A sitar was added to “Wherever I May Roam” to create its distinctive intro on Metallica's The Black Album.
The song's opening uses Asian-influenced instrumentation, including a gong and sitar, before the full heavy-metal arrangement enters. The unusual texture gives the track a traveling, restless atmosphere that matches its roaming theme and sets it apart from the album's other songs.
The studio recording also used an overdubbed Warwick twelve-string bass for the intro. That instrument was used for effect on the accented notes, while a standard four-string bass carried the main bass part through the rest of the song. These details are easy to miss because the intro is often remembered simply as an exotic guitar sound.
In live performances, Metallica generally relied on the original sitar recording for the intro. During the S&M concerts, Kirk Hammett used a Danelectro electric sitar before switching to his ESP guitar, creating a live variation on the studio arrangement.