Without naming names, some famous songs are flukes. Likewise, just because a song isn’t among a band’s most famous doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthy of such status. Bands have albums for a reason, after all; the singles are just the tip of the iceberg, and exploring the depths of a band’s discography can lead to some truly mesmerizing discoveries. This goes for bands of all genres, especially ones as prolific and talented as Metallica. Over the decades, this heavy metal giant released so much amazing music that some of it was bound to get overlooked.

This list is going to shine a bit of light on songs that have lived in the shadow of widely celebrated tracks like “One,” “Master of Puppets,” “Enter Sandman,” and so on. Which is not to say that they’ve been panned, but they’re not nearly as talked about or remembered by those who aren’t passionate fans. Unfortunately, Metallica has so many minor but solid tracks that this list alone won’t be able to cover all the overlooked ones. Hopefully, this will at least mention the most powerful of them. They’re all too obscure to measure which is lesser known than which, so these are ranked by the same standards as their worshiped siblings: intensity, complexity, musical prowess, and lyrical precision.

10

“The Day that Never Comes”

‘Death Magnetic’ (2008)

Death Magnetic‘s “The Day that Never Comes” has one of the best introductions in Metallica’s repertoire. It reminds listeners of the dramatic openings to songs like “Fade to Black” or “One.” It may not be quite as strong as those, but it’s still very good at building up this great well of sadness that carries through the rest of the song. When we get to the middle portion of the track, things get a bit heavier, and one can tell that the intensity is going to be dialed up even more.

And that it does. Like Metallica’s best songs that start soft and pick up from there, the final part of this song embraces the band’s thrash roots. This jam lasts for a while, but it earns every second. There isn’t any singing here, and there doesn’t need to be. This is just straight on fury, and it makes “The Day that Never Comes” one of the best songs the band had made in a while at the time. Had Death Magnetic been better produced, this track would hit as hard as it does live (that is, very)—which can be said for several other songs on the album, too.

9

“Of Wolf and Man”

‘Metallica’ or ‘The Black Album’ (1991)

“Of Wolf and Man” starts off smashing, with Lars Ulrich‘s drums dominating the first several seconds. Though it doesn’t have the catchiest title of all time (why not call it “Shapeshift”?), this song has a surprisingly strong theme. Likewise, James Hetfield knows exactly how to sing this one. Far from monotonous, his performance here has enough different movements to keep the verse and chorus going without us losing interest.

At just over four minutes long, this one is relatively short for a Metallica piece. Very much in keeping with The Black Album‘s more concise aesthetic, this track still has a solid solo and an interesting bridge that’s supposed to evoke the transformation from man to wolf. While this is not the strongest song on the album by any means, “Of Wolf And Man” boasts an impressive display of craft. It shows that even less ambitious songs can be well-worth praising.

8

“Trapped Under Ice”

‘Ride the Lightning’ (1984)

“Trapped Under Ice” has so much build-up that the audience is absorbed way before the verse begins. When it comes to Hetfield’s old-school high-pitched shrieks, his vocal performance here is as strong as any other. The chorus has him scream one word that echoes while he describes the scene further (“Freezing!” and “can’t move at all!”), which has a cool one-two dynamic that holds the listener’s attention.

The bridge is cool too, but not so long as to overstay its welcome. Employing a similar structure as the chorus, it feels like two Hetfields in (angry) conversation with each other. The solo is extremely short, but Kirk Hammet proves once again that he can do a lot in ten seconds. In the end, “Trapped Under Ice” is trapped under the understandably huge reputations of songs like “Fade to Black” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

7

“Damage Inc.”

‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)

At the beginning of “Damage, Inc.,” an electric guitar fades in and out like a violin. There is a shockingly effective dramatic effect here, but, like all Metallica songs that start off like this, it also feels like a presage to something much faster and heavier. Sure enough, that’s exactly what we get—and it’s terrific. Embracing their thrash metal roots, it definitely feels like “Damage Inc.” is a fitting title.

Hetfield’s voice echoes with rage, but it doesn’t get too complicated. Following along with the riff, he aptly makes sure his voice doesn’t get in the way of the band’s momentum. There’s also that excellent bridge, which almost feels like it could carry an entire song on its own. This turns into a solo that matches the intensity and nuance of Master of Puppets‘ other phenomenal tracks. It’s hard to end an album with so much brilliant material, but “Damage Inc.” does so with style.

6

“King Nothing”

‘Load’ (1996)

Load was largely considered a low-point by fans and critics, but not all of it deserved to be. That high-pitched guitar sound helps establish the atmosphere of the song from the get-go, and the bassline at the beginning of “King Nothing” is very promising. This leads up to a similar guitar riff, which makes the whole band feel like they’re in sync here. By the time Hetfield joins in, we know the high quality of this song will extend beyond the introduction.

