Metallica's Kirk Hammett on Sandman Inspiration and UFO

The inspiration behind the "Enter Sandman" riff was � Soundgarden. Hammett's most famous riff might never have occurred had he not been a fan of Soundgarden. In a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, he explained: "Soundgarden had just put out Louder Than Love. I was trying to capture their attitude toward big, heavy riffs. It was two o'clock in the morning. I put it on tape and didn't think about it. When [drummer] Lars [Ulrich] heard the riff, he said, 'That's really great. But repeat the first part four times.' It was that suggestion that made it even more hooky."