Metallica - The Unforgiven I, II & III Trilogy - REACTION 

Unforgiven - can’t forgive them Unforgiven II - can’t forgive you Unforgiven III - can’t forgive myself

Fun fact. The piano in the beginning is played by James. He used to play the piano as a kid.

Unforgiven I - Unforgiven to the World Unforgiven II - Unforgiven to Her Unforgiven III - Unforgiven to Himself Growth journey...

Not only are you hearing three great songs for the first time, but you're seeing a progression in their musical expression that spans several decades in the middle of their long career.

Three is my favorite. The raw anguished emotion of his screaming "why can't I forgive me" and the frantic start of the guitar solo kills me every time! James sounds split open and completely raw to the entire world. Just amazing.

First verse of, The Unforgiven; I always heard it as "whipping boy" not "weeping boy". The third one is by far my favorite, but they're all great!

James Hetfield is hands down the greatest frontman of all time. His vocal range is amazing. He can flawlessly go from beautiful and soothing to growling and aggressive with ease. The Unforgiven is one of the best examples of that.

The chorus of III is simply amazing, it's such and underrated song. James Hetfield is a fantastic lyricist!

A simple statement of the three songs are: 1) can't forgive "them" 2) can't forgive "her" 3) can't forgive "himself".

I love how this trilogy showcases the trend and direction the band was heading during the release of each song!

and you know what? with all these great lyrics they have created besides the understanding music, a live concert with Metallica is just another dimension.

Unforgiven II has a horrible sound quality in that link. Wow.

this is my favorite trilogy, they're all amazing

Imagine James in a dark, violent Pirate movie directed by Quentin Tarantino, with this song rolling in *holy shit-aah!*

I think every person who has heard this song (Unforgiven III)stopped to ponder the question: How CAN I be lost if ive got nowhere to go? Wether it relates to you or not, it's a damn good question...🤔

Great trilogy, loved each one as the albums came out, but something about the metaphor in 3 made it my favourite, “set sail to sea but pulled off course by the light of golden treasure...” Love it.

This was a great surprise, thank you Shawn!

12:12 - "forgive me if it sounds nothing like it" Nah mate, you're Unforgiven too.

The chord progression in 1&2 (Am C G Em) seems to be a favorite of James'. It's also the same progression for the verse riffs in Fade to Black. You're not the only reactor I've seen to part 3 get caught up on the "how can I be lost line"...first time I heard it, it blew me away at how simple yet profound it was. Great breakdown, do yourself a favor and listen to a cleaned up version of 2 'cuz this one was awful. Cheers!

Although the person in each story may not be the same I feel that they are all a metaphor for what James Hatfield was going through in those times. Each faze is a different stage in his life but he pieces the lyrics so masterfully and metaphorically you would not be wrong to interpret that they are not the same story. You just have to dig deeper because one thing I’ve learned about Metallica after more than 30 years is you can listen to any song and keep getting a new interpretation or meaning or a new found love for the song. Love your reaction my friend can’t wait for more Metallica 🤘

Yikes what did the uploader do to the quality of 2? Give that another listen, this was brutal.

I really enjoy your lyrical analysis.

16:54 I got Free bird solo vibes :D Btw i really like your lyrics interpretations

Thank you for this Shawn.

Great reaction bro. Keep the Metallica train rolling🔥🔥

Happy Cliff Burton Day 🤘🏻

I love the unforgiven III. You have to Listen to the S&M 2 version. Only James and the orchestra 🤘🏼

"i dont know if thats my favorite Metallica song or if i say that every time, i hear a Metallica song " .... i feel ya man, been a fan my entire life, literally, was listening to Metallica before I could talk. 40 years and they've never let me down

Metallica - Halo on Fire (official music video or S&M2 performance)

Love the Unforgiven III from S&M2 they recrded late 2019, such a powerful version of the song and it way different than the album one.

Tommy, what a great reaction! I've always been partial to the first Unforgiven, but each one has their specialties!! You have the unique opportunity of hearing them all in one shot - I had to wait for each subsequent release (so hearing the first in 1990 may be the reason why it's #1 for me - the first time is sometimes hard to beat!!) I enjoyed hearing them back to back to back! Thanks! If you want another GREAT trilogy to react to, where the songs are definitely linked (in terms of theme & concept), then I HIGHLY recommend Rush's Fear Trilogy. The songs being (in order of release): Witch Hunt (Part III - off of Moving Pictures, 1981), The Weapon (Part II - off Signals, 1982), The Enemy Within (Part I - off Grace Under Pressure, 1984). You already know the lyrical prowess that Neil Peart brings to Rush - well here he's presented three songs of the 'darker' side of human nature. There is a part 4 that came 18 years after. Called Freeze (from Vapor Trails, 2002). Not many react to this series - I think you'd really appreciate it!! Cheers!

