Even though James Hetfield wrote the iconic Metallica song, he referred to it as ‘a fluke’!

James Hetfield, who wrote more than half of Metallica’s best riffs, had a major influence on the development of thrash metal rhythm guitar. Hetfield, who is well-known for his machine-gun-like rapid rhythm sections, inadvertently wrote some of their greatest songs, demonstrating that even guitar gods can make incredible mistakes.

Even though Hetfield became a guitar prodigy in the band’s early years, he was unaware of his own development. He was more adept than even Lars Ulrich at keeping the band’s time as the motor of the ensemble and rejected the allure of soloing.

Hetfield’s riffs were very precise, yet the intricacy never overwhelmed the substance of the song. Hetfield created mesmerizing rhythms around a few remarkable licks, ranging from the thunderous middle to riffs capable of shredding flesh from bone, while writing classics like “Master of Puppets.”

When Metallica began recording “And Justice for All,” they realized they needed direction for their next record. The band chose to collaborate with producer Bob Rock, who had previously worked with Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, to create simpler compositions that were often centered around a few main riffs.

Hetfield was talking to his wife on the phone when he happened to hit upon a riff while thinking about a ballad for the album “The Unforgiven.” He didn’t realize that this coincidental inspiration was the source of the song “Nothing Else Matters.”

Hetfield said, “The beginning of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ was more or less just a fluke,” while thinking back on the song’s inception. I was playing the guitar on my lap while I was on the phone when it began. He went on, carelessly plucking the open strings, “And all of a sudden, it was like, ‘I gotta go.’” After that, things began to come together when pull-offs and other similar maneuvers were performed.

At first, Hetfield thought of the song as a private love letter to his wife and didn’t think it belonged on a Metallica album. He was more interested in harder songs, such as “Sad But True,” and didn’t bring it to the group until Ulrich heard it on one of his riff recordings and realized it might be a great addition to the record.

 

“Nothing Else Matters” became one of Metallica’s most opulent songs with the inclusion of a string section, and it ultimately became the focal point of their concerts with The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Hetfield was first dubious, but “Nothing Else Matters” from The Black Album proved Metallica was more than simply a band with unstoppable headbanging riffs.