Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett shared his admiration for AC/DC’s Angus Young in a recent interview with Consequence.
“I’ve never really spoken enough about how great of a guitar player Angus Young is. Let me just get the obvious out of the way: Angus and Malcolm are amazing rhythm guitar players,” Hammett said. “Malcolm was even better than Angus in terms of playing rhythm, but they’re both right up there as rhythm players.”
“And then Angus has a bluesy, boogie-boogie kind of rock feel that I just love. It’s filled with feeling and emotion and ballsiness,” he continued. “It’s hard to take him seriously when you first see Angus. He’s dressed up in the schoolboy outfit and they’re singing songs about big balls, but man, his guitar playing really means something every time he goes into a solo.”
“There’s so much emotion. It’s so heartfelt, and he’s playing the right thing for the song,” Hammett added. “He plays with so much swing, too. He’s just one of the best feel-type players out there.”
Hammett’s praise underscores the technical mastery behind Young’s seemingly straightforward playing style. His influence spans generations of guitarists.
Research from Best Blues Guitar Lessons Online revealed Young’s deep connection to blues fundamentals. His style combines major and minor pentatonic scales with melodic phrasing inspired by BB King and Jimi Hendrix.
Young developed his signature sound through expressive, straightforward blues-rock licks. These elements have become instantly recognizable throughout rock music.
Guitar World highlighted Young’s distinctive vibrato technique in classic rock. His approach features fast, narrow, and tightly controlled movements.
His technical precision and emotive playing style earned widespread recognition among peers. These qualities established Young as one of rock’s most influential guitarists beyond his iconic schoolboy image.
