Kirk Hammett is
Metallica's
lead guitarist[?]. Born in
San Francisco in 1962, Hammett joined Metallica in 1983 (replacing former Metallica guitarist and Megadeth frontman
Dave Mustaine) having previously been in the band "Exodus". His lead guitar playing is regarded by some as being more varied than his
heavy metal contemporaries, while others regard him as little more than a pentatonic player.