James Hetfield, responsible for over half of Metallica’s greatest riffs, played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of thrash metal rhythm guitar. Renowned for his lightning-fast rhythm parts resembling a machine gun, Hetfield unintentionally crafted some of their biggest hits, proving that even guitar gods can stumble upon greatness.

In the band’s early years, Hetfield, despite turning himself into a guitar virtuoso, remained oblivious to his transformation. Preferring to be the engine of the group and eschewing the appeal of soloing, he often served as the band’s timekeeper, surpassing even Lars Ulrich in that role.

Despite the precision in Hetfield’s riffs, the complexity never overshadowed the song’s essence. When composing masterpieces like ‘Master of Puppets,’ Hetfield constructed hypnotic grooves around a few extraordinary licks, ranging from the bombastic midsection to riffs capable of tearing flesh from bone.

Upon starting work on “And Justice for All,” Metallica recognized the need for guidance on their next album. Bringing in producer Bob Rock, known for his work with Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, the band aimed for more straightforward songs, often built around a handful of key riffs.

While contemplating a ballad for the album, ‘The Unforgiven,’ Hetfield accidentally stumbled upon a riff while conversing with his wife on the phone. Unbeknownst to him, this accidental inspiration sparked the creation of the song ‘Nothing Else Matters.’

Reflecting on the song’s origin, Hetfield admitted, “The opening of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ was more or less just a fluke. It started when I was talking on the phone with the guitar on my lap.” Playing the open strings absentmindedly, he continued, “And suddenly, it was like, ‘I gotta go’. And then, starting to do pull-offs and things like that and it started coming together.”

While Hetfield initially saw the song as a personal love letter to his wife, he didn’t consider it fit for a Metallica record. Focused on heavier tracks like ‘Sad But True,’ he didn’t present it to the band until Ulrich heard it on one of his riff tapes, recognizing its potential as a valuable addition to the album.

With the addition of a string section, ‘Nothing Else Matters’ evolved into one of Metallica’s most grandiose songs, eventually becoming the centerpiece of their performances with The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Despite Hetfield’s initial reservations, ‘Nothing Else Matters’ on The Black Album demonstrated that Metallica was more than just relentless headbanging riffs.