10 Final Songs That Will Give You Chills

The Metallica train isn't something that stops all that often. For as many missteps as the thrash legends have had in their time like St. Anger, they are pretty much bulletproof against anything that can stand in their way going forward. No one is safe from mortality though, and Cliff Burton made sure that every note he played counted on Orion.

While this was far from the last song that Burton would play on this Earth, it is certainly the most emblematic song from his final album Master of Puppets. Though Burton doesn't have as many contributions to the album, this instrumental really is his opus, as he uses the bass like a lead instrument throughout most of the song and blending in elements of classical music alongside the punk and metal he also loved.

It's even more of a shame considering that Burton was never able to play his masterpiece live, dying in a bus accident a few months into the tour and leaving Metallica to carry on with new bassist Jason Newsted. This was even the song chosen to be played at Cliff's funeral to demonstrate the mastery that he had over his instrument. We usually don't have geniuses like this in our presence for very long, so it's best to appreciate songs like this while they last.