In the spring of 1991, Hetfield brought the band his lyrics for 'Enter Sandman' and, of all topics, it was about crib death - 'y'know, baby suddenly dies, the sandman killed it,' the Metallica frontman described it in 2007 - and it's destructive effect on the family unit. This was because James Hetfield's original lyrics were about crib death - until Ulrich and producer Bob Rock intervened But what's interesting is,' he added, 'it was the last song James wrote lyrics to.'ģ. All the bits of 'Enter Sandman' are derived from the main riff. We wanted to streamline and simplify things. 'The 10-minute, fucking progressive, 12-tempo-changes side of Metallica had run its course after …And Justice For All. ''Enter Sandman' was the first thing we came up with when we sat down for the songwriting process in July 1990,' Ulrich told Uncut magazine in 2007.

'Enter Sandman' was the first song written for the 'Black Album,' but the last one to get finished lyrics

In the end, 'Enter Sandman' has just two riffs in it, something that the group's frontman James Hetfield found 'pretty amazing,' looking back at the song in 2007, especially in comparison to the long, intricate compositions on 'Black Album' predecessor …And Justice For All.Ģ. 'I was inspired, I picked up my guitar, and out came that riff.' But Hammett's original riff was only two bars in length it was drummer Lars Ulrich, who, upon hearing the lick, suggested that the first bar be played three times, a switch-up that made all the difference. 'I had just been listening to Louder Than Love, the Soundgarden album,' he revealed. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett wrote the main riff to 'Enter Sandman' at two or three in the morning, he told 98.5 The Sports Hub's radio show ' Toucher & Rich' in September 2017. The 'Enter Sandman' riff was written by Kirk Hammett - with an assist from Lars Ulrich Here are five little-known and surprising facts about the enduring anthem.ġ. The opening cut on the band's polarizing but ultimately massively successful self-titled LP - better known as 'The Black Album' - it also served as the lead single off the record, released two weeks ahead of the watershed full-length on July 30th, 1991. Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' is one of the most instantly recognizable and universally beloved metal songs of all time, from its bluesy main riff to its menacing lyrics to its iconic music video.

Metallica ride the lightning genius