Kirk Hammett does not perform on the studio recording of “Nothing Else Matters” from Metallica’s The Black Album.
James Hetfield wrote and performed the song’s guitars and vocals, while Lars Ulrich played drums. Jason Newsted performed bass, and Michael Kamen arranged the orchestral parts performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Hammett is still strongly associated with the song in the public imagination because he appears in its music video and has performed it live with Metallica. On the studio recording, however, the lead guitarist is absent. This detail is often missed because Hammett is a core member of the band and appears in the album’s personnel and visual promotion.
“Nothing Else Matters” began as a private guitar idea by Hetfield and became one of Metallica’s best-known ballads. Its orchestral arrangement and exposed vocal delivery helped broaden the band’s audience without removing the album’s heavy musical identity.