10 Greatest Metallica Riffs EVER
1. Blackened
Most Metallica fans really sympathize with bassist Jason Newsted on And Justice for All. While it was bad enough trying to replace the legendary Cliff Burton behind the four-string, the relentless hazing from the rest of the guys resulted in his bass being virtually inaudible in the final mix of the album.
Even though you might not have heard his presence on the vinyl, Newsted did give us one saving grace with one of the best Metallica riffs ever written.
When combing through material that he could show the rest of the guys, Hetfield came across an off-time riff that he liked from Newsted's riff tape. Going into work on it, Blackened turned into one of the most quintessential Metallica riffs, complete with every single thing you could possibly ask for.
Already set to a classic thrash groove, Jason's riff also has a few tricks up its sleeve, from the constant downpicking you need to employ to the off-kilter 7/4 groove it takes on.
Just when you think you have the riff down to a science, Jason (or James) will turn the beat around or add in another extension that will confuse you. And Justice for All has been called one of the band's closest attempts at prog rock, but this maniacal lick was pure Metallica all the way.
After losing one of the most foundational musicians in hard rock, to hear this song open up the next record proved that Metallica were going to be around for a very long time.