The verse is very good, and the chorus skillfully notches up the level of intensity. Hetfield’s growl is particularly effective at conveying how a king has fallen from his throne. The bridge brings the bassline back into the foreground, and the section gracefully builds in suspense to bring us back into the chorus. Another great detail is when Hetfield sings “but there’s no one around” a little bit higher on that final chorus. Overall, the song absolutely earns its five and a half minutes, and helps justify the experimental nature of its album.

5

“The God that Failed”

‘Metallica’ or ‘The Black Album’ (1991)

It’s pretty much always a win when a song starts off with bass, and “The God that Failed” is no exception. Jason Newsted could barely be heard on the previous album, but now we hear him loud and clear. When the rest of the band joins in, it feels like we’re in for yet another solid track on an album that just keeps on giving. The pace isn’t that fast, but the track sure is heavy. Along with a solo by Hammett that has enough different tinges to keep us engaged, there is no weak point to be found.

Meanwhile, this has some of Hetfield’s best and most personal lyrics. Based on his religious upbringing, the song describes someone who relies on faith in God for medical assistance, as well as the anger and pain from the prayers not working. One of the most powerful lines he ever wrote is “The healing hand held back by the deepened nail.” Many people won’t even like the title of this song, but who’s expecting pious adherence to Christianity from a heavy metal band, anyway?

4

“Until it Sleeps”

‘Load’ (1996)

Another bass at the beginning, another success: “Until it Sleeps” starts off with a promising and concise introduction that immerses us into the depths of a troubled mind. The verse is brief, as if the trauma of the narrator is so overwhelming to bear that he can only utter a couple of lines before smashing into a description of his inner turmoil. The words do a simple but effective job of summing up how these negative feelings stay with you, especially the question of the first line: “Where do I take this pain of mine?”

As was the case with “King Nothing,” this track was part of an album that really turned off a lot of fans. Almost thirty years later, however, this is one of the songs that actually holds up. More than that: it grips you (and not in the harmful way in which the narrator’s mental illness “grips” him). This also has a short but strong bridge that doesn’t try to impress with a fast guitar solo—as this song is more concerned with atmosphere. In the end, “Until it Sleeps” keeps the audience wide-awake.

3

“To Live is to Die”

‘…And Justice for All’ (1988)

“To Live is to Die” is one of those Metallica songs with a disarmingly elegant acoustic introduction. Then the heavy guitar takes over, a tonal juxtaposition that can be compared to life and death (as in the title). As the jam that unfolds becomes more layered, we become more absorbed in it. By the time Hammett’s solo arrives, he doesn’t try to overdo it—selecting his notes so that they become progressively faster but no less intentional.

Partially composed by Cliff Burton before his unexpected passing, “To Live is to Die” very much feels like an elegy to his greatness. The section in the middle beautifully carries the weight of tragedy, evoking the same level of emotion as one can find in “Orion” from the previous album.…And Justice For All may have had too many longer songs on it, but the more you listen to this track, the more it feels like this one went exactly the distance it needed to go. Overall, this instrumental epic is pretty much perfect from start to finish.

2

“My Friend of Misery”

‘Metallica’ or ‘The Black Album’ (1991)

Yet another bass-driven introduction, and this one tops them all. Newsted provides such a spectacular riff here that it feels like this song can’t get any better than that first minute. Maybe it doesn’t, either, but the quality of the music nevertheless stays very high. The band is able to create a verse out of that deeply moving jam, crafting a verse and chorus that have some of the most effective lyrics on The Black Album. “Hearing only what you want to hear” or “knowing only what you’ve heard” are just a few of the many blunt lines that fit the tone.

The return of that bass during the pre-verse hits hard every time, and it’s especially effective at the half-way point. Without the drums, this pause echoes the brilliance of the song’s introduction—yet it has its own nuances with those background echoes of electric guitar. Another highlight is what sounds like two guitars playing together around the four-and-a-half minute mark. Maybe it’s a little too long, but it’s still a hell of a track.

1

“Disposable Heroes”

‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)

From the legendary Master of Puppets, “Disposable Heroes” charges forward immediately—insisting that side two of the record will be just as riveting as the first. With masterpieces this long, it’s hard to know which parts to highlight in such a small space; every single second works. This song thrashes in a way that helps us picture the horrors of combat. When Hetfield roars, “Back to the front!”—this anti-war epic feels like a kindred soul to Black Sabbath‘s own anti-war classic, “War Pigs.” The way he inflects his voice with “You blind man!” is also pitch-perfect.

This song moves so fast and contains so many details that one can barely even register it. Highly complex and pulsing with rage, “Disposable Heroes” deserves to be ranked among the band’s most famous tracks. If “Master of Puppets” feels like a great tower of thrash metal, then this equally long neighbor is another such symbol of the heights this genre can reach. “Master of Puppets” may be the best song on the album, but just barely.