Which Metallica Black Album song contains a riff written by Jason Newsted?

“My Friend of Misery” contains the main riff written by Jason Newsted for Metallica's The Black Album. The piece began as an instrumental idea before becoming a vocal song.

Newsted had joined Metallica in 1986 after the death of bassist Cliff Burton. Although James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were the band's principal songwriting team, Newsted contributed ideas to the Black Album, including the central riff for “My Friend of Misery.”

The song was originally intended to continue Metallica's tradition of including an instrumental on every album. That plan changed when lyrics and a vocal arrangement were developed, making it the record's penultimate track rather than an instrumental interlude.

The credit is sometimes overlooked because Newsted's role in the band's songwriting was comparatively limited during this era. His contribution here is especially notable because it shaped one of the album's darker, more atmospheric compositions.