Entitled Portalsit contains four instrumental titles which have nothing of metal, but which remain close to the cinematographic atmosphere of Metallica.
The opening title, High Plains Drifter is inspired by the film directed by Clint Eastwood of 1973 which we know in French under the title The man of the high plains.
Watch the trailer for High Plains Drifter in VO:
There are flamenco influences and especially Ennio Morricone whose Metallica uses the theme of The Good The Bad and The Ugly for opening his concerts for years.
The guitarist said that “the music that makes up this track originally came from a flamenco piece that I had written. It was a two and a half minute piece, and I really liked it, but it was one of those riffs which would be difficult to integrate into Metallica”.
If we move away from the universe of Thrash metal, this music that Kirk Hammett qualifies as “Kinetic Audio” is produced by him, with the help of producer Bob Rock, and the arrangements are signed by Edwin Outwater, the conductor of Metallica Symphony.
The solo guitarist therefore remained under the band’s control for his first solo EP, which was released on Blackened Recording, Metallica’s own label.