Metallica: 10 Hardest James Hetfield Riffs You Can't Play

For all of the dark subject matter that the band would indulge in on later releases, "Whiplash" is a pretty straightforward song for Metallica. The song doesn't decide to tackle death or demons but instead is just about...headbanging. The lyrics may not be the most awe-inspiring of the band's career, but the riff was one of the band's first ventures into god-like territory.

The basic riff seems like the simplest thing in the world at first, with much of it revolving around alternate picking the low E string with a few chords thrown in for good measure. But like all Metallica songs, things begin to pick up the pace quite quickly. The verses go on and you wait for the fast picking to be over, except it never does. As the actual singing starts to unfold, you start to realize just how much strain you're putting on your forearm as you work your way through.

When you get to the chorus, the drastic stop feels even more difficult given that you've grown accustomed to the relentless alternate picking. Ironically enough, the best way to master this riff is to take it slow and headbang the downbeat to make sure everything flows smoothly once the groove reaches your hands.