Kirk Hammett does not play lead guitar on Metallica’s studio recording of “Nothing Else Matters.”
James Hetfield performs the song’s guitar solo, making the track one of the unusual Metallica recordings in which Hammett does not appear. Hammett is the band’s lead guitarist and is strongly associated with its solo work, so his absence from this studio track is a frequently noted detail.
The song began as a private guitar composition by Hetfield while he was away from home. After Lars Ulrich heard it, the band developed it for The Black Album. Its clean arpeggiated opening, orchestral coloring, and personal lyrics placed it far outside the most aggressive template associated with Metallica’s earlier albums.
Hammett later learned the song and performed it live with the band, which can make recordings and concert memories seem contradictory. The studio fact remains specific: Hetfield handles the solo on the original recording, while Michael Kamen supplied the orchestral arrangements.