Which Metallica album song was originally intended as an instrumental by bassist Jason Newsted?

“My Friend of Misery” was originally intended as an instrumental by Metallica bassist Jason Newsted.

Newsted wrote the song’s main riff during the preparation of Metallica’s 1991 album. The idea continued a pattern from Metallica’s earlier records, each of which had included an instrumental track. Instead of remaining instrumental, however, the piece was developed into a vocal song for The Black Album.

The finished track features lyrics by James Hetfield and music credited to Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Newsted. Its slower, brooding character fits the album’s broader movement away from the fastest thrash-metal style of the band’s previous releases.

The song is sometimes overlooked because it was not one of the album’s major singles. It nevertheless illustrates how the band’s internal writing process worked: a member could bring in a riff or musical concept, which Hetfield and Ulrich then helped shape into a completed Metallica composition.