Metallica’s Kirk Hammett Reads Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has shared a Halloween-themed video of himself reading the final seven stanzas of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. The performance draws on his long-standing interest in horror and pairs the poem with music and a deliberately eerie setting.
Hammett reads in a raven-decorated jacket as ravens appear on screen and a skeleton sits behind him; the clip uses “Inamorata” from Metallica’s 2023 album *72 Seasons*. He has also collected rare horror film posters, organised the Fear FestEvil convention and released the horror-inspired instrumental album *Portals* in 2022. Metallica are currently performing their Life Burns Faster residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, with a show scheduled for Halloween.
In short
- Kirk Hammett reads the closing stanzas of “The Raven” in a Halloween video.
- The clip features Metallica’s “Inamorata” and a horror-themed set.
- Metallica’s Las Vegas Sphere residency includes a Halloween show.
Explained simply
Edgar Allan Poe was a 19th-century American writer known for poems and stories about mystery and horror. “The Raven” follows a grieving man visited by a talking raven, whose repeated word “Nevermore” deepens his despair.
Kirk Hammett is the lead guitarist of Metallica, the American heavy metal band formed in 1981. He has long been interested in horror, collecting film posters and creating horror-themed projects alongside his music.
Metallica’s song “Inamorata” comes from their 2023 album 72 Seasons. The video connects Hammett’s interest in horror with Poe’s poem and arrives as the band is playing a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.