Ride the Lightning

Metallica, 1984, from Ride the Lightning. Solo by Kirk Hammett.

An extended instrumental break with some of Hammett's longest wah-driven soloing of the early records.

Ride the Lightning is a dark song about a condemned man, and its extended instrumental section gives Kirk Hammett room for some of his longest soloing on the early records. His wah pedal shapes the tone throughout, adding a vocal, crying quality to the fast runs and bent notes. The break shifts through several parts, with changing riffs underneath that keep the long section moving. It showed that Metallica could write ambitious, multi-part songs while keeping thrash's aggression intact. Listen for the way Hammett uses the wah to accent certain notes, and notice how the riffs beneath him change several times, giving the solo section a sense of progression rather than repetition.

Ride the Lightning by Metallica is featured in our Thrash (#16) list. The solo is played by Kirk Hammett and the song was released in 1984.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Thrash Guitar Solos — #16
• Wah & Talk Box Solos — #23
• The Best Kirk Hammett Guitar Solos — #11
• The Best Metallica Guitar Solos — #12

Sources

• DigitalDreamDoor: 200 Greatest Metal Guitar Solos — #44