Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has released a music video for his debut solo song "High Plains Drifter" from his forthcoming instrumental solo EP, Portals.
Hammett unveiled "High Plains Drifter" last week. The full EP arrives this weekend via Metallica's Blackened Recordings.
The EP features Hammett alongside Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore, bassist/producer Bob Rock, members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, S&M2 conductor Edwin Outwater and others.
While "High Plains Drifter" is indeed a reference to the 1973 film of the same name, Hammett says he didn't name the piece until after it was composed. He says it was borne out of a flamenco-style guitar idea. He felt the idea would be difficult to integrate into a Metallica album, but he was "determined it would have a life."
"...[O]nce it was written, I immediately thought it conveyed the same sentiment as the film, so the piece was christened accordingly," Hammet said of the track.
You can listen to "High Plains Drifter" in its entirety via the player above.
Hammett says the track's cinematic feel is representative of the overall atmosphere of the four-song Portals EP. The record, he says, is heavily influenced by classical music, film soundtracks and a bit of heavy metal.
Metallica gets back on the road this spring, with tour dates in North and South America and Europe. Get all the dates here.