For Whom The Bell Tollsby Metallica

For Whom The Bell Tolls is one of Metallica's most played songs from their album "Ride The Lightning" released in 1984. I used to play this song all the time in my high school heavy metal band, so I'm pretty fond of it. It's a very groove oriented song and definitely a headbanger for the metal guys out there. The main element to this song is the power chords. This song really emphasizes the space between the chords to build the groove, so it's great practice to play with a solid rhythm. It has a palm muted descending power chord riff that has a sludgy and grimy sound which provides the basis for the triplet lead licks that play over the top. Metallica often had both guitar parts playing different and intricate parts while the vocals were on top which made for a complex blend of melodic and harmonic sounds. There's a lot of different elements as far as the lead guitar part goes. It has a cool repetitive cyclical pattern that circles through in triplets, giving it an almost Iron Maiden feel. This is a really good song of beginner or intermediate players to get into play heavy metal. Since there's no crazy solos in it, this one's a bit more accessible.