As I sit here and read all these replies to the question, "Is Kirk Hammet a genious or is he crap?" it seems as though we've lost sight of why we all play music to begin with.

What everyone should be asking themselves is, "Do I enjoy listening to Kirk Hammet's guitar?" His talent is irrelevant. The joy you receive from listening to him (or lack thereof) is what counts. I think Benoit's signature says it all:

"The greatness of a guitarist is not based on how many different techniques he mastered but on how much joy he gets out of playing."

I just think that we shouldn't lose sight of this point.