Metallica: 10 Hardest James Hetfield Riffs You Can't Play
3. Master Of Puppets
Ask any guitarist what the hardest Metallica song, and "Master of Puppets" is more often than not at the top of the list. Whereas tracks like "Dyers Eve" might be much faster by comparison, there's a distinctive touch to Hetfield's style that can't be sidestepped anymore. Y'all heard of downpicking?
Mr. Hetfield's love of guitarists like Johnny Ramone gave him the drive to play with much more aggression than the rest of the heavy metal crowd. What Hetfield did with that aggression on this track was combine it with some of the more complex riff changes of someone like Tony Iommi.
Most metalheads will find it easier to play downpicked riffs on one string, but "Master of Puppets" is truly the song from your nightmares as it employs multiple strings to accentuate the riff to its fullest effect. Once you're done with the adventures of multiple strings, the central riff doesn't give you any more hope, with most of it being downpicked throughout the remainder of the tune. This song has been one of the band's signature tunes and has been covered by countless artists, but every guitarist had the same gripe when learning it; it's easy to play, but impossible to play it like James.