On which The Black Album song did James Hetfield play the lead-guitar parts instead of Kirk Hammett?

James Hetfield played the lead-guitar parts on “Nothing Else Matters” instead of Kirk Hammett on The Black Album.

Hetfield wrote the song while composing a private guitar idea, and its arrangement developed into a reflective ballad rather than a conventional Metallica thrash track. The album credits identify Hetfield as playing lead guitar on the recording, while Hammett does not appear on the song’s studio version.

Hammett is still closely associated with the song because he appears in its music video and performs it live with the band. In concert, he has also played the acoustic introduction, which can make listeners assume he handled the recorded lead parts as well.

The studio recording includes orchestral color and a prominent guitar solo, helping it become one of Metallica’s best-known songs. Its unusual guitar-credit arrangement is a useful distinction between the album recording and the band’s later live performances.