Metallica | My Friend of Misery
Metallica’s “My Friend of Misery” - from Jason Newsted’s bass riff to James Hetfield’s added vocals, how the Black Album’s most undersold track was supposed to be instrumental but became a meditation.
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Story Behind “My Friend of Misery”
The Riff That Changed Its Own Mind
“My Friend of Misery” originated with a bass riff that Jason Newsted brought to Metallica, with the song initially intended to be an instrumental track. The song was one of only three co-written by Newsted during his years in the band (1986–2001), alongside “Blackened” and “Where the Wild Things Are.” For a band with a tradition stretching back to “The Call of Ktulu” and “Orion,” the instrumental slot felt like the song’s natural home.
But something shifted during production. James Hetfield decided to add vocal parts to what was originally intended as an instrumental, explaining: “The original version of this song was an instrumental song. I don’t know why and how but I started to add the vocal to track and we took it to another level.” That decision transformed the track from what could have been another masterful Metallica instrumental into something rawer and more introspective—a direct examination of emotional entanglement and the impossibility of saving someone drowning in their own despair.
The Context of Compromise
The Black Album’s songs were written in two months in mid-1990, with some ideas originating during the Damaged Justice Tour. Metallica was already entering new territory. The band members were not initially interested in having Bob Rock produce the album as well, but changed their minds, with Lars Ulrich stating, “We felt that we still had our best record in us and Bob Rock could help us make it.”
This was a band in transition—moving away from the eight-minute prog-thrash epics of ...And Justice for All toward something leaner and more direct. Hetfield explained the new approach: “What we really wanted was a live feel. In the past, Lars and I constructed the rhythm parts without Kirk and Jason. This time I wanted to try playing as a band unit in the studio. It lightens things up and you get more of a vibe.” In that context, adding vocals to Newsted’s instrumental riff felt less like betrayal and more like embracing the album’s collaborative spirit.
“My Friend of Misery” Recording and Production Details
The One on One Sessions and Bob Rock’s Atmospheric Approach
Recording took place at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles over an eight-month span, frequently finding Metallica at odds with their new producer Bob Rock. Recording with Rock in Los Angeles’ One on One studios, Metallica met glam metal in its home territory but found a more direct adversary in the studio. The producer did not get starstruck, and dragged Metallica into upward of 40 takes for each song, recording songs live in the studio in hopes of bringing Metallica’s wild stage energy to the record.
For “My Friend of Misery,” Rock’s philosophy was about mood over muscle. Bob Rock explained: “The song is all about a mood, which is very cinematic in feel. Metallica know how to play to their strengths, dishing out raw power, but on this song we went for more of an atmosphere. It’s ominous, and it works.” Rock elaborated on the production process: “It started out with his intro, so a big part of working on this track was spent developing a great riff into a song that would take flight and really go places. Which it does – it builds and builds quite nicely.”
The Fender Tele B-Bender and Harmonic Texture
Hetfield used a Fender Telecaster with a B-Bender on “My Friend of Misery,” a technique he would use again on “The Unforgiven II.” The Fender was believed to be a ‘52 Reissue. This guitar choice gave the track a distinct tonal character—not the raw aggression of the band’s usual heavy riffs, but something with more texture and harmonic depth. The production approach involved blending the aggressive attack of Mesa Boogie amps with the warmth of modded Marshalls, EQ’d to cut harsh frequencies.
Kirk Hammett fingerpicked his guitar solo on the track, a technique he hadn’t used on album before. Hammett explained his approach: “I had something worked out before I got into the studio, but Bob felt it wasn’t quite appropriate. He asked if I could try something dirtier and sustaining — something more in the vein of Jeff Beck. At first, I was kind of hurt, but then I realized he was right. I started finger-picking a chordal thing, and Bob liked the way it sounded. He said, ‘Why don’t you play that entire solo with your fingers and really pull on the strings and slap them against the frets?’ It was a cool idea.”