Loved this reaction

Awsome video, for me its 1, 3, 2. But all great.

Great reaction in that it was honest and you let the music affect you whether good or bad. Very excellent insights as well. They are not right or wrong. And that’s the beauty in James Hetfield‘s writing. He gives you enough meat but keeps it vague enough for everyone to have an interpretation that fits them. He knows what he’s talking about for him, but riding in metaphors opens it up for everybody. Well done and I’m now a subscriber.

unforgiven II *C L I P P P*

1 (his growing life)he hates his family and his society 2 (his love life) after what society has done to him he can't trust anyone 3 (after he became rich and famous) he got drift by temptations of life and he realized he is the reason for all his pain

My favourite is 2 then 1 then 3 but they are all amazing

Brilliant reaction tommy from a stunning trilogy. What about reacting to the unforgiven 3 from S&M 2?. James sings it on his own with the san Francisco orchestra

Good lyrical analysis.

Here's a cool piece of musical trivia for you. James writes the melodies to his vocals before he writes the words, which is opposite of what most writers do, especially in rock music. Look up the demos for some of their songs, like Wherever I May Roam or Nothing Else Matters, and you'll hear an example of it.

James said that when he came up with the music that ended up being 2, he realized it was the same as the Unforgiven, so he decided to go that route. It wasn't his original intent. To me 1 & 3 are the best. 3 is not about sailing, it's riddled with metaphors and I think it's brilliant and extremely emotional. Always hits me really hard. Glad you got to this! Self forgiveness can be the hardest. The song is about being distracted from the things that are truly important in life, resulting in disaster that isn't worth it in the end. At least that's what I get out of it.

Unforgiven 1: Metallica Unforgiven 2: Countryllica Unforgiven 3: Symphonyllica.

Sick reaction

Hell yeah!!!!

at this time was james kirk and jason from the US and lars the Drummer is original a Viking from Denmark

Three is definitely the best of the trilogy. Lyrically and instrumentally, that solo is killer off a great underrated album (Death Magnetic)

Wow. The thing that struck me more than anything was that the clipping going from part 1 to part 2 was *abysmal*. The audio quality took a serious dive. Thankfully, the quality of #3 was dramatically improved. I love, and have loved for a long time, #1. I've known #2 since it was released, but have been not nearly as much a fan; I suspect I'm simply biased because of how much I liked 1, and nothing they could have done seems likely to have placated my sentiment in this matter. I even disliked the way that they made a gimmick of the song title, with each repetition of "unforgiven" in the lyrics saying "unforgiven, too." However, #3 is new to me. I think I vaguely recall having heard at sometime in the past that they'd released a third one, but never made any effort to listen to it. The fact that it was so musically divergent from #1 and #2 made it a lot easier to judge it on its own merits instead of my existing feelings. I differed a little from you in my interpretation of #2: I saw it as somebody reaching out to the victim/subject of #1 and asking, basically, "Will you let me help you heal, or do you feel the same loathing for yourself that you feel for the people who've damaged you? Will you turn me away because you're the same as them? Have you taken on the identity of the unforgiven? Is my effort pre-doomed?" I'm not sure either interpretation is more correct than the other, but that's where my mind went as I listened. The piano intro for #3 was just so poignant given the emotions of #1 and #2. The lyrics felt to me like it was the victim from #1 again, having given up and now thinking that was the way to stop feeling the pain of his trauma. But it's gone badly wrong: He's let go of his loathing for his oppressors, and now feels it only for himself, and it's overwhelmed his ability to feel anything else. To answer the question posed by #2: He is indeed unforgiven, too, and that's the only thing he feels, the only thing sees in the mirror when he looks at himself. Nothing else in life... his golden treasures... means anything as long as he's not able to work through the emotional turmoil by which he defines himself. I do like #3 quite a lot. I appreciate the trilogy as a whole adds up to more than the sum of its parts, but that essentially #2 and #3 are meaningless without the context provided by the whole, as you noted with #2. Good watch! Good reactions!

The Death Magnetic song clips less than the Reload song.

Sweet!!

This is an awesome surprise dude. I've been hoping you would react to these songs for a while now. (Btw I think the volume of the songs themselves seems to be too loud because the audio is clipping a lot)

Unforgiven II has a much darker ending than the way you have interpreted it. In the end, he realizes that he himself is incapable of opening up his heart, and that this (woman) is really just the same as everyone else he has come to reject. So in essence he kills her (Lay beside me, this won't hurt I swear). She'll "never love again" because she is dead. There is a common belief that he does this because she betrays him, though this is not really stated in the lyrics. The "Now I see the sun" part is in reference to him being alone again, which is where he has come to feel most comfortable. Sad, really.

