Metallica's HEAVIEST Riff

What is Metallica's HEAVIEST Riff? Sad But True is one of the most sludge crushing brootal riffs I've ever heard. James Hetfield wrote the song about his negative experiences with religion and his mom's death. During the video I'll analyze the music theory behind what makes this track so heavy. Lars hammers the drums in this track and Kirk Hammett shreds some killer solos....what more could you want from a Metallica track muhahaha
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[@ShredmasterScott]

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[@djent2689]

Can you shred on a bass

[@milangabris9494]

don´t know if someone mention it before but since you did ask about the guitar they made something for Kirk .. in fact both of them should have something new just like Dave Mustaine with Gibson Flying V

[@vitaobatera]

I disagree about the song being about faith... For me it's clearly about the 3 Freudian divisions of a personality fighting for control of the person: the ego, superego and ide. Where this music lyrics is from the Ide's perspective.

[@veela420]

You mean Steven Seagal's Patreon right? 😂👉😎😘😘

[@jacobwells3538]

For me, and it’s a toughy, but THE THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE IS THE ONE!! That crushing riff is just mwah

[@syntezjaofficial4240]

Their Standard D riffs are heavy af

[@rvburbank1]

I totally agree, also the first Metallica song I learned

[@ploppyjeje8680]

Hell yeah that's the one

[@AskhabovAhmad]

Absolutely

[@3du76]

YEEEEEESSSSSSSS

[@KTF0]

We can argue about which riff is heavier, but, James's best "Ye-heah" is in Anywhere I Roam

[@thedebatehitman]

He also has a hidden one in there at the end of the guitar solo.

[@thedebatehitman]

@WILKU HxC It’s at the end of the main solo when the rhythm guitar and bass crash back in after Lars pounds out a measure with Kirk . It’s hard to hear, but you’ll catch a “yeah” if you listen closely.

[@MetalizedButt]

It’s Wherever I May Roam

[@abunchoftrash2171]

Nah, it's Nothing Else Matters

[@cornholio069]

Bleeding me has some very nice yeahs

[@Bits_N_Pixels]

The Thing That Should Not Be or Harvester of Sorrow are my picks.... But Sad But true is a good choice anyway.

[@louistorres]

Yes to Harvester!

[@monsieurmitosis]

Those are the 3 examples that everyone appears to be voting for...I tend to agree. It seems like the slower tempo adds to the heaviness factor.

[@CM-ng9kv]

Harvester is definitely the heaviest they've wrote in Estandard

[@Andres33AU]

Great choices! Harvester of Sorrow and Sad But True have that "groove" going on, but both are heavy. In The Thing That Should Not Be, I love the riff after the "Immortal!" it sounds so badass!

[@nishantjoshi4392]

I agree

[@9VENDETTA]

"The God That Failed's" main riff is also another big contender from this album. Absolutely crushing riff. The bitterness and anger of the subject matter/lyrics of the song really adds to the heaviness, as well. And also, *EVERYONE* sleeps on the post solo breakdown riff in Struggle Within. That riff is a *MONSTER.* I know it could be considered more "thrashy," but is heavy as HELL.

[@brandonproctor3639]

Absolutely!

[@macadelic2492]

When the solo picks up again 🤌

[@unleashthebloodthirst69420]

Also one of their best songs ever

[@JUSTICE971]

The Am I Savage? Breakdown is one of the heaviest riffs ever

[@cubertuner492]

Holy fuck I love that riff so bad 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

im pretty sure i summoned a demon while listening to Harvester of Sorrow, so that one's gotta get my vote. Sad but true is destructive as well- something fishy going on with that rhythm though live vs studio, right after the lyric "i'm inside open your eyes"

[@bigassdummy46]

What up Jake. Your channel really is a great help.

[@ShredmasterScott]

Muhahaha that’s some good 666 fun bro! Let’s harmonize in TRITONES sometime 😈

[@DiegoMoralesRoccuzzo]

Eye of the beholder Jake???

[@DiegoMoralesRoccuzzo]

Love Signals Music Studio Brothers!! Thanks for teaching us so much.

