“Nothing Else Matters” is the Metallica song from The Black Album whose guitar solo was played by James Hetfield rather than Kirk Hammett.
The song is unusual within Metallica's catalog because lead guitarist Kirk Hammett does not appear on the studio recording. Hetfield handled the guitar solo, adding to the track's intimate and less traditionally aggressive character.
“Nothing Else Matters” began as a private musical idea from Hetfield and developed into a power ballad. Its arpeggiated opening, orchestral arrangement, and reflective lyrics made it one of the band's most accessible songs, while its inclusion on The Black Album broadened the record's emotional range.
Composer Michael Kamen wrote the orchestral arrangements. Hammett later learned the song for live performances, but his absence from the original studio recording remains one of its notable production facts.