In a recent interview with American Songwriter, Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett delved into the band’s enduring journey and the profound essence behind their long-lasting success. Hammett opened up about the band’s dynamic, describing it as a “musical love affair” among the members and their collective passion for the music they create.

“I’ve never said this before, but it feels right saying it: It’s a musical love affair among the four of us and the music that we’re making. It brings out the love among the four of us. It’s an incredibly bonding thing. It’s really powerful. It goes beyond us.”

Hammett reflected on Metallica‘s evolution, acknowledging that the band has grown larger than any individual member could have imagined. He described it as both a blessing and a challenge, highlighting the absence of rulebooks in navigating their unprecedented journey.

“Metallica has become bigger than we as individuals will ever be able to become. It’s crazy. All we can do now is maintain it and persevere towards it, respect it, and just try and guide it. It’s a bigger thing than us now. That’s a blessing, and at the same time, it’s hard to contend with. There are no rule books or anything. So we’re just going to continue what we’re doing because what we’re doing seems to be working.”

Hammett expressed Metallica‘s unwavering dedication to serving their audience through music, recognizing its intrinsic value in people’s lives. He debunked the notion of an endpoint for Metallica, likening its potential demise to the end of music itself — a notion he adamantly dismissed.

“The band seems to get bigger. I guess that’s a good thing. We’re just going to continue to do the positive thing, which is make music that brings people together and helps people. That seems like it’s the M.O. for the band, and we’ll continue to serve that. Because it’s gone beyond so many other things. It’s beyond status, beyond finances, beyond petty fucking competition.

“It’s culture in its highest fucking form, in that it helps and inspires people, and gets people through their day. It continues to do this, and there’s no real end. It isn’t like someone could wake up and say, ‘That’s the end of Metallica.’ No. It’s like saying that’s the end of music. That will never happen. Music is just one of those things that’s needed in life, and thank God we have it.”