Kirk Lee Hammett, born November 18, 1962, is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for Metallica since 1983. Before joining Metallica, he co-founded the thrash metal band Exodus. Hammett is widely recognized for his influence in heavy metal, ranking 23rd on Rolling Stone's Greatest Guitarists of All Time list with bandmate James Hetfield in 2023 and being named the 15th greatest metal guitarist by Joel McIver in 2009.