Kirk Hammett Reflects on Incorporating Exodus Riffs in Early Metallica Tracks, Shares His ‘Guilt’ Over Leaving the Band

“I did feel guilty about leaving the band I started in high school.”

Kirk Hammett revealed that he initially felt “a lot of guilt” after leaving Exodus to join Metallica, noting that some of the riffs that ended up on Metallica’s debut album were originally written for his former band. Although it’s hard to imagine anyone else as Metallica’s lead guitarist, Hammett wasn’t part of the band from the start. He joined in 1983, two years after Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield founded the group, replacing Dave Mustaine after his infamous departure.

Before joining Metallica, Hammett co-founded Exodus in 1979 at just 16 years old. In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Hammett shared that while he didn’t feel guilty about using his Exodus riffs on “Kill ‘Em All,” he did feel guilty about leaving the band he started in high school. He expressed how close he remained with Exodus members, particularly Tom Hunting and Gary Holt, and how he struggled with guilt and remorse for a while. However, Hammett ultimately felt that Metallica was his true calling, where he felt more comfortable than he ever did in Exodus.

Gary Holt, Exodus’s guitarist, admitted in 2021 that the band was initially “mad” when Hammett left but soon moved past it. Holt acknowledged that Hammett’s departure allowed him to take control of the band’s sound, leading to a significant evolution in their music. Despite joking about Hammett making a “horrible business decision” by joining Metallica, Holt recognized the impact of Hammett’s choice on both bands’ trajectories.