In a recent interview with Kerrang!, Metallica lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett, spoke about how his seven-plus-year-long sobriety has helped him improve his focus and overall headspace.

“I’ve been sober for seven-and-a-half years now and my mind is in a different place, I’m better focused. I got my brain back, I’ve gotten my memory back so nowadays I’m in a better place. I record music and my focus is that much better,” Hammett said.

Later in the interview, he discussed how he was living his life prior to becoming sober.

“Going back to when I got sober, I had so much more time. I was spending almost every night in a nightclub or bar and then I’d spend almost every morning recovering from that. Day in, day out, regardless of whether I was on tour or not. And now that’s been removed from my life I have all this extra time, so of course I’m going to play my guitar more. It’s what I love to do and as a consequence of that there’s just a higher output,” Hammett explained.

Hammett also discussed how productive he is today at his age and with his sobriety.

“My rate of production is higher and it’s a better model for me to work from. It’s weird, I’m 59 years old and I don’t think I’ve even peaked creatively or musically. I certainly don’t feel 59, I still go out and surf three or four times a week, run, ride my bike and play my guitar. I still feel as energetic as I’ve ever been and I attribute that to giving up drinking. And this is all the result of that

Hammett has recently been focusing on his solo career. He released his EP, Portals, last month on Record Store Day. The EP featured four new songs from the guitarist including the single “High Plains Drifter.”

Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado