Who wrote the main riff for Metallica’s “My Friend of Misery” on The Black Album?

Jason Newsted wrote the main riff for Metallica’s “My Friend of Misery” on The Black Album.

Newsted joined Metallica as bassist after the death of Cliff Burton and contributed ideas to the band’s songwriting, although Hetfield and Ulrich handled much of the album’s primary writing. For “My Friend of Misery,” Newsted created the central riff and initially imagined the piece as an instrumental.

The song became the final track on the standard album’s first side or, on common digital listings, the penultimate full song before “The Struggle Within.” Its brooding bass-and-guitar foundation fits the album’s darker, more reflective side and contrasts with the direct attack of songs such as “Enter Sandman.”

Newsted’s authorship is sometimes overlooked because Metallica’s songwriting credits generally list multiple band members and because the group’s public image focused heavily on Hetfield and Ulrich. “My Friend of Misery” remains one of the clearest examples of Newsted’s compositional contribution to the band.