Metallica’s Kirk Hammett on the True ‘Architects’ of Metal

Who are the real “architects” of heavy metal? While Black Sabbath is often credited with pioneering the genre by pushing the boundaries of hard rock, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett has a different perspective. He believes Judas Priest, not Black Sabbath, are the true architects of metal.

During a recent Q&A session in Germany at a book signing event for Metallica: The Black Album in Black & White, Hammett, joined by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, shared his thoughts on the origins of heavy metal. “We were worshipping at the altar of Judas Priest,” Hammett stated. “Their music meаns so much to us. The way Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing played the guitars — I meаn, they are architects of what we now know as heavy metal, to put it bluntly,” he asserted. “And James [Hetfield] and I, we love Priest.”

While Black Sabbath’s riff-driven style laid the foundation for the doom metal subgenre, the classic heavy metal style of the 1980s — characterized by harmonized guitar leads, high-pitched singing, and faster tempos — is more strongly connected to Judas Priest.

Reflecting on last year’s Power Trip festival, a three-day event featuring Iron Maiden, Gu𝚗s N’ Roses, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Tool, and Metallica, Hammett expressed his excitement about seeing fellow legendary bands. “We don’t really get a chance to see bands, a lot of times, when we’re playing a huge festival or something, because we’re always backstage doing press or getting ready for the show or rehearsing or whatever. So when we did Power Trip, we got there early — a few days early — just so that we could see all the other bands. And it was great — the anticipation of seeing (Iron) Maiden, Priest, AC/DC [and] Gu𝚗s N’ Roses, and actually seeing them. It was a wonderful time.”

For Hammett and many metal enthusiasts, Judas Priest’s influence and pioneering style have cemented them as the real architects of heavy metal.