The Unforgiven
Metallica, 1991, from Metallica. Solo by Kirk Hammett.
The Unforgiven flips the usual ballad formula, with heavy verses and softer choruses, and Kirk Hammett's solo has to bridge both moods. He starts with slower, carefully placed phrases that echo the song's sense of weariness, then opens up into faster, more fluid runs without losing the melodic thread. It's one of his most composed-sounding solos, and it fits the song's brooding, minor-key atmosphere better than pure speed ever could. The track showed Metallica could write something close to a power ballad without giving up their weight. Listen for how the opening notes hang against the chords before he picks up momentum, as if the solo is working up the nerve to speak.
The Unforgiven by Metallica is ranked #104 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Kirk Hammett and the song was released in 1991. It appears on 5 lists, placing as high as #3 (Far Out Magazine).
In our lists
- The Most-Taught Solos — #49
- See Them Live — #34
- The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990 — #21
- The 25 Greatest Metal Guitar Solos — #21
- The 1990s — #18
- Ballad Solos — #14
- The Best Kirk Hammett Guitar Solos — #5
- The Best Metallica Guitar Solos — #11
Sources
- Far Out Magazine: The 10 greatest guitar solos of the 1990s — #3
- Gitaarles.nl: Gitaarsolo's leren spelen met de 25 vetste gitaarsolo's aller tijden! — #17
- Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #30
- guitarguitar: Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time — #41
- Planet Rock: The 75 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #49
- Letras.mus.br: Conheça os 15 melhores solos de guitarra da história do rock
Who played the guitar solo on The Unforgiven?
Kirk Hammett played the solo on Metallica's The Unforgiven (1991).
What guitar was used on the The Unforgiven solo?
An esp, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does The Unforgiven rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#104 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 5 of them.