[@theironvirus9019]

I agree. First time I heard harvester of sorrow, I broke my neck from head banging

[@Doc92IDH]

I'd go Leper Messiah, but I honestly dunno if that's just because Sad But True's been overplayed.

[@larrywong5793]

Oh yeah I agree with you. Especially the riff at 0:40 in the song

[@gngrblls2thwall]

No, you are correct. It's overlooked because it's in standard tuning. Harvester of Sorrow is also heavier than any of their down-tuned riffs.

[@Doc92IDH]

@@gngrblls2thwall Yeah, I can't think of much heavier in standard. The inverted power chords are absolutely filthy.

[@isaiahmartinez5620]

Especially that descending riff, one of their heaviest riffs for sure

[@marcthedashergd6321]

Dream No More (the entire song) and Am I Savage (breakdown). These are very heavy and also very underrated.

[@Sonicfan5150]

Exactly what I was thinking. Especially Am I Savage breakdown riff. Hardwired is really underrated.

[@marcthedashergd6321]

@@Sonicfan5150 agree

[@distantstorm3808]

The Thing That Should Not Be.

[@CTGDesigner]

Yup...that song was before its time. Tuned down on Master of Puppets. I remember in the 90s various bands using drop tuning.

[@wallacefamily804]

Agreed! Much heavier than Sad.

[@interdimensional_shrek]

Fax

[@colui_5392]

No?

[@demonicon1]

💯

[@Pena-dz5vm]

How has nobody mentioned The God That Failed that riff is heavy AF

[@Ali.S.Dayoub]

I just mentioned that.

[@ChataTheGamer]

Pozz brate HŽV

[@Pena-dz5vm]

@@ChataTheGamer HŽV

[@lotuscorpse]

Definitely the heaviest riff on the Black Album

[@heiswatching]

That verse riff is undefeated

[@Daily_Bassist]

The breakdown of Am I Savage? is the heaviest Metallica riff, at least in E Standard

[@CM-ng9kv]

I'm gonna be that guy. Am I savage is Eb not standard

[@Daily_Bassist]

@@CM-ng9kv ummm…no? No it isn’t, that’s just false. All of Hardwired is E except Dream No More.

[@CM-ng9kv]

Well I've always played along in Eb so perhaps I'm tone deaf.

[@rippptorn9604]

The Thing that should not be is HEAVILY underrated.

[@DaveTaste]

Everything that ever happened is underrated

[@ploppyjeje8680]

@@DaveTaste yeah

[@didncozosksma4466]

Sweet Amber and Am I Savage have the heaviest breakdowns known to man. Where The Wild Things Are is an underrated contender.

[@dsanchez9703]

Sad but true is one of my top 10 hardrock songs of alltime

[@ktvx.94]

I love how this still sounds like the album version live because it's already tuned down

[@tllaw]

The Thing That Should Not Be is the heaviest. It's based on HP Lovecraft's Cat. So it's also the darkest of all Metallica's songs too.

[@meshzzizk]

Hahahahaha - dude. Nobody google this

[@StackBundle]

@@meshzzizk No, everybody needs to Google HP Lovecrafts cat.

[@Mantorok]

Hahaha, that's funny. It is actually based on Cthulu, which is also Lovecraft.

[@tllaw]

@@Mantorok Yep, that's why I thought of it.

[@DonTyler_]

This song is more along the lines of an inner darkness than blind faith in religion

[@thetribalist6923]

Great analysis, sir Shred. I always say the heaviest is Dyers Eve. That intro is absolutely crushing, and the rest of the song is insane. I’d also say it has the most anger of any song I’ve heard besides maybe War Nerve by Pantera.

[@xXxH_E_R_OxXx]

arguably the most heaviest riff ever by most die hard metallica fans. that and

[@mikerauter1859]

The riff after the intro of creeping death gets my vote, its essentially in standard tuning too, remember 'Mary had a little lamb" would sound ' heavy' tuned to drop A as well!.. As for 'sad but true,' the tempo adds to the weight of this too, if faster and in standard - it would sound less threatening and loose its dynamic tension.

[@milanmilic911]

Harvester of sorrow is this riff's daddy. It's sad but true.

[@thedr.zeroultrazone984]

Kirk should play the slide guitar part during the chorus of Sad But True when they play it live instead of just picking the notes. It sounds so much cooler with that on the record. Their heaviest riff is the one after the soft intro on To Live Is To Die where it goes back and forth between F# and G. It's also kinda like the Jaws theme the way it picks up speed.

[@Reads_]

was it just me, or was Lars all over the map in his timing in this video

[@michaelcordero5588]

Nothing new.

[@terdsie]

It's kinda hard to watch. It horribly dragged in some places, noticably slow. It made James look out of breath.

[@belliiahmed]

The riff on Am I Savage before the solo is the heaviest notes of guitar I've ever heard !

[@alexanderarmstrong5306]

Great video Scott!!! Keep up the amazing work!!

[@schiopujohnny7802]

Devils Dance has my vote for heaviest and evilest riff.

[@0ussama01]

That bass riff fucking SLAAAAAPS holyyyy

[@eetfuk3571]

evilest. no doubt, but just heaviness... definitely Harvester of Sorrow.

[@skyenorwood3120]

for me its either shortest straw or leper messiah, they're really heavy songs and underappreciated

[@mindpurge2270]

Sad But True is definitely NOT about religion. It's about drugs & addiction. This is actually the first time I've ever heard anyone suggest Sad But True is about religion.

[@sixpath]

Same

[@KimoFest]

The riff heavyness can be debatable, but the lyrics are the real heavy because how real they can be for a lot of people.

[@Kat-Kobold]

The lyrics can be interpreted in so many ways as well, religion, abusive relationships, living with a personality disorder etc.

[@nialld2638]

One of my favorite Metallica songs , so many great highlights in it , great work

[@TheSuperSnake313]

Yo I am so glad I found your channel, just watched Lucretia and now this. You fkn rock man

[@njldst2007]

Don't know about the heaviEST, but here are the riffs I feel are heavier than most from each album : KeA - No Remorse intro riff as well as that quick pre-chorus riff RtL - the bridge riff before the solo in No Remorse and the crushing descending main riff of For Whom the Bell Tolls MoP - The Thing That Should Not Be's entire library of riffs plus that Master of Puppets moment where the E Chugs go into that pre-Kirk solo bridge, for dynamics AJFA - Harvester of Sorrow's intro riffs, the One breakdown and Frayed End of Sanity's main riffs tie close behind Black - Sad But True is the obvious one, but the God That Failed gets slept on a lot Load - The House That Jack Built, plus that Thorn Within main riff right until the cooldown before the verse mellows it down ReLoad - Devil's Dance S&M - Minus Human St Anger - The bridge riff in Sweet Amber Death Magnetic - Suicide Redemption pre-bridge riff Hardwired to Self Destruct - Am I Savage pre-solo riff

[@9VENDETTA]

The Thorn Within main riff is a good one. Pretty underrated 🤟🏻

[@njldst2007]

@@9VENDETTA love it too, but thing is it's a derivation of a pretty common riff pattern in rock/metal so that could be one of the reasons

[@van_tito_3713]

Since I'm not seeing anyone else mention it, I'll through my hat in the ring and say the breakdown to "Am I Savage?" is the heaviest 'Tallica riff

[@thomasrivard9772]

in my (apparently wrong) opinion, the heaviest riff is Harvester Of Sorrow; I think the guitar tone and production on justice really contributes to it feeling like it's dragging a ball and chain around

[@LiquidLivid]

I am leaning toward "Devil's Dance". Nice chugs and dissonance. I can definitely see it asprecursor to the heavier metal music of today.

[@josephgledhill7046]

i think a riff from kill em all. like whiplash or the four horsemen. fight fire with fire is pretty heavy as well. so is battery, it's hard to choose from

[@IAKGNIK]

The breakdown from Damage inc may be on par with sad but true. Such an underrated song.

[@Words_of_discouragement]

Yes yes big lad, thank you for your videos they numb the pain for a few brief moments

[@javierportillo1741]

im loving these series. they should be longer!

[@kamalnvrz]

For whom the bell tolls also pretty good

[@Trevor.miller]

This is one of my favorite Metallica riffs But I really think the riff that James playes under kirks solo in frayed ends of sanity is a masterpiece

[@midnight347]

That is a wicked riff. I never realized how great it was until I listened to the isolated rhythm track and saw guys doing rhythm covers on KZbin I was like holy shit that is wicked lol.

[@tallycahamuhlhetru26]

I really like James' riff under Kirk's solo in Blackened. 🤘

[@elodiesayan7533]

Could you continue this series? This heaviest songs in every metal bands...

[@robbieclark1784]

The Shortest Straw is their heaviest song.

[@dowens3781]

Kirk played a Jackson Randy Rhoads V on the Master Of Puppets tour - I used to have a Metallica poster back in '86 or '87 that showed him playing it.

[@adrianaguirre6795]

It’d be great to see you analyze the thing that should not be, with Metallicas concert in Seattle 1989. In my opinion that’s the heaviest

[@Alan_Alessandria]

Great video Shred! But I think the heaviest Metallica song is 'The thing that should not be' . You should make a video with that song!

[@rubenbartlett2225]

let me guess: sad but true tbh there’s a reason the black album is one of their greatest albums due to how heavy it is

[@colinheldt1294]

I also think that

[@zeal7895]

IMO it's the opposite. One of my least favorite Metallica albums. Most of the riffs are barely heavy. Enter sandman is basically just hard rock.

[@pantera89]

@@zeal7895 I feel the same, it just doesn't have the punch that the first 4 albums had.

[@megaduck7965]

It’s heavy in a different way , it’s not thrash metal anymore . Loads of mid tempo stomping riffs . Think of the intro to the god that failed , mighty sounding . Don’t treat on me when that main riff kicks in after the “ I wanna be in America part “ again lumbering and mighty sounding . Or the intro to wolf and man with that sounds like a repeated punch to the face (especially after nothing else matters ) . It’s heavy like leper messiah for whom the bell tolls or harvester of sorrow .

[@coconutmango4422]

For me either Some Kind of Monster or Am I Savage has the most heaviest. Some Kind of Monster has such a simple riff, but the drop tuning mixed with the raw album sound make it sound pretty heavy.

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Even though it’s in the key of E (some of histories heaviest riffs aren’t always detuned) personally to me the heaviest riff on the “Black Album” is Holier Than Thou. It’s crushing! Sure, it’s not as slow and plodding as Sad But True but it’s just got this kick to it that crushes skulls.

[@DrakeMaster115]

For the old stuff personally I would probably say the main riff from "The god that failed" or the main riff from "Harvester of sorrow", but for the newest stuff I have to say the breakdown from "Am I Savage?", it makes me smash my head through the wall everytime I hear it xd

[@TheNothing6]

- Human, Dream No More, the bridge riff in Am I Savage, The Thing That Should Not Be, Devil's Dance, The God That Failed, and most of the St. Anger songs are all heavy riffs as well.

[@grimmfm6239]

I was introduced to Metallica through the Black album in the 8th grade. So I love this album and it made me go back and buy all their others before it. And thank god. Sad but true is drop D too nice and heavy. And man Lars, some great fill work.

[@Ukendt077]

Sad But True live at Wembley Stadium April 20, 1992 - best version, ever since (IMO).

[@Sharper_Than_Most]

It’s a great one but thing that should not be is my choice for heaviest song!! Great channel and content bro! Keep slamming it out 🤘🤘

[@kimabadeza5633]

On 11:28, i think it's kirk hammett guitar is more 30 years above the age of his guitar and the oldest guitar ever on his guitar collections, so very incredible.

[@felttippen4294]

Damn, I always interpreted the lyrics as discussing alcohol addiction!

[@ProgRockDan1]

Thanks for the riff

[@omarlopez-ortega]

We can frame this song in the concept of the "shadow" conceived by Carl Jung. Truly deep and frightening.

[@Fender420]

1:55 🤣🤣 The WAP Juice gives Shredmaster Scott his power.

[@TheSnapdad]

The Wherever We My Roam tour featured STB with a bit slower tempo thus made it seem heavier than these modern performances. I have always interpreted this song as a discussion between the real self and the masked self which emerges during addiction. How the masked created identity has taken over. "Sad But True". It's a song that has intrigued me since I bought the album. First as 'oh my gosh they still kick ass!' to the lyrics which are timeless.

