KIRK HAMMETT: METALLICA Has 'Become Part Of American Culture'

Ernie Ball's latest "String Theory" episode features METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. In the 15-minute clip below, Hammett discusses not just his career, but his emotional life.

Says Hammett: "We've been around for over three decades — we're on our fourth decade — and we've been around so long, and people have seen the METALLICA name for so long that through pure osmosis, we've become part of American culture, our social culture. Now we have fans who have been born and have always had METALLICA; METALLICA has always been in the background. To those people, we are something more than just a band; we're part of the cultural landscape."

"String Theory" features a selection of Ernie Ball's most innovative and influential brand ambassadors as they talk about the sonic origins of their tone and playing styles. Created and produced by Ernie Ball, the series is filmed in the home studios where artists can pick up their guitars and demonstrate skills and tricks they'e learned on their lifelong exploration of the guitar.

METALLICA's tenth studio album, "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", is scheduled for a November 18 release via Blackened Recordings. The long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio.

METALLICA will next appear at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California on October 22 and October 23.