20 Metallica Riffs Not Written By James Hetfield, Listed
Metallica marked their territory as one of the most influential thrash bands of the ‘80s. Their signature sound, often credited to founding member and frontman James Hetfield, can be boiled down to stereotypes. The most obvious is Hetfield’s trademark rhythmic downpicking technique, building characteristic foundations for his vocals to soar over.
As a guitarist, lyricist, and original band member, Hetfield holds songwriting credit for pretty much every Metallica song ever released. But it’s surprisingly easy for fans to mis-credit even the most iconic Metallica riffs to Hetfield when they were actually written by another of the band’s iconic line-up.
Our list collects 20 legendary Metallica riffs, which weren’t actually written by James Hetfield but are mistakenly attributed to him nonetheless.
1. Master Of Puppets
The title track to one of Metallica’s greatest albums and the only single released from it is a a part of Metallica riffs that are not written by James Hetfield, Master Of Puppets is the go-to song for both newbies and veterans of the heavy metal scene. But despite encapsulating everything Metallica stands for in its eight-and-a-half-minute convolution, the band’s lead figure, James Hetfield, didn’t contribute as much to the track’s iconic riff as fans might first think.
In all actuality, Lars Ulrich wrote the track’s main riff, and Kirk Hammett composed the pre-chorus. But, since the track is saturated with Hetfield’s signature, high-speed down picking, it’s easy to see where the confusion spawns from.
2. Enter Sandman
Another big one on our list, Enter Sandman’s legendary main riff, is a creation of lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. This one might not be so surprising; melodic riffs are Hammett’s game, and this one, in particular, contrasts the power-chord base, which screams quintessential James Hetfield.
But Hammett wasn’t the only riff-writer here. After writing only two bars of Enter Sandman’s main riff, Lars suggested that he repeat the first bar three times before the final bar, and the band’s biggest hit was born.
3. Battery
Battery’s main riff is typical Hetfield. Fuelled by rapid down-picked chords and credited to Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, many fans assume this track sprawled forth from the minds of these two band members alone.
However, Kirk Hammett is believed to have written the breakdown riff, which appears right before the Battery’s iconic Wah-Wah solo, creating both the rhythm section and the melodic riff, which tops it. This would certainly explain Battery’s brief change in vibe, the breakdown flushing breathing room into the claustrophobia-ridden track.
4. Creeping Death
Kirk Hammett contributed the first riff of the intro to Creeping Death, the first and only single from 1984’s Ride The Lightning. He also wrote the “Die By My Hand” breakdown section, doubtlessly one of the track’s most brutal moments.
Meanwhile, the outro riff and solo were composed by Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. According to Kirk’s 2022 interview with Metal Hammer, James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich “hammered that song out in a day” before Kirk and Cliff’s riffs were added into the mix.
5. Ride The Lightning
Ride The Lightning is crammed with legendary riffs written by all four members of Metallica. The initially melodic intro was crafted by Lars Ulrich and Cliff Burton, who interchanged riff-writing duties with then-lead guitarist Dave Mustaine.
While Hetfield’s sound glimmers betwixt his band-mates additions, Mustaine’s signature style is plastered all over this track, from the aggression captured in his guitar tone to the subtle, progressive technicality in his riff-writing.
6. Fade To Black
After its hypnotic intro and first verse, a crushing riff in overdrive takes hold of Fade To Black, cutting away the sparkling melodic ambiance of the intro’s clean arpeggios.
The down-picked, rhythmic power chords of this track could easily be attributed to James Hetfield. But this segment was actually written by Kirk Hammett, proving not every chuggy Metallica riff is the Hetfield creation, we presume. Kirk also wrote the melodic riff underlying the outro solo, setting clarity beneath the song’s shredding finale.
7. Call of Ktulu
Dave Mustaine (Metallica’s original lead guitarist-turned Megadeth frontman) reminisced on his contribution to The Call Of Ktulu in a 2017 interview with Ultimate Guitar, asserting, “’Call’ was completely, 100% my song. I wrote every f****** note in that song before they changed it from [demo title] ‘When Hell Freezes Over.’”
As the track progresses, Hetfield’s signature interpretation is woven thick into Mustaine’s main riffs, giving the illusion of being a Hetfield track. Yet, since all four members of ‘84 Metallica are credited as songwriters, it’s safe to assume Mustaine wrote the riffs while Hetfield topped them with lyrics.
8. The Mechanix / The Four Horsemen
Released on the obscure 1982 debut demo, No Life Til Leather, Dave Mustaine claims he wrote The Mechanix “long before he joined Metallica.” A four minute track with a serious sense of grit, the original ‘82 Mechanix is powered by a galloping main riff, leading the track to re-appear on Metallica’s 1983 debut album, Kill Em All, under its new title, The Four Horsemen.
Hetfield re-wrote Mustaine’s lyrics for Metallica’s ‘83 studio version whilst slotting additional riffs between Mustaine’s main compositions. However, Mustaine’s original vision (lyrics, riffs and all) remains intact thanks to Megadeth’s 1985 version, The Mechanix.
9. Orion
Flooded with melodics, it’s no wonder Orion isn’t a 100% Hetfield creation. For starters, its solo is lightweight and flows like a river – a stark contrast to the heart-shredding rhythmic terror synonymous with Hetfield’s signature sound.
