Wriitng riffs is hard. Taking riffs from the Batman theme song is way less hard, and that’s exactly what Metallica did on “Shadows Follow”.
Yes, that riff right around the 4:20 mark is the Batman theme. In an interview with Total Guitