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Metallica - Last Caress - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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SECTIONS

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End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key D minor
Metallica - Last Caress guitar tab video
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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.
Garage, Inc. album cover
Garage, Inc.
1998 3:30
Listen on Spotify
Metallica Thrash Metal 1998 D minor
Capo Advisor 0 D minor · Original key

About Last Caress

Originally a Misfits punk track, "Last Caress" got the full Metallica treatment on Garage, Inc., and the result is a fascinating exercise in transplanting raw punk energy into a Thrash Metal context. At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the song sits at a pace that feels deceptively approachable, but keeping the aggressive downpicking tight and consistent throughout is where most players start to slip. The riff itself is not technically complex, which means your tone and attack do all the talking: you want a punchy, mid-heavy crunch that keeps each note defined rather than muddy. The key of D minor gives the progression a dark, urgent character, and respecting that feel means playing with conviction rather than just speed. If the transitions between the main riff and the chord hits are giving you trouble, pull those sections into the Practice Toolbar and loop them slowed down until the rhythm feels automatic. This is a great song for drilling right-hand consistency and aggressive pick attack without getting lost in complicated fretting patterns.

  • The song sits in E Standard tuning at 120 BPM, making clean downpicking consistency the primary technical challenge rather than speed.
  • The riff is built on a straightforward D minor chord structure, so focus on pick attack and palm-muting control to nail Metallica's aggressive tone.
  • Because the fretting demands are low, this is a practical song for isolating and improving right-hand rhythm tightness across the full track.

How to Play Last Caress

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

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.

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