During a conversation with Metal Hammer, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett looked back on joining the band in 1983 after leaving Exodus.

Kirk reached the subject while discussing Metallica’s 1984 track “Trapped Under Ice,” which features riffs he wrote for an old Exodus song titled “Impaler”.

The guitarist explained:

“They [the riffs] came from songs I had written, the music I had written. I consider them my parts. I didn’t feel guilty about that, but I did feel guilty about leaving the band I started in high school.

“I’ve known [Exodus drummer] Tom Hunting since I was 16 years old, I’ve known [Exodus guitarist] Gary Holt since I was 17. We’re all close to this day, but there was a lot of guilt there for a while.

“A little bit of remorse. But I really felt that Metallica was my calling. I felt more comfortable playing in Metallica than I ever did in Exodus, so go figure.”