10 Greatest Hard Rock Guitar Solos Of All Time

Kirk Hammett has been criticized in guitar circles for his more generic style of metal guitar. While he has his moments of flashiness like any guitarist, his habits have been seen as fairly commonplace when compared to other heroes like Eddie Van Halen or even ex-Metallica member Dave Mustaine. On the other hand, neither of those guitarists have come close to capturing the same emotion that Kirk does in "The Unforgiven."

For as amazing as the guitar work on this track is, it was almost scrapped entirely. After working out a first draft of the solo on his own, producer Bob Rock was unimpressed and badgered Hammett to come up with something better. With hours of studio time going by, Hammett got so pissed off that he just shredded this solo off the cuff to let out his aggression.

It turned out that anxious push was all the solo needed to be brought into the world. Not only does it serve the song's melancholy feeling, but it also is a great way to pick out Kirk's influences, with bluesy bends at the beginning bookended by longer melodic runs and arpeggios that wash over the listener by the song's end. The solo may not have been pleasant to birth, but its echoes are still being felt throughout the rock community.