Metallica: 10 Best Songs AFTER St. Anger
3. Halo On Fire
Halo On Fire is a song that deals with the duality of good and bad that exists within us all. This subject is perfectly represented by the instrumentation of the song.
One on hand we see a melodic, restrained piece in the verses. Its quiet and unassuming at first. As we reach the chorus it quickly gets loud. Led by a doom-inspired main riff, James Hetfield takes the vocals up a notch and replaces his hushed tones with a louder shout. The true hook of the song comes in the last quarter. Following a quiet lead in, Kirk Hammett plays an amazingly simple yet emotive lead guitar piece with Hetfield vocalising over the top of it. In this section he sings of the protagonist rising to meet their own darkness and turning their back on it.
It's a powerful piece of song writing that is simple and effective. The final few minutes of the songs show modern Metallica at their best, displaying a style that has been amalgamated from their exploration of several different styles over their long career.