{"id":93330,"date":"2022-04-23T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T23:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=93330"},"modified":"2022-05-02T17:14:36","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T16:14:36","slug":"ep-review-kirk-hammett-portals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/ep-review-kirk-hammett-portals\/","title":{"rendered":"KIRK HAMMETT – Portals EP (2022) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

KIRK HAMMETT
Portals EP<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nBlackened Recordings (2022)<\/span>
Rating: 7\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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This is the sort of solo project that may leave some fans asking why Kirk Hammett\u2019s band Metallica hasn\u2019t produced anything this good for decades. It may also be the sort of outing which alienates the more narrow-minded of metal fans who were expecting a thrash record.<\/p>\n

Portals<\/em> is very much Kirk Hammett\u2019s soundtrack to his soul, a progressive rock-cum-metal instrumental offering inspired by films, which at times veers into Dream Theatre \/ Joe Satriani territory but without the overall technicality.<\/p>\n

What you get here are flashes of searing strings, mesmeric jabs of mood, flourishes of John Zorn via the late Ennio Morricone but without the genius insanity, and then the occasional scenery of Metallica\u2019s more epic moments, yet without the boredom.<\/p>\n

Portals<\/em> is a four-track affair that comes as a pleasant experience showcasing Hammett\u2019s talents as a guitarist, aided on two tracks by conductor Edwin Outwater who lead the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra that worked with Metallica on their S&M\u00b2<\/em> production.<\/p>\n

Opener \u2018Maiden And The Monster\u2019 begins somewhat suspenseful, almost bluesy in its strain, which hints at a Pink Floydian soundscape of matter, drifting cosmically as a mere sci-fi backdrop. Hammett is certainly no Satriani, but for seven-minutes we\u2019re given insight into the guitatist\u2019s psyche as he noodles away effortlessly, expressing himself beyond the metal genre but remaining evocative and suspenseful with 70s meanderings.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Jinn\u2019 fares better, another lengthy yet varied trip beginning like a Steve Vai episode of swirling colours and vibrant echoes of stark tapping percussion and galactic splashes. However, Hammett then steps into the metal fray, bringing a metallic stomp to the song hinting at George Lynch funkiness and, dare I say, some Living Colour attitude and streetwise groove. Again, it\u2019s not overtly baffling, complex or heavy, merely expressive as it flirts with moods.<\/p>\n

\u2018High Plains Drifter\u2019 flits with piano, tinkling in the twilight to accompany the end credits of some otherworldly movie. Militant drums march, Morricone stamps his approval with a Western tinge and I suddenly feel like I\u2019m watching the soundtrack to a console game; dark, brooding, yet exuding beauty.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s on the eight-minute closer \u2018The Incantation\u2019 where Hammett truly shines. His soloing impresses as it always has done as the track toys and tinkles without shredding the brain.<\/p>\n

As for the negative aspects, well, in spite of the expressions on offer here some may find such an outing rather dull, however much it attempts to lead us off the garden path. The tone of the leads seems slightly off, the mix just isn\u2019t that great, and Paul Gilbert most certainly will not be quaking in his boots.<\/p>\n

Some of the Middle Eastern streaks are pleasant and there are those Ennio Morricone dust-layered passages which trickle nicely, but such a record may only appear as visionary to those na\u00efve enough to think that Hammett is up there with the best.<\/p>\n

While seemingly existing forever in not just Metallica\u2019s but also James Hetfield\u2019s shadow, Kirk Hammett has finally been given the blessing of his band to spread his wings. I am on board although thankful it\u2019s only four tracks, as anything more may test the nerves.<\/p>\n

Portals<\/em> \u2013 unlike Metallica over the past couple of decades \u2013 doesn\u2019t rehash or feel false. Instead, it floats with ease, casting off vapours in daydream swirls while applying spicier metallic chunks. This isn\u2019t quite the portal to another dimension I was expecting, but more of a fleeting glimpse of wonder and ease; expressive yet still kind of predictable, but engaging enough for its duration.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KIRK HAMMETTPortals EP Blackened Recordings (2022)Rating: 7\/10 This is the sort of solo project that may leave some fans asking why Kirk Hammett\u2019s band Metallica hasn\u2019t produced anything this good for decades. It may also be the sort of outing which alienates the more narrow-minded of metal fans who were expecting a thrash record. Portals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,4776],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-kirk-hammett"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93330"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93333,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93330\/revisions\/93333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}