobodies then.

 

 

Yes, but they were a signed band that had 2 great albums recorded. It took them a while to get the money and the fame, but they were well known in the California area.

[DeadNight Warrior]

Originally posted by DemiFrost ...well maybe he is, but have you guys heard Blind Guardian's live album? The wah is used the whole damn time, except where he actually needs it! ...sound clips okay?

I think in the live stuff, Andre doesn't sound quite as good with his wah. In the studio stuff though, his sound is huge! He uses wah a lot in the studio too, but the way he controls it all, and across the various lead voices, it sounds fantastic.

I wish they'd get another guitarist live, to do some of the harmony stuff.

[GnR102385]

Originally posted by DeadNight Warrior I think in the live stuff, Andre doesn't sound quite as good with his wah. In the studio stuff though, his sound is huge! He uses wah a lot in the studio too, but the way he controls it all, and across the various lead voices, it sounds fantastic. I wish they'd get another guitarist live, to do some of the harmony stuff.

I have got their DVD, and it is pretty bad ass, even though the may have studio polished it a bit.

[DeadNight Warrior]

Originally posted by GnR102385 I have got their DVD, and it is pretty bad ass, even though the may have studio polished it a bit.

It is pretty cool. But I think the newer material sounds a bit weak compared to the studio stuff, with all the many layers missing, and holy crap is Hansi a boring front man.

The older, more straight-forward material off their first album sounds killer though.

[GnR102385]

Originally posted by DeadNight Warrior It is pretty cool. But I think the newer material sounds a bit weak compared to the studio stuff, with all the many layers missing, and holy crap is Hansi a boring front man. The older, more straight-forward material off their first album sounds killer though.

Haha I think Hansi is funny at times, but for the most part he just sings and doesnt really do anything to dazzle, plus he lets the crowd handle a lot of the chorus work haha. I think all their material is great, but Nightfall in Middle Earth is their best work, and the albums before that are great as well, with their newest stuff being the weakest.

[DeadNight Warrior]

Originally posted by GnR102385 Haha I think Hansi is funny at times, but for the most part he just sings and doesnt really do anything to dazzle, plus he lets the crowd handle a lot of the chorus work haha. I think all their material is great, but Nightfall in Middle Earth is their best work, and the albums before that are great as well, with their newest stuff being the weakest.

I haven't heard the latest yet, but I did think ANATO still was good. But, it lacked a certain magic that the older material had, Nightfall especially. I would consider NIME one of the finest metal albums ever.


And yeah, I dunno... I would have thought that for their own festival they really would have gone all out. Bring in an extra guitar maybe, or perhaps even bring in a small group of singers to handle all the extra vocals, etc. But nope, same ol' stuff as always.

Hansi also seems to choose odd times to hold back with his singing, IMO. Some very big moments sound quite dead because he doesn't go anywhere near what he does in the originals.

[Jarick]

I listen to old Metallica, and I think they were ahead of their time for sure. They brought metal to the masses.

But at some point (between AJFA and S/T), they move from metal to rock. Kind of got poppy, in the loosest sense of the word.

Their "metalness" suffered, but their songs became a bit easier to digest. That's a good or bad thing depending on your POV.

Bah, he's cool. Just not as cool as he was 20 years ago.

[DemiFrost]

I think he sounds better without the layered vocals, though sometimes he chooses the wrong octave to sing.

About him letting out at wrong times: agreed, like on Time Stands Still..

"I DARE YOU! C'MON! ...you coward?..."

I can't really tell that Andre uses a wah in the studio unless it's really apparent like in the intro of Time Stands Still, but on Live, it sounds pretty obnoxious.

I was not bashing Kirk, by the way. I still think he's a pretty good player and has quite a few good solos, with wah or not.

[GnR102385]

Originally posted by DemiFrost I think he sounds better without the layered vocals, though sometimes he chooses the wrong octave to sing. About him letting out at wrong times: agreed, like on Time Stands Still.. "I DARE YOU! C'MON! ...you coward?..."

 

 

True. Like in Nightfall

 

"NEVER TRUST THE NORTHERN WINDS!!...

never turn your back on friends."

 

He just sounded too bland singing the second part on the DVD. Oh well though, it still kicks ass.

[Tone Bone]

Originally posted by STEEL KAGE He was in the right place at the right time, nothing more... Kage

 

 

You pretty much summed it up for me in that one sentence. Even though I grew up listening to their old stuff, Hammett was always an achilles heel for me. IMO, he's just average. There are/were so many guys in that genre who could play him under the table. Personally, if I'm in the mood for some metal guitar playing, I'll take Criss Oliva (R.I.P.) over Hammett any day of the week.

[tnttnttnt]

I used to like Blind Guardian when I was a kid. Then I realized that they had an obsession with Lord of the Rings, which is not cool is it?

They were heavily influenced by Metallica in the early days, so I wouldn't be surprised if they still copy Hammett's habits.

Hammett used to be great, but after Justice he decided to play pentatonic solos with wah over everything. He deteriorated as a player before the entire band did...