Which song from Metallica’s 1991 album uses a sitar played by James Hetfield?

“Wherever I May Roam” is the song from Metallica’s 1991 album that uses a sitar played by James Hetfield.

The instrument adds an unusual timbral layer to a track built around themes of travel, independence, and life on the road. Hetfield was primarily known as the band’s rhythm guitarist and vocalist, so the sitar part stands out as a distinctive color in the album’s arrangement.

The song was later released as the album’s fourth commercial single. It reached number two on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and became a regular part of Metallica’s live repertoire. Its broad, roaming musical character helped it fit naturally with the band’s extensive touring cycle after the album’s release.

The sitar detail is easy to confuse with the album’s many other unusual textures, including the orchestral treatment associated with “Nothing Else Matters.” Those are separate arrangements. The sitar specifically belongs to “Wherever I May Roam.”