Metallica: 10 Best Songs You Haven't Heard
3. The Ecstasy Of Gold
Following the release of their debut album Kill 'Em All in 1983, Metallica saw fit to add to the grandeur of their live performances.
At this point the band had intro'd their live sets to the sound of a heartbeat that progressively got faster, something that even James called "really terrible". The band's manager at the time agreed, and recommended "The Ecstasy of Gold" from Sergio Leone's famed 1966 movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a film that Hetfield was already a huge fan of after becoming a Clint Eastwood fan as a child. Metallica began using the piece of music sometime in 1984 and it has stayed in the band's live arsenal ever since.
Fast forward a few years and Metallica had the chance to pay back the composer of the piece - legendary composer Ennio Morricone - on a 2007 tribute album We All Love Ennio Morricone.
Suitably Metallica-ing the song, the cover features sparse vocals from Hetfield, typically only harmonising with sections of the music, leaving Kirk to replicate the songs original vocals (performed by Italian singer Edda Dell'Orso) on guitar as part of the long, elaborate solo that acts as the focal point of the rendition.