10 Heaviest Metallica Songs Ever Made

10. Minus Human

If you considered yourself a fan of any of the heavier side of Metallica, the end of the '90s must have been a pretty rough spot for you. Along with coming off of the two "sellout" records in their catalog, the influx of new covers albums and a damn collaboration with an orchestra did little to help the fact that the hardcore thrash band was long gone. Then again, sometimes when you grow up, you just trade one side of heavy for another.

While most fans remember the song No Leaf Clover from the group's S&M album with the San Francisco Symphony, Minus Human stands as the far more emblematic Metallica song from this era. Taking full advantage of the added instrumentation, the riff that James Hetfield came up with is downright diabolical, tuned to a low C# which makes the entire thing feels like it's trudging through the deepest depths of Hell. Even the backing vocals from Jason Newsted are kickass, almost like he's screaming from down in the crypt.

Granted, the song could have probably benefited from a kickass solo from Kirk, but that may have ended up taking away from the overall groove of the tune. Even though metal bands have always been known to make the primeval sounds of music heavy, this is the ultimate example of how it pays to clean up nice every now and again.