8. Wherever I May Roam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwPg8gJq_Kw Another cut from the band's masterwork Black Album, Roam was one of the first times - along with Nothing Else Matters - that Hetfield would tackle some more relatable subject matter than what had gone before. Although the song itself opens with a battering-ram assault of snare-smashes from Lars, its Kirk's innovate tapping section that really captivates when his defining part kicks in. If there's one thing The Ripper has always perfected across all the genres he's touched, it's dynamics. As we'll see more of in later entries, Hammett has always known how to blast through a spate of notes on the lower strings, only for something higher to launch in at just the right moment. Here it's a whole pedal's worth of wah-juice poured over some very tightly-picked notes as high bends elevate the entire composition immensely and the aforementioned tapping section keeps you right up there with it. Part of the fun when you get stuck into learning guitar is start dissecting how guys like Kirk made "those noises" you've previously listened to over and over. That moment you finally replicate something like this song's solo is a crowning achievement in itself, but to actually think it up and compose it from scratch in the first place? That's something truly unique.