DAVE MUSTAINE Claims METALLICA Stole ‘Enter Sandman’ Riff From Another Band

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Dave Mustaine has reignited a longstanding debate by alleging that METALLICA’s iconic riff from “Enter Sandman” was taken from another band’s song.

Speaking on The Shawn Ryan Show, Mustaine, the former METALLICA guitarist and frontman of MEGADETH, claimed that METALLICA’s most famous track is rooted in a riff borrowed from crossover thrash band EXCEL. According to Mustaine, the song in question is EXCEL’s 1989 track “Tapping Into the Emotional Void.”

“There’s this song by EXCEL, I think it’s called ‘Into the Unknown’—pretty similar,” Mustaine remarked during the interview. “Look it up.”

The discussion arose as Mustaine revisited his time with METALLICA and the circumstances surrounding his departure from the group. “I made sure not to ever say that I quit, because I wanted people to know that I was unfairly dismissed and that I didn’t give a s**t,” he said.

This isn’t the first time the resemblance between “Enter Sandman” and “Tapping Into the Emotional Void” has sparked conversation. Over the years, fans and critics alike have noted similarities between the two tracks, particularly in the guitar riff and drum build-up at the start. Some have speculated that the resemblance was strong enough that Excel considered legal action against METALLICA back in 2003, although nothing materialized.

“Enter Sandman” was released in 1991 as part of METALLICA’s self-titled album, also known as The Black Album, and became one of the band’s most commercially successful and recognizable hits. Meanwhile, EXCEL’s “Tapping Into the Emotional Void” was released two years earlier in 1989, contributing to the band’s influence in the crossover thrash scene.

For those curious, a side-by-side listen of “Enter Sandman” and “Tapping Into the Emotional Void” may offer a clearer comparison.