Which Metallica bassist wrote the main riff for “My Friend of Misery”?

Jason Newsted wrote the main riff for Metallica’s “My Friend of Misery.”

Newsted was Metallica’s bassist during the recording of The Black Album. He supplied the main riff for “My Friend of Misery,” a song that was initially conceived as an instrumental. The track ultimately became one of the album’s more atmospheric and reflective pieces.

The album’s songwriting was primarily handled by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, with Hetfield writing most of the lyrics. However, Kirk Hammett and Newsted also contributed song ideas and musical material. Newsted’s riff is therefore an important example of a bassist contributing directly to the album’s composition.

The song’s title and lyrics give it a darker, introspective mood, which contrasts with the more direct arena-rock identity of “Enter Sandman” or “Sad but True.” It is not a song written by Cliff Burton, who had died several years before the album was recorded.