Which Metallica album song was the first to be heard publicly from The Black Album sessions?

“The God That Failed” was the first song heard publicly from The Black Album sessions.

The track was not released as a single, but it reached the public before the album through early exposure connected with the recording campaign. That makes it different from “Enter Sandman,” which became the official lead single.

James Hetfield wrote the lyrics about religious faith and personal loss, drawing on his mother’s death and her Christian Science beliefs. Musically, the song is slow, heavy, and more spacious than many of Metallica’s earlier thrash compositions.

It is also notable for being among Metallica’s first original releases tuned a half step down. The lower tuning contributed to the song’s weight and anticipated the album’s broader move toward slower, heavier, and more refined arrangements.