Kirk Hammet Releases 'High Plains Drifter', First Track From Portals' Solo EP

JAKARTA - Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has released High Plains Drifter, the first track from his upcoming debut solo EP (mini album).

The track opens the second side of Portals, Kirk's four-track EP, arriving April 23 via Blackened Recordings across digital platforms on Record Store Day's exclusive navy blue vinyl CD and EP (including a download card).

Featuring contributions from Edwin Outwater (previously collaborating on Metallica's concert and album S&M²), Jon Theodore of Queens Of The Stone Age (and bandmate Kirk in The Wedding Band), members of the LA Philharmonic, and more, High Plains Drifter shares an inspirational relationship which is unique to the classic 1973 film of the same name.

The song, Kirk said, was not intended as music specifically for the film. But once it was written, Kirk immediately thought the song conveyed the same sentiments as the film.

"The music for High Plains Drifter originally came from a flamenco piece that I wrote," he said, quoted from Blabbermouth, Sunday, April 17.

"It was a two-and-a-half minute part, and I really liked it, but it was one of those riffs that was difficult to integrate into Metallica. I knew I wanted to do something with it, even though it came out spontaneously.

"I was sitting outside playing on a flamenco acoustic guitar I just bought, and it just flowed."