The one Metallica song James Hetfield calls his favourite: “Wow, we’re professional now”
Since the early 1980s, Metallica have planted their flag assertively in the heart of the metal scene.
Heavy metal music is a relatively esoteric corner of rock ‘n’ roll, with devoted fans and artists alike forming an impermeable oil slick on the lake of popular music. The fact that Metallica have reached a wider audience with their contribution to metal is a testament to James Hetfield’s unrivalled songwriting talent and the band’s collective musicianship.
Much of the band’s success can be chalked up to their impressive guitar compositions helmed by Kirk Hammett who has an innate eye for killer solo riffs. Over the course of his four-decade run with the group, he has forged a signature style through lightning-fast licks, heavy wah pedal use and flawless picking.
While Hammett’s solo style underpins the DNA of Metallica as much as Hetfield’s vocals, a lot also has to be said of Hetfield’s virtuosity as a rhythm guitarist. The band’s rare combined talent is immediately apparent upon hearing them perform live as one experiences their seamless chemistry first-hand.
The pitch-perfect interwoven lead and rhythm sections throughout Metallica’s peak career material are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ability to bring intricate order to the raw and thunderous chaos of heavy rock music. As keen disciples of Led Zeppelin, the godfathers of metal, Metallica have never shied away from declaring their love for their legendary forebears.
In an interview a few years ago, Hetfield namechecked Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page when asked to pick the Metallica song he was most proud of. With little hesitation, Hetfield picked out the 1997 Reload cut ‘The Unforgiven II’, explaining that he has a particular fondness for the third verse where the song breaks down into a wah-heavy guitar excursion. “Wow, we’re professional now, it sounds… it’s almost like Jimmy Page,” he said. “We were entering the realm of [Led] Zeppelin at that point … pretty proud of that too”.
During the interview, Hetfield also picked out ‘Fixxxer’, ‘Bleeding Me’ and ‘The Outlaw Torn’ as potential contenders for his proudest moment with Metallica. But it seems at odds with the band’s image that Hetfield’s favourite track would come a decade after many would suggest they neared their thrash metal peak.
The 1980s were certainly the beginning of a bold new world for the band and rock music in general. But it was later, as Metallica refined their sound, that Hetfield became more appreciative of what they were making. In many ways, this typifies the role of a creator. Audiences would suggest certain music is the best a band might make based on a whole range of facts, largely focusing on what it meant to the listener whenever they heard the song or record. However, for the band, it is enacting the initial vision that truly hits home.
What’s even more curious is that the band have rarely dipped into the track for their live performances. Of course, they have a stacked set, so perhaps this somewhat obscure song isn’t able to find a space to breathe, but one might expect Hetfield’s favourite Metallica song to feature.
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