By The Riff Report Blog – Because size does matter when it comes to thrash! 😈
When Metallica go long, they go proper long — we’re talking multi-minute, riff-stacked, tempo-shifting, face-melting epics that could score a Viking war or a Mad Max desert showdown. Some are proggy beasts. Some are doom-drenched. All are absolute units.
Here’s a countdown of the longest Metallica tracks ever officially released, ranked by runtime and how hard they slap. ⏱️⚡
1. “Suicide & Redemption” – Death Magnetic (2008)
Runtime: 9:57
🎧 Instrumental Thrash Odyssey
The band’s first instrumental in 20 years, and they came back swinging with 10 minutes of fretboard fireworks. Like “Orion” on steroids, this one rips with tight, evolving riffs and a solo section that makes your face do that squint 🤨🎸
🧠 Fun Fact: Originally had vocals, but Hetfield binned them. Thank the riff gods he did.
2. “…And Justice for All” – …And Justice for All (1988)
Runtime: 9:47
⚖️ Prog Metal Perfection
Complex. Crushing. Completely bonkers. It’s the sound of Metallica fighting the system — with more tempo changes than a caffeine-fuelled jazz band. They even forget to turn up the bass… classic. Still, an essential headbang ‘til your neck snaps track. 🧨
3. “The Outlaw Torn” – Load (1996)
Runtime: 9:48 (original full version)
🧹 Slow-Burn Sadboy Masterpiece
Deep cut alert 🚨 This one’s a swampy, emotional rollercoaster. Think doom-blues meets stadium-metal. It was chopped for time on CD release (to 9:49), but the full 10-minute version lives on in the S&M and fan club releases.
🖤 Bonus: It’s Hetfield at his most vulnerable. Lyrically raw and lush, butt.
4. “Fixxxer” – Reload (1997)
Runtime: 8:15
🪓 Dark Ritual Vibes
A moody, brooding closer with voodoo vibes and a hypnotic groove. Criminally underplayed live (until 2022!!), this is late-90s Metallica being weird and wonderful. Like getting lost in a desert thunderstorm… with guitars.
🧙♂️ Justice for Fixxxer fans: It finally got a live debut after 25 years. About time, mun!
5. “To Live Is to Die” – …And Justice for All (1988)
Runtime: 9:48
💔 Cliff Burton Tribute
A haunting instrumental, partly built on riffs Cliff left behind. It’s sad, it’s soaring, it’s full of that what could’ve been energy. That spoken word bit? Chills. Pure chills. 🕯️
6. “All Within My Hands” (S&M2 Version) – S&M2 (2020)
Runtime: 8:48
🎻 Symphonic Doom Elegance
The St. Anger version was feral. The S&M2 orchestral take? Majestic. James Hetfield’s performance is heartbreak in a bottle. A song once snarled with rage now breathes with fragile power. What a glow-up.
7. “Bleeding Me” – Load (1996)
Runtime: 8:18
🩸 Therapy via Metallica
Groovy, bluesy, and emotionally bloody. This song builds like a pressure cooker. The outro riff hits like a breakdown in slow motion. If you know, you know. Top-tier Load era.
8. “Inamorata” – 72 Seasons (2023)
Runtime: 11:10
🛏️ Metallica’s Longest Song EVER
Biggest. Baddest. Longest. This new juggernaut is all about love, loss, and… whatever “inamorata” means after three pints. It’s chunky. It’s melodic. It’s got a bass solo (!!!). Metallica proved they’ve still got the chops to go long — and go deep.
📣 Lyrically, it’s Hetfield at his most introspective in years.
9. “Spit Out the Bone” – Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016)
Runtime: 7:09
🦴 Full-Throttle Thrash Revival
Metallica go full robot apocalypse mode. Fast, unrelenting, and with a Kirk Hammett solo that sounds like a lawnmower eating steel. For a band in their 50s, this is freakishly fast. 🔥
10. “Frayed Ends of Sanity” – …And Justice for All (1988)
Runtime: 7:44
🧠 Underrated Complexity
This one feels like a panic attack in musical form — in a good way. That intro chant? Iconic. The middle section? Neck-breaking. And the riff? Chef’s kiss. They barely ever played it live until recent years, but it’s a certified fan favourite.
🏁 Honourable Mentions:
- “Orion” – Master of Puppets (8:27): Cliff Burton’s masterpiece.
- “Disposable Heroes” – Master of Puppets (8:16): War, riffs, and more riffs.
- “My Friend of Misery” – Black Album (6:49): Bass-led melancholy.
🎤 Final Thoughts:
Metallica don’t just write songs… they write epics. Whether it’s an instrumental eulogy, a thrash odyssey, or a Load-era emotional purge, these tracks show what happens when Hetfield, Ulrich & co. aren’t afraid to push the time limits — and our necks — to the absolute edge. 🕶️
YESS MUN! 🖤🎸 Which Metallica long track wrecks you the hardest?
