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

At the start of Ride the Lightning, you think you might be in for something a bit more tame. With the lilting classical intro provided by Cliff Burton, the guitars cascade so smoothly that you find it almost fun to go through this jaunty acoustic passage. Then we're brought back into the depths of Hell.

The actually placement of the "Fight Fire With Fire" riff is great, as it firmly kicks down the door with a definitive punch to the gut. Good luck to anyone with a weak strumming hand, because this track is the moment where James Hetfield reaches one of the craziest sections he has ever laid to tape. There's no get-out-of-jail-free card for your fretting hand though, with the preceding riff having the notes placed on the offbeat, almost as if the band are trying to trick you into finding out where the central rhythm of the song really is.

This is also one of the few songs where Hetfield shows his chops on the melodic side of the spectrum, with the breakdown harmony guitars giving little let up to the initial hysteria you just experienced. When it comes to putting complicated sections in songs, "Fight Fire With Fire" isn't exactly known for its subtlety.