Metallica’s Kirk Hammett revealed a long-held admiration for the British hard rock band UFO, and his awe-inspiring encounter with their former guitarist, Paul Chapman

“His licks all throughout Kιll ‘Em All.”

Kirk Hammett of Metallica recently took part in an interview with Metal Mayhem ROC, which honored the band’s seminal record Kιll ‘Em All’s 40th anniversary. In talking about his inspirations, Hammett said how much he had admired the British hard rock group UFO and how he had had an amazing experience with their former guitarist, Paul Chapman.

Even though Hammett had never seen the fabled UFO years with Michael Schenker, he was first dubious about viewing them with Chapman. But Chapman stunneԀ him away with his performance.

“Before Michael Schenker, I had never seen a UFO. My all-time favorite band, UFO, played with Paul Chapman the first time I saw them. When I watched Paul perform live, I was a bit hesitant, but he really won me over. Comparing him to Michael Schenker wasn’t fair since the two musicians are so different.”

For Hammett, seeing Chapman years later was a dream come true, a chance to “close that circle” with a pivotal player who helped define the sound of UFO. 

“I had the impression that I was finally completing the circle, having met everyone who had influenced the music of UFO. I was so excited to meet him. Not only Michael Schenker’s licks, but a lot of his material, particularly on Kιll ‘Em All, I can play. Thinking about it, Kιll ‘Em All has licks from Paul Chapman throughout.

Beyond mere inspiration, Hammett’s respect goes deeper as he muses about the possibility of studying under the master. “‘What do you do nowadays?’ I asked him. And he said, ‘I teach guitar and I perform in local bands,'” remembered Hammett. “And, for a second, I thought, ‘Maybe I should get a guitar lesson.'”