Which Metallica song on The Black Album contains the band’s first use of an orchestral arrangement?

“Nothing Else Matters” is the Metallica song on The Black Album that contains the band’s first use of an orchestral arrangement.

Michael Kamen wrote the orchestral arrangement for the song, and the London Symphony Orchestra performed on the recording. The arrangement expanded the song beyond the band’s standard guitar, bass, and drums format.

James Hetfield originally developed the song from an arpeggiated guitar figure while he was away from the rest of the band. Its personal lyrics and prominent acoustic guitar gave it a markedly different character from many of Metallica’s earlier songs.

Kirk Hammett does not play on the studio recording, although he appears in the music video and performs the song live with the band. That detail sometimes causes confusion when listeners identify the track’s credited musicians.