Metallica's “My Friend of Misery” was originally planned as an instrumental before becoming a vocal song.
The main riff was written by bassist Jason Newsted, who brought the idea into the album's songwriting process. At first, the piece was intended to continue Metallica's tradition of including an instrumental on each earlier album.
During development, however, the idea changed. The track acquired vocals and lyrics, allowing it to fit the final twelve-song sequence of the self-titled album. This evolution illustrates how the Black Album's songs were shaped in the studio rather than treated as completely fixed compositions from the start.
Listeners sometimes assume the album contains an instrumental because of the song's early concept or because Newsted's riff has a strong standalone identity. The finished “My Friend of Misery” is not an instrumental: it is a vocal track on the 1991 album. Its history preserves the instrumental plan even though the released version took a different form.