What was the original intended form of Metallica's “My Friend of Misery” on The Black Album?

Metallica originally intended “My Friend of Misery” on The Black Album to be an instrumental.

The song grew from a main riff written by bassist Jason Newsted. It was initially conceived without vocals, continuing the tradition of including an instrumental on each of Metallica's previous studio albums.

That plan changed during the album's songwriting and production process. Lyrics and vocals were added, turning the piece into a full song while preserving its prominent bass-led character. The finished recording appears as the penultimate track on the original album sequence.

The detail is often overlooked because “My Friend of Misery” is now known as a vocal song. It is also notable as one of the Black Album tracks associated with Newsted's songwriting contributions, alongside the broader writing partnership of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.