What instrument does James Hetfield play on Metallica's The Black Album?

James Hetfield plays rhythm guitar on Metallica's The Black Album.

Hetfield is also the album's lead vocalist and its principal lyricist. His tightly doubled guitar parts are central to the record's heavy, controlled sound, while Kirk Hammett supplies the lead-guitar role and Lars Ulrich plays drums.

The standard personnel listing identifies Jason Newsted on bass, completing the classic four-member studio lineup heard on the album. Hetfield's rhythm work is especially important because the record emphasizes thick riffs, precise downpicking, and a more spacious groove than several of Metallica's earlier releases.

A common mix-up concerns “Nothing Else Matters.” Kirk Hammett does not play on that studio recording, although he appears in its video and performs the song live. Hetfield plays the guitar solo on the studio version, making the track unusual within Metallica's catalog.