Notes About “My Friend of Misery” by Metallica
Release Date: August 12, 1991
Duration: 6:15
Genre: Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal / Alternative Metal
Album: Metallica (The Black Album, 5th studio album, track 11)
Songwriters: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Jason Newsted
Producer: Bob Rock
Label: Elektra Records
Recording Location: One on One Recording Studios, Los Angeles; A&M Studios, Hollywood (overdubs/mixing)
Chart Performance: B-side/album track; never released as single
Metallica “My Friend of Misery” Era Band Details
Album Details
Album: Metallica (commonly known as The Black Album)
Release Date: August 12, 1991
Label: Elektra Records
Producer: Bob Rock
Recording Period: October 1990 – June 1991
Recording Locations: One on One Recording Studios (Los Angeles), Little Mountain Sound Studios (Vancouver), A&M Studios (Hollywood)
Budget: ~$1 million (industry record for metal album at the time)
Recording Approach: Live band tracking in studio; extensive overdubs and three complete remix passes
Album Concept: Shift from thrash complexity to direct songcraft; return to foundational metal principles
Commercial Success: 30+ million copies sold worldwide; 16 million RIAA certifications in US alone; spent 750+ weeks on Billboard 200
Band Members/Personnel
James Hetfield - Vocals, rhythm guitar (Fender Telecaster B-Bender, ESP Explorer), lyrics, songwriting
Lars Ulrich - Drums, percussion, songwriting
Kirk Hammett - Lead guitar (ESP Strat-style, Gibson Les Paul ‘89), fingerpicking solo
Jason Newsted - Bass guitar, songwriting (primary riff composer)
Bob Rock - Producer, engineering, production philosophy
Michael Kamen - String arrangements (”Nothing Else Matters” – not “My Friend of Misery”)
Album Production Notes
First Metallica album produced by someone other than Fleming Rasmussen
Marked dramatic stylistic shift from previous thrash albums toward accessibility without compromising heaviness
Bass mixed prominently for first time in Metallica catalog (previous album “...And Justice for All” buried Newsted’s bass)
Three complete remix passes due to band perfectionism and differing visions with Rock
Tension between producer and band documented in “Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica” documentary
Hetfield reportedly called “Dr. No” by Rock for his extensive revisions and perfectionism
Debuted #1 in ten countries; spent four consecutive weeks atop Billboard 200
Remains one of best-selling albums ever worldwide
Interesting Facts About “My Friend of Misery”
The Instrumental That Almost Was
Jason Newsted always wanted “My Friend of Misery” to be an instrumental track. The original version featured a more complete bass riff that was later cut from the final recording. In the Black Album’s 2021 remaster it features Newsted’s riff tapes for the song, which gives a glimpse of what the instrumental track could have been. This decision to add vocals altered the song’s fundamental purpose—converting a bass-driven meditation into a vocal lament about someone’s self-imposed isolation.
Newsted told Billboard magazine he was particularly pleased with his contribution to this song: “That was a moment where those guys kind of bowed and said, ‘Here you go, man, put your song on there,’ being the guy who came up with that. As opposed to being part of the team, I got to be myself for a minute there, which was a real accomplishment.” Yet that moment of personal victory became overshadowed by the album’s massive commercial push behind other tracks. The song never became a single, was rarely performed live, and remained buried in the album’s track listing despite the harmonic sophistication embedded within it.
The Overlooked Gem in a Blockbuster
Among the album’s eleven tracks, “My Friend of Misery” represents something the rest of the record mostly avoids: genuine darkness without spectacle. The penultimate track “My Friend of Misery,” written around a bass line from Newsted’s demos, was originally to be the record’s instrumental. After their biggest, most constructed show yet with the Doris statue on the Damaged Justice tour, Metallica were now performing without so much as a backdrop. The stripped-down production philosophy meant every note had to matter, and Newsted’s foundation proved more than sufficient.
Yet the song’s legacy remains complicated. While “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” and “Nothing Else Matters” became cultural touchstones, “My Friend of Misery” exists in the shadows—a track even many casual Metallica fans skip past. This overlooked status speaks to how the album’s commercial positioning pushed certain songs into the spotlight while leaving deeper, more unsettling material underexposed. The song deserves better recognition as an early example of the band’s willingness to prioritize atmosphere and emotional truth over the hook-driven approach that dominated the record’s singles strategy.
Common Questions
Q: Who wrote “My Friend of Misery”? A: The song was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Jason Newsted. Newsted composed the primary bass riff, while Hetfield wrote the lyrics and added vocal melodies. It remains one of only three songs Newsted received co-writing credit for during his 15 years in Metallica.
Q: What is “My Friend of Misery” about? A: The song addresses someone who insists the weight of the world should rest on their shoulders, who interprets everything through a lens of personal tragedy, and who refuses to hear perspectives beyond their own suffering. It’s about the frustration of watching someone prefer their misery to any alternative offered by those trying to help.
Q: Was “My Friend of Misery” supposed to be an instrumental? A: Yes. Jason Newsted originally envisioned it as an instrumental track, continuing Metallica’s tradition of featuring instrumental pieces on every album. However, James Hetfield decided to add vocals during recording, transforming it into a fully realized song with lyrics and vocal melody.
Q: Why was “My Friend of Misery” never released as a single? A: Elektra Records prioritized five other tracks for singles: “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.” These tracks offered stronger commercial hooks and broader mainstream appeal, so “My Friend of Misery” remained album-only despite its artistic quality.
Q: What instruments were used on “My Friend of Misery”? A: Jason Newsted played the bass riff, James Hetfield used a Fender Telecaster with B-Bender guitar, and Kirk Hammett performed a fingerpicked solo—notably his first fingerpicked guitar solo on any Metallica album. The arrangement emphasizes texture over heaviness, with atmospheric production by Bob Rock.
Q: How does the 2021 remaster change the song? A: The 2021 remaster includes Newsted’s original demo riff tapes, allowing listeners to hear what the song could have sounded like as a pure instrumental composition. This provides valuable context for understanding the creative decisions made during the original recording process.