Cliff Burton’s solo riff on Orion marks another highlight from the band’s peerless album, Master Of Puppets. Despite appearing on an instrumental track riddled with solos, Burton’s harmonic section jumps out for its unmissable classical flair.
10. Jump In the Fire
The main riff of Jump In The Fire breaks Metallica’s traditional mold, its sleazy flairs of glam rock making a song Mötley Crüe would likely be jealous of.
Featured on Metallica’s debut record, Kill ‘Em All, this main riff comes from Dave Mustaine, explaining the left-field break from the style fans expect from the band’s main bulk of releases.
11. Phantom Lord
The clean, post-solo riff of Phantom Lord really pops out from the track’s sonic palette. This interlude section was crafted by Dave Mustaine, and while it isn’t the main riff, his atmospheric arpeggio proves itself a stand-out section amongst the chopping distortions of the track.
It’s not surprising that this riff isn’t James Hetfield’s. Phantom Lord’s interlude possesses an eerily similar ambiance to Mustaine’s main riff for Call Of Ktulu, which likewise crowned the track it appeared on.
12. All Nightmare Long
Robert Trujillo wrote the tremolo-picked riff we hear introducing each verse of Death Magnetic album track, All Nightmare Long. Trujillo’s brief section feeds into the ominous scenery of Hetfield’s lyrics, a rampage of terror and clarity, cut after a matter of seconds to mirror the abrupt nature of nightmares.
A number of riffs revolve throughout this track, but Trujillo stands out for carving the track open with melody whilst preserving the intense, galloping speed of its neighboring segments.
13. Bleeding Me
Saturated with the vibrant emotion of a power ballad, Bleeding Me is often remembered as one of the best tracks from Metallica’s mid-tier 1996 record, Load. This low-key track is formed on a clean basis, a premonition of Metallica’s split from the realms of thrash metal to more melodic hard rock.
But it’s Kirk Hammett’s riff that steals the show at the track’s mid-point; a simple rhythm, hyper-charged with distortion, which re-centres Bleeding Me’s clarity back in Metallica’s usual playing ground.
14. Trapped Under Ice
Another album track taken from Ride The Lightning, Trapped Under Ice, is infamous for its unforgiving, thrash metal solos, a blur of melodic noise that overcomes the track like a fever. But underpinning each verse and solo, a lightning-fast riff composed by Kirk Hammett resounds, grounding the track in high-speed, rhythmic grit.
With James Hetfield often credited for crafting the riffs that made Metallica’s early sound, it’s interesting to see how evenly the band dispersed their songwriting duties across its members, each proving their creations to be as fundamental as Hetfield’s own contributions.
15. My Apocalypse
Kirk Hammett eventually took a step back as a songwriter despite remaining a solid member of the band. But his bridge riff on Death Magnetic album track, My Apocalypse, truly stands out.
Kirk’s riff comes during the bridge — a kaleidoscopic scale matched with a brutal rhythmic section. This riff is carried through to the next section, backlighting the solo with a disorienting rhythmic clash.
16. Blackened
The main riff of Blackened was written by Cliff Burton’s replacement bassist, Jason Newsted. Released on Metallica’s 1998 album, …And Justice For All, Newstead’s cut-throat main riff sets a solid scene away from the track’s ambient intro. For his first album with the band, Newstead’s contribution fits seamlessly into Metallica’s fortress of sound, his riff a staggered onslaught and a sleek basis for Kirk Hammett’s lightning-speed solo.
17. 2×4
2×4 is a blues rock track twisted with the extravagance of a lived-in 1996 Metallica line-up. Devoid of Hetfield’s trademark down-picking and propelled instead by a rich mosaic of melodic riffs, Kirk Hammett epitomizes his role as lead guitarist, focusing the track in dark, sleazy harmony over chugging rhythms.
With James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett all listed as songwriters for this track, it’s most likely that Kirk and Lars wrote the music, while James finished it off with his lyrics.
18. Metal Militia
A highlight from their debut album, Metal Militia hosts a tapestry of riffs. Dave Mustaine claims ownership of the track’s main riffs, while James Hetfield embellished his lead guitarist’s driving force with top-line lyrics. This isn’t too hard to decipher – Metal Militia aligns itself slightly closer to glam rock ‘n’ roll than the trudging metal grooves we expect from Hetfield’s Metallica songs.
19. Through The Never
Kirk Hammett is the man behind the main riff of Through The Never, featured on Metallica’s iconic self-titled “Black Album” in 1991. This kaleidoscopic composition cycles and casts a disorienting, chromatic haze over the track’s intro before Metallica slices through its fog with each streamlined verse.
Kirk’s riff is unstoppably rhythmic, building an obscure, intense claustrophobia before decaying beneath the weight of Hetfield’s vocals. This Kirk riff personifies Through The Never’s lyrics perfectly, embodying the “twisting, turning, through the never,” its condensed harmonic range mirroring humanity’s tunnel vision in a “universe much too big to see.”
20. King Nothing
The main riff of Metallica’s 1996 album track, King Nothing, diverts to the blues-smoked grooves of rock n’ roll, rather than pandering to the shredding aesthetics of Metallica’s mid-80s thrash era.
King Nothing is credited to Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and James Hetfield, leading some fans to presume its riff is of Hetfieldian origins. However, this isn’t the case. James contributed the lyrics, as is the case with nearly all of Metallica’s songs, but Kirk and Lars wrote the music, pinning down the power of this track.
