Two sequel songs followed Metallica’s “The Unforgiven” from the Black Album.
The sequels are “The Unforgiven II,” released on Reload in 1997, and “The Unforgiven III,” released on Death Magnetic in 2008. Together with the original, they form a three-song series spread across different periods of Metallica’s career.
The first “The Unforgiven” appeared on Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album and was released as its second single on October 28, 1991. The song’s arrangement reverses the familiar power-ballad pattern: its verses are heavy and distorted, while its chorus is softer and more melodic.
The numbering can create an easy mistake. The original is not called “The Unforgiven I” on the album; it is simply “The Unforgiven.” The later titles use Roman numerals II and III. Kirk Hammett’s solo on the original was a late improvisation after earlier ideas did not work, helping give the recording its raw, expressive character.