Metallica: 10 Best Hard Rock Songs

No matter what era you came from in Metallica's history, the Black Album is still one of their greatest works despite the more commercial shift. The songs may have been a bit more downtempo and sounded bigger, but in what way is that a bad thing?

Being the first ballad off the record, "The Unforgiven" is one of the best arranged cuts that the band had ever composed at that point. By turning around their typical heavy chorus soft verse dynamic, the band hit upon a demented groove that seems perfectly suited to tell this story of sorrow from a broken man.

This song is also the point where James' vocal chops became more noticeable. After getting proper vocal training, the subtle nuances in his performance make it come through mix, almost like you're seeing the real Hetfield beneath the tough guy veneer.

Kirk Hammett's solo is also one of his best, even if it was painstakingly put together after his original solo was rejected by producer Bob Rock. Instead of just being another shredding opportunity, there is so much taste in his phrasing which makes the solo absolutely timeless.

In just a few minutes, Metallica took the ballad-esque elements they had touched on on "Fade to Black" and turned them into an emotional roller coaster of a song.