[@shutmouthhammock]

I’d say another one of their heavy riffs is the Am I Savage? breakdown off their album Hardwired… To Self Destruct. Check it out!

[@doctorborderix]

I also agree about Sad But True being the heaviest Metallica songs. But it's about NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) not religion. I'm inside, I'm you, it's about proper self reflection, so it means that I am the problem and accountability in general. There are few hints in the song like scapegoat, hate, mask, lies entitlement and how delusional people with NPD are. Song is written from the NPD person point of view. Even Papa Het said in one of the interviews that it's about kinda split personality. Anyways song is about Narcissists, real ones. I'm not talking about how nowadays people label every female/male asshole a narcissist. Real ones are way scarier, rare and way more fucked up. Anyways if you came across the real one you would understand the song perfectly. Just to put that out there 🙂

[@tcbcrotmg]

Underrated comment

[@willk1756]

The answer is Harvester, Thing, Sad and of course the groovy breakdown riff from Blackened

[@CheekyPseudonym]

That frigging crowd!!! In the mid 1989s my dad had a friend,Lenid; tthat just came over from the USSR Lenid was well versed in the music I was into, at the time,which was stuff like Jethro Tull, from five or ten years before In the Soviet Union, there was a big Black Market, for all things American, the young people there, would buy, trade, and make copies of this banned American music It's great to see the next generation enjoying it in public

[@krazymeathead]

"Do you want heavy now!?" There goes my drywall, thanks for the motivation James.

[@johnnydavies7215]

Love your work Shred🤘🏻Anyone ever said you look like Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok?

[@XXIII_89]

Hey I'm the guy that's going to say all day that Cliff Burton was the one that gave Metallica their power however, there was something weird going on with the Black Album and this is a f****** great example of what Lars and James could bring to the table!!!

[@brandonproctor3639]

Great content man! Subbed

[@RickyGuterson]

The best part is the first cord in the main riff sounds like he plays the D without the palm mute, then mutes It from ringing out on the second beat I believe. Right before he strikes the last two muted D chords before the pull offs. Once you hear it, it won’t be unheard lol. I always liked the crunchy chugging riff in to live is to die.

[@metalidads]

In no order these stick to mind - 1. 'The thing that should not be' - outro riff and not main riff. 2. 'Fight Fire with Fire' - 1st heavy riff, 2nd heavy riff AND outro/chorus variation riff. 3. 'Battery' - Post guitar solo/outro riff. 4. 'Disposable Heroes' - 3rd fast D flat riff/prechorus. 5. 'Frayed ends of sanity' - intro. 6. Blackened - Verse riff AND first breakdown riff. 7. 'Shortest Straw' - intro riff. 8. 'Don't tread on me' - intro riff 9. 'Sad but true' - main riff AND verse. 10. 'Eye of the Beholder' - 2nd riff.

[@Floor-Tom-Tom]

I think that the heaviest Metallica song is dyers eve

[@theoneintheback3783]

There’s a Mongolian folk metal band called the Hu, made a badass cover of this song

[@CTGDesigner]

Easily one of my favorite Metallica tunes. The riffs are so simplistic yet so masterly effective and brilliantly written, both musically and lyrically. ...And very heavy!🤘

[@totuhun]

I think the heaviest Metallica riff is not the Sad But True riff. I know (at least) two heavier riffs: the closing riff of The Thing That Should Not Be (it has only very heavy riffs, but i think the last riff is the heaviest), and the chorus riff of Dream No More. Maybe the two simpliest riffs in D standard...

[@marcthedashergd6321]

I think that all of the riffs in Dream No More are extremely heavy. Intro, main riff, verses, pre-chorus, chorus, and outro riff.

[@expl44]

It could be interesting you explain why he use three fingers to take pick.. I searched over the years.. never find something and impossible to play like this to me😳

[@jshippy2326]

Suicide and redemption has a pretty heavy riff

[@hatethreeoneofficial]

My pick is that first chugging riff in "For Whom The Bell Tolls" just before the first verse.

