1. “Enter Sandman” – Main riff by Kirk Hammett
Yep, the iconic Sandman chug-chug was actually Kirk’s baby. Producer Bob Rock and Lars helped tweak it, but it was Hammett who birthed the riff that launched a thousand mosh pits.
2. “The Day That Never Comes” – Intro riff by Kirk Hammett
That beautiful, soaring clean intro? That was Kirk flexing his melodic side before the track morphs into classic Metallica ballad-to-barrage mayhem.
3. “To Live Is To Die” – Main riffs by Cliff Burton (posthumous)
Built from Cliff’s leftover demo tapes, this instrumental is a haunting tribute using his unused riffs. A final farewell from the bass wizard. 🖤
4. “Cyanide” – Riff contributions by Lars Ulrich
While Lars isn’t a guitarist, he’s known to hum and bang out riff ideas to the band. On “Cyanide,” he helped shape the groove alongside the rest.
5. “My Friend of Misery” – Intro and bass riff by Jason Newsted
This haunting, slow-burning intro was originally a full instrumental by Jason — his biggest compositional credit on the Black Album.
6. “The Call of Ktulu” – Many riffs by Cliff Burton
The eerie, cosmic madness of Ktulu owes a lot to Cliff’s love of Lovecraft and classical influences. He co-wrote many of the track’s progressive shifts.
7. “Orion” – Most midsection riffs by Cliff Burton
The hypnotic midsection, especially that gorgeous bass harmony part? Pure Cliff magic. ✨
8. “Suicide & Redemption” – Clean intro and solo riff by Kirk Hammett
This instrumental from Death Magnetic was Kirk’s playground — finally giving him room to breathe with longer solos and riff writing.
9. “Frantic” – Riff and song structure by Lars Ulrich
Love it or hate it, Lars had a big hand in “Frantic” — one of the rawest tracks from St. Anger. Yes, that Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic one.
10. “Am I Evil?” – Cover riff by Brian Tatler (Diamond Head)
OK, Metallica didn’t write this — Brian Tatler of Diamond Head did — but Metallica made it theirs in legendary fashion. A riff so heavy it broke the Earth’s crust.
11. “Stone Cold Crazy” – Cover riff by Queen
Another cover, another killer riff! Originally by Queen, Metallica beefed this one up into a thrash metal face-smasher. Cheers, Freddie. 🎤👑
12. “The Unforgiven III” – Orchestral motifs and piano riffs by Greg Fidelman & Lars Ulrich
Unforgiven goes cinematic! Lars and producer Fidelman shaped this beast with layered strings and mood — more symphony than shred.
13. “I Disappear” – Chorus riff by Kirk Hammett
That slick, movie-ready chorus riff that made it into Mission: Impossible 2? That’s Kirk turning the volume up to 11 in a Hollywood moment.
14. “No Leaf Clover” – Orchestral backbone by Michael Kamen
While James did write some riffs, the orchestral metal blend was hugely shaped by Kamen’s arrangements and Lars’ vision.
15. “Ronnie” – Twangy intro riff by Kirk Hammett
That southern-tinged, clean-tone riff on Load? Yep, that was Kirk getting all swampy and bluesy on us.
16. “ManUNkind” – Intro riff by Robert Trujillo
Trujillo brings the funk-metal thunder with a twisted, almost Primus-like intro riff. Big creepy vibes — and it slaps. 💀
17. “All Within My Hands (Acoustic)” – Reworked arrangement by Kirk & Lars
The acoustic charity version gets a totally new identity, mostly rearranged by Kirk and Lars. Less thrash, more feels.
18. “Bleeding Me” – Mood riffs by Kirk Hammett
That hypnotic groove? Kirk helped set the tone for this emotionally charged slow-burner from Load.
19. “Low Man’s Lyric” – Mandolin and clean riffs shaped by Bob Rock & Kirk
Yeah, there’s a mandolin. Kirk and Bob brought that dusty, folky weirdness to life — an oddball riff journey.
20. “Some Kind of Monster” – Chunky intro riffs by Lars & Kirk
St. Anger again? Yep. The monster jam session format saw Lars and Kirk just riffing until it stuck. Pure garage chaos.
🎤 C’MON BUTT, WHAT’S OCCURRING?
So next time someone says “James Hetfield is Metallica,” you can raise a skeptical brow and whip out this list. Sure, he’s the king of the down-pick, but Metallica’s legacy is bigger than one man — it’s a swirling riff cauldron of creativity, chaos, and the occasional Lars cowbell. 🥁
Let us know your fave non-Hetfield Metallica riff down in the comments — or scream it from the front row.
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