Gary Holt shared high praise for James Hetfield’s guitar skills on social media, naming the Metallica frontman the “downpicking king.”
The Exodus guitarist posted a picture with Hetfield on Instagram alongside the compliment.
“Downpicking king and to call him a legend, well, that’s kinda obvious,” Holt wrote. “Had some wild times during the heyday of thrash, and he’s still an awesome dude. Cheers!”
The post reflects Holt’s long-standing respect for Hetfield’s rhythm work. During an earlier interview, Holt compared Hetfield to Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and praised Hetfield’s right-hand speed.
“James is the best of all,” Holt said. Holt highlighted Hetfield’s ability to play fast rhythm parts while singing lead vocals. “And he sings while doing it,” Holt said. “I can’t sing a single note and play at the same time.”
Holt also spoke about the physical challenges of aggressive downpicking over long concert sets. He explained that many guitarists make small adjustments to handle the physical strain. “Everybody cheats,” Holt said.
Holt noted that even Hetfield occasionally skips a downstroke during fast sections to save energy after decades on stage, adding that this is a normal adaptation for touring musicians.
Both musicians started in the early Bay Area thrash metal scene, where Exodus and Metallica developed side by side. Holt frequently discusses Metallica’s history and their classic releases.
In a 2026 interview, he said: “Metallica were the best of all of us.” Holt added that he feels Exodus plays with more power today, yet he still considers Metallica’s 1986 record Master of Puppets a landmark release. “To me, it’s the best metal album ever made,” he said. “I fucking love it. I’m jealous, that album is so good.”
Holt continues to place Hetfield at the top of the genre for fast rhythm guitar work, summarizing his view in his latest post: “Downpicking king.”