[@remiestronks]

The thing that should not be! That's the heaviest in my opinion. Look for the live in Seatle 89 version. Metallica with Newsted in the And Justice For All tour. I think it was their prime.

[@midnight347]

Like Jason says on that very performance its about the heaviest number known to mankind lol. I'm also a huge fan of eye of the beholder.

[@mike04574]

the opening palm muted riff in for whom the bell tolls

[@fase1doughnut]

It’s hard to go past the end of One. Few riffs can go so damn hard in a ballad and it always gets every person that can hear it going mental. Another one in contention for me is Damage Inc

[@CM-ng9kv]

One isn't heavy it's thrash same with damage. Heavy is slow powerful and crushing distortion.

[@fase1doughnut]

@@CM-ng9kv it’s a nebulous term at the end of the day that sorta means whatever you decide it is

[@metalmellie4371]

Shred I love that you love Metallica as much as I do!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@yourstrulyjj536]

Shortest straw is pretty hefty

[@jjhigg7793]

Dyers eve man oooooooo that riff

[@lapinus]

11:43 He got that model custom made by jackson - it's not one of randy's original guitars

[@0ussama01]

Alright I'm gonna say it: Minus human is one heavy fucking song. Fight me 💪🏻

[@midnight347]

Breathe man breathe ...

[@Garo.11]

You're right. I listened to Harvester of Sorrow, The thing that should not be and Sad but True closely. And Sad but trues riff is heavier. Its played on a lower note and really cements home how hard the notes hit your ears.

[@blackmamba5659]

I think is in And Justice For All at 7:14, it's not a riff but it's a really heavy, chuggy and sluggy part

[@RedroomStudios]

love it! the entire black album is a master piece!

[@megaduck7965]

I listened to it in full again for the first time in ages (one of those albums you play to death as a teenager ) and yeah it really is

[@coreyhaynes2975]

Looks like the v hammet used to play in the 80s but that one had a silver guard this one is gold.

[@wilmarpapa8617]

been watching your videos a long time..and forgot to subscribe..sad but true

[@rossomyman]

Harvester of Sorrow. Enough said.

[@coxscorner]

Am I Evil although technically its a Diamond Head riff. Seek N Destroy is in the conversation and Thorn Within from Load is criminally underrated.

[@ejsayshi]

At 11:11 your guitar was like "if you stop playing me I'll just play myself"

[@mattdad8429]

There's obvious ones like Sad But True, Thing That Should Not Be, Harvester, For Whom the Bell Tolls, but there's deeper riffs that grab my attention more like the breakdown in Through the Never, Fixxxer, Carpe Diem Baby, Shortest Straw, Bad Seed, Spit Out the Bone, Metal Militia, -Human. Way too many to pick one.

[@fugo4135]

I would say that The Thing That Should Not Be is their heaviest riff. I was once listening to it when I was asleep, and the solo turned my dream in fucking nightmare. I love it

[@rileylaforge7640]

I think this song analysis is completely wrong. James has talked about Sad but True a lot and he's always mentioned it more about the idea that people can act like completely different people--an example he uses of himself is that in most of his life he's a withdrawn, introverted person but on stage he--used to be--an energetic maniac but that's the person that's accomplished everything in his life and it's the personality that most people recognize. In the song it's someone who is more of a bad person that is really in control and it's the other personality slowly realizing that that bad personality is actually who they are. It's sad but it's true.

[@xXxH_E_R_OxXx]

Nice 7 string, I love playing on 7 and 8 string guitars. some of my favorite bands and musicians use them. Animals as leaders, Meshuggah, Scar Symmetry, Periphery, etc. it definetely makes the whole song better when u can expand your fretboard with METAL

[@sebcharette5401]

"the tying thath should Not be" shevering me with his deep and clostrophobic atmospher and This unique solo. i think its the heavyest.

[@Matthew_Klepadlo]

Playing some heavy D standard metal on an acoustic gives me some good Breaking Bad vibes… Now if only Metallica would make a song called, “Say My Name,” that would be cool and metal.

[@operationthrash9645]

It’s the ending (and post solo) riff of Battery!