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

There are some songs by Metallica you know are going to be classics from the moment you hear them, even if they also leave you guitarists dumbfounded. Opening up Metallica's finest album, "Battery" starts off pretty straightforward with an impressive layering of guitar parts one after another.

Once the drums come in, you're still on safer ground with the riff being just the acoustic part on an electric guitar. Then...the actual beat drops. The riff that Hetfield lays down once we start rolling is some of the most complex lines that the metal world had ever seen at that point. Instead of using the traditional power chord, this riff throws you for a loop with Hetfield using minor dyads to give the riff a distinctively evil twist.

In between switching the position of your fingers, you also have to worry about the fast triplets taking place underneath, which could cost you your mental stability if you're not careful. The chorus finally gives you a break with stretched-out power chords, but the relief goes away as soon as it arrives to take you down once again. Even with its complex overtones, this is the Metallica that has the right amount of punch while still making you want to break out your guitar in the garage and thrash the place to the ground.