Kid SHREDS Metallica Classic on the Street, Band Approves

Nowadays, everyone is a shredder — even kids. And as commonplace as young guitarists playing well beyond their years is, it is so damn impressive every time, so much so that even Metallica gave a small sign of approval to this metal minion who nailed "Master of Puppets" while busking in Cardiff, Wales.

One TikTok user happened upon a youngster who had set up in front of a memorial of 1800s Welsh politician John Batchelor, who earned the nickname "friend of freedom." With his Paul Gilbert signature guitar plugged into a small amplifier and with guitar cases strewn, the kid ripped through the 1986 Metallica classic, which received a mainstream bump earlier this year after being featured in a pivotal scene in the finale of the hit Netflix show Stranger Things.

With his long hair obscuring his face and a foot up on the amp, he easily handles all the riffing, even if it does look like he uses some alternate picking instead of trying to imitate James Hetfield's otherworldly down-picking. And who could blame him? Nobody can play like Papa Het!

Even sweeter is the soloing and if you close your eyes, you probably wouldn't guess that what you're hearing is not coming from Kirk Hammett's fingertips.

Acknowledging the kid's talent, Metallica left a comment using the devil horns hand gesture emojis. Just imagine finding out that Metallica are impressed with your skills! Now we're wondering if the band has caught wind of these heavy metal puppet shows that have kids losing their mind and headbanging.

Watch the TikTok clip below.

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