Kirk Hammett, “Portals.”

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett packs plenty of punch into his debut EP, Portals. The four-track record is a nearly 30-minute stylistic journey that spans genres, moods and musicality. Hammett’s first-ever solo effort’s arrival is fairly significant, as Metallica avoided side projects for years. That was partly the reason behind the departure of former bassist Jason Newstead, after all. Hammett has his hands in multiple side projects, including The Wedding Band, but that’s with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo (that band will play an aftershow at BottleRock Napa Valley after Metallica’s May 27 headlining set).

As a horror movie aficionado, Hammett applied a cinematic approach to the formation of this material, creating soundtrack-like scores that rise and fall and tap into a range of emotions. While it’s not metal, the music is certainly guitar-focused, and fans of Metallica’s sound will likely find a lot to gravitate toward. Hammett recruited an all-star cast including San Francisco Symphony’s Edwin Outwater (who conducted the symphony on S&M2), producer Bob Rock, drummers Jon Theodore and Abe Laboriel, Jr., bassist Greg Fidelman and Emmy-award winning arranger Blake Neely.

“Maiden and the Monster” is an expansive track that channels some of drama of “The Call of the Ktulu.” Hammett’s guitar work varies from quiet and nuanced to valiant and powerful. The lyrical nature of his playing comes through with every bend of the strings. Outwater’s orchestral flourishes add a sense of urgency to the track.

Progressive rocker “The Jinn”  travels between a moody orchestral trance and a driving, riff-heavy hard rocker. Hammett’s signature sound is once again evident right away in both his riffs and his wah-pedal-soaked shredding. The closing moments of the track even call back slightly to the heavy breakdown in the classic Metallica track “One.” Hammett recorded this EP in Los Angeles, Paris and Oahu. The change of scenery likely contributed to the album’s variances in tone and mood. He’s called Portals the result of “musical and metaphysical journeys.”

“High Plains Drifter” may be the EP’s shortest track but it provides some of the most electric thrills. The song is an exciting ride for just under five minutes. Divinely arranged, it could easily have been an instrumental piece within one of the band’s “S&M” shows.

The EP concludes with the “The Incantation,” another spacey journey that travels through a variety of musical backdrops. The song is the heaviest on the EP, but not because of the way Kirk Hammett plays the guitar on it. The track’s emotion is driven through its orchestral arrangement, which provides an excellent counterpoint to Hammett’s top-notch guitar work. It’s a departure from the Metallica sound, but it’s a journey that deserves attention.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.