Metallica "The Unforgiven II (Japanese Single & Video)"

"The Unforgiven II" was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett and appears on the album Reload as a sequel to "The Unforgiven." Both songs have similar musical themes. The chord progression during the verses is strikingly similar to the one used in the chorus on "The Unforgiven".

"The Unforgiven II" video is similar to the first video's story, though a tunnel is substituted for the blank room shown in the first video. It begins with a shirtless boy stuck in a wall, showing the wall breaking piece by piece as the boy ages. As the video progresses, it becomes more abstract, with waves crashing on the other side of the wall and rupturing it, making the wall smaller each time. The final scene shows the remaining piece of the wall turning into a woman, with the now older boy's hand still embedded in her back. The boy opens his hand, allowing the woman to take the key out of his hand and allowing him to take his hand out of the wall.

"The Unforgiven II" was first performed live on December 8, 1997, at that year's Billboard Music Awards. The song was not played in a live setting again for the next 17 years, until Metallica re-introduced it into the setlist for their 2015 European festival tours. Following its performance in Gelsenkirchen, Germany's Rock Im Revier festival, Metallica then included it in the setlists of their next three shows.

Track listing

International Single Part 1

1. "The Unforgiven II" 6:36
2. "Helpless" (Live) 4:15
3. "The Four Horsemen" (Live) 6:19
4. "Of Wolf and Man" (Live) 4:31

US Single

1. "The Unforgiven II" 6:36
2. "The Thing That Should Not Be" (Live) 4:40

International Single Part 2

1. "The Unforgiven II" 6:36
2. "The Thing That Should Not Be" (Live) 7:33
3. "The Memory Remains" (Live) 4:19
4. "King Nothing" (Live) 7:14

International Single Part 3

1. "The Unforgiven II" 6:36
2. "No Remorse" (Live) 4:54
3. "Am I Evil?" (Live) 5:09
4. "The Unforgiven II" (Demo) 7:14

Japanese EP

1. "The Unforgiven II" 6:38
2. "The Thing That Should Not Be" (Live) 7:31
3. "The Memory Remains" (Live) 4:28
4. "No Remorse" (Live) 4:52
5. "Am I Evil?" (Live) 5:11
6. "The Unforgiven II" (Demo) 7:13

European Single

1. "The Unforgiven II" 6:36
2. "The Memory Remains" (Live) 4:19

Recording information:

Helpless (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

Originally released by Diamond Head in 1980 on the Lightning to the Nations album

The Four Horsemen (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

Of Wolf & Man (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

The Thing That Should Not Be (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

The Memory Remains (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

King Nothing (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

No Remorse (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

Am I Evil? (Live)

Recorded live on November 13, 1997 at The Ministry of Sound in London, England

Mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton

Originally released by Diamond Head in 1980 on the Lightning to the Nations album

The Unforgiven II (Demo)

Not Yet Produced

Recorded by Lars & Jaymz on April 14, 1995 in Lars' Dungeon.