Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has revealed that the band included a deliberate reference to the iconic theme of the 1960s TV series 'Batman' in their song 'Shadows Follow'.
Fans of the thrash metal legends have pointed out that a certain lead guitar riff on the track – which appears on Metallica's 11th studio album '72 Seasons,' due out in April 2023 – bears a striking resemblance to music from the show, in which stars Adam West. as The Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as Robin.
Kirk has now revealed that the band – also made up of frontman James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo – referred to the guitar part, which can be heard four minutes and 20 seconds into the track, as “The Batman Riff” while recording. sessions for the LP that confirm the fan theory.
When asked about the reference in an interview with Total Guitar magazine, he said: “That's really funny, because we called that riff 'The Batman Riff' and I know exactly what you're talking about.”
Since the album's release, Metallica fans have been posting about “The Batman Riff” online, with a thread appearing on community site Reddit dedicated to it.
On the subreddit, one fan asked, “Anyone else here [sic] the 60s Batman theme song to Shadows Follow?”
Eliciting a response that read: “Yes! I heard it straight away and it honestly took me out of the song for a second.
Elsewhere in the interview, the 61-year-old rock icon reflected on the importance of guitar solos in songs and revealed that he has accepted that the majority of music fans don't really care about the technical skills displayed in a solo.
Kirk – who is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time – said: “I hate to say it… but non-musicians, which are the majority of the listening public, are not going to remember the guitar solo.
“They'll remember a great tune, and they'll really remember a great song — especially a song that takes them to a different place than they were five minutes ago.”
