10 INCREDIBLE Guitar Secrets In Rock Songs You Totally Missed
7. Wall Of Guitars - Sad But True
James Hetfield will forever be known as the driving engine in Metallica. Though other members like Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich get love (and hate) from the band's fanbase, Hetfield has always been the mastermind behind the guitar licks that have defined the golden age of heavy metal. The band have had dozens of classics in their arsenal, but the heaviest song of the band's career actually comes from what many consider their "sell-out" record.
As the band started work on their now iconic Black Album, producer Bob Rock was adamant about capturing the intense energy of the band's live show on record. Looking to thicken the guitar sound, Hetfield tracked the entire record with 3 different rhythm guitar tracks, which he dubbed the Left, the Right, and The Thickener. You can definitely hear that difference in sonic size across the record, but "Sad But True" takes that mentality even further.
Being tuned a step lower than the band's normal tunes, Hetfield wanted to make this song heavier than everything else, which led to him layering 7 different guitar tracks to create one of heavy metal's most gargantuan guitar sounds. All the guitars on the Black Album sound amazing, but the guitars on this one track almost feel like a six-string army stomping across your headphones.