Unforgiven II is tuned down a semi tone. The original and Unforgiven III are in Am. Unforgiven II is in G#m.

Welcome to Metallica cage, once you get in their trap, no exit. They suck you in... Wishlist: 1. Innuendo (queen) 2. Pheonix rising (annihilator) 3. Low man's lyrucs (Metallica)

I recognize The Unforgiven as the absolute masterpiece that it is (and superior to yhe other 2), but I am more partial to Unforgiven II, because it is the first one I heard and the one I grew up with (I must of been around 8 when it came out). Plus, the 90s vibe seals the deal for me anytime, anywhere. Unforgiven III is just a good Metallica song for me, I don't have a defined opinion on it.

Glad to know it wasn't just me. LOL

Assuming that the song is about James, I know enough of his life to fairly confidently interpret what the first song is about and I agree with NorthernEar's interpretation. I can't confidently say the same about numbers 2 and 3. Regarding number 2, I like NorthernEar's interpretation, but I wonder whether the song isn't so much about another person, but about whether James should/could open the door to himself or the him that he wants to be/thought that he would/should be if not for his parent's and society's meddling.

People say kirks lost it recently but unforgiven III is one of the best tallica solos ever and its from their second to most recent album...

In my own opinion, Unforgiven III is about the band making peace with the struggle between "we want to make music, maybe become famous, heck maybe even rich" vs their fans going "you guys are sell-outs (a fan even spat at James after they made their 1st music video for One), you guys forgot the meaning of Metal". And while I hate that this had become an ongoing struggle for them, I max-respect that they made peace with it and pushed forward anyway despite scathing criticism and the long-ago death of a band member and close friend. When they began, they set out for some fame and fortune, but they never imagined where their paths would lead over the years, and they never even remotely considered that their own fans would criticize them for it.

Unforgiven II never hit me this seriously before. It's a damn condensed, less detailed Remedy Lane(Pain of Salvation album). Thank you for making me realize that, Tommy. Edit: On the topic of Three. To me, it's one big metaphor for that big, self reinforcing trap, depression. The subject has no goals. No plans. Nowhere to go. He once had a bright future ahead of him. He knew what to do and how to get there. But then, he took a chance at something that looked promising, yet either didn't deliver or was a mirage all along. Fool's gold. But by now it's too late to go back on course. His choices cost him his chance. Once he had a heart filled with energy and the eyes set on the bright future ahead. Now, he is shipwrecked in a life that isn't what he wanted. He keeps reliving making that wrong choice that brought him to where he is. Cold and alone in the dark. Wracked by guilt. If only he didn't...

nice combo, If there is 20 legendary bands - Metallica and Led Zeppelin are mythical...

The sound of the bell in THE UNFORGIVEN I actually is like from the church...because James family religion is Christian Science

i agree these 3 song are a master piece of story butt what about The day that never comes/Confusion , there is something in those two songs in the lyrics very similar.

Which one of the trilogy did you like the most i know you said 2 first. Did number 3 change change that at all.

12:33 - WTF!!!!??? Why is that audio so badly clipped????!!!! The album version is not clipped at all! (Death magnetic album/Unforgiven 3) was tho.

I thought James sings " we share this paralyze " in Unforgiven II .. in the video someone wrote " we share this pair of lives " .. can someone say what is correct?

The audio of Unforgiven 2 that you listened was little broken. Lead guitar and bass it was really bad. Just wanted to say.

The solo in Unforgiven I is the last solo Kirk absolutely nailed. Unforgiven III's solo could have been an all-time great but it sounds like a sloppy first or second attempt, not a polished final take.

Unforgiving II is my favorite.

I hope 2 sounded better on your end. Pretty bad here. If it was all distorted please listen to a cleaner copy.

Whoever transferred these tracks from disc to hard drive really didn’t watch their levels. The digital clipping on “unforgiven part two“ is obscene.

Unforgiven 2 deserves a re-listen with official video maybe. That was horrible

Metallica sounded differently from the previous albums on the black album. The Load and Reload album sounded a bit similar. The music was slower with lots of deeper sounding guitars; a bit like Black Sabbath. They got a lot of new fans and lost some old fans. I like both Metallica styles. The Unforgiven is a very accessible song and I like it. The Unforgiven II; ( the louder sounds are distorted so you have to put down the volume a bit. Your voice sounds normal). Similar song. I never heard the third one before but I like it less than the previous two. It’s a bit boring in structure. The text has some better bits but I still don’t like it. The song doesn’t speak to me.

its unfortunate that you heard the 2nd one with such awful sound quality.... it sounds way better than that

They are not connected even though they are so connected oh my God 😭

The video link that someone sent you has a horrible sounding Unforgiven 2. The clipping in that version is horrendous.