Metallica - THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES - Guitar Tab

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Metallica - THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES - Guitar Tab

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Death Magnetic album cover
Death Magnetic
2008 7:56
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES


"The Day That Never Comes" is a heavy metal track by Metallica, released on August 21, 2008 as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic. The song is notable for its dynamic structure, building from a clean, melodic guitar intro into a heavy, riff-driven climax, a format that makes it an excellent study piece for electric guitarists looking to develop both fingerpicking sensitivity and aggressive rhythm playing within a single song.

  • The song was Metallica's lead single from Death Magnetic, released for radio and digital download on August 21, 2008.
  • Its structure shifts from clean picked guitar passages to heavy distorted riffs, requiring guitarists to switch techniques mid-song.
  • The track showcases Metallica's return to longer, progressive song arrangements reminiscent of their classic Master of Puppets era.
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.