10 Greatest Headbanging Metal Songs
2. Sad But True - Metallica
Some of the greatest metal riffs of all time can be traced back to Metallica. At a time when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was just starting to reach American shores, these thrash legends from the Bay Area burst onto the scene with one classic album after another, from the grand masterpiece Master of Puppets to the prog metal stylings of And Justice For All. Pretty much anything from the group's earlier period is a prime headbanging candidate, and yet their greatest jam is the one where they slowed things down.
As opposed to the sonic assault of something like Whiplash or Creeping Death, Sad But True is where Metallica found one of the best grooves of their career. While some may wince at the idea that one of Metallica's greatest bangers came from their "sell-out" period, this is one of the few times when the hotshot producer actually worked in the band's favor.
Originally written at the time of Master of Puppets, Bob Rock suggested to slow down and tune down Sad But True, which resulted in one of the meatiest grooves of their career. As opposed to trying (and occasionally failing) to playing a million beats per second, this laid back groove from Lars Ulrich is right where it needs to be, as James Hetfield comes in with his roaring guitar work. Even though other Metallica songs may be much more epic in scope, this is the one entry in their catalog with the most muscle.