Metallica - Eye of the Beholder - Guitar Tab

Practice Studio

Metallica - Eye of the Beholder - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

SECTIONS

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.

...And Justice for All (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) album cover
...And Justice for All (Remastered Deluxe Box Set)
1988 6:26
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

Eye of the Beholder


"Eye of the Beholder" is a track by Metallica, released on October 30, 1988, as the second single from their fourth studio album, ...And Justice for All. The song sits at track 3 on the album and is notable for its shifting, alternating time signatures that create an angular, complex feel. For electric guitar players, it offers a strong study in rhythmic precision and the kind of progressive-leaning riff construction that defined Metallica's late-1980s sound.

  • The song has not been performed live in its entirety since 1989, making it a rare piece of Metallica's live history.
  • Drummer Lars Ulrich called it his least favourite Metallica song, partly due to its alternating time signatures.
  • Mastering this track's rhythm guitar parts requires tight control over odd time signature changes, a real test for advancing players.
Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Kirk Hammett's vintage 1959 'Greeny' Les Paul Standard delivers warmer, more dynamic PAF-style tones that contrast his EMG-equipped ESP guitars, adding organic sustain to his lead work. This guitar's traditional construction gives his solos a thicker, less compressed character than his signature models.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While not Hammett's primary choice, the Les Paul Custom shares the Les Paul's warm PAF pickup character and thick body resonance, offering heavier players an alternative to Strat-style designs for achieving Metallica's crushing rhythm tones.

Gibson Explorer
Guitar

Gibson Explorer

James Hetfield's early Gibson Explorer established his signature angular shape and thick body tone, delivering the aggressive midrange attack essential to Metallica's crushing rhythm style before his ESP signature models became his primary tool.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Kirk Hammett's Dual Rectifier heads provide the high-gain, midrange-forward aggression that lets his solos cut through Hetfield's scooped rhythm tone, creating definition and clarity in Metallica's dense wall of distortion.

EMG 81
Pickup

EMG 81

Hetfield's bridge EMG 81 delivers the hot, compressed output with tight low-end that defines Metallica's palm-muted riffs, the ceramic magnet and active preamp cutting through heavy arrangements with focused, aggressive attack.

EMG 60
Pickup

EMG 60

Both guitarists use the neck EMG 60 for warmer, more articulate rhythm tones and smoother lead voicings, balancing the 81's aggression with clearer note definition across Metallica's dense arrangements.