Latest in the line of releases to celebrate Metallica's 30th anniversary of The Black Album is a remastered version of The Unforgiven. The song is set to appear on the band's epic expanded boxset, and was recorded live at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, NM on August 27, 1992.
Featuring guitar tech John Marshall taking over from James Hetfield on rhythm guitar duties due to an unfortunate pyrotechnic accident a couple weeks prior, the rendition feels dramatically more exposed than the original – and significantly less impactful. However, it's somewhat incredible to watch such an unpolished, raw performance, echoed by the vulnerability of Hetfield's arms plastered in bandages.
Alongside the box-set release, Metallica are slowly drip-feeding songs from their charity covers album, The Blacklist, which will feature an array of 53 different artists. So if you're not totally sold on this rendition of The Unforgiven, you'll be happy to know that courtesy of The Blacklist, there's another three whole alternative covers of the track by Diet Cig, Ha*Ash and Vishal Dadlani featuring DIVINE and the Shor Police.
Watch Metallica: The Unforgiven (Las Cruces, NM - August 27, 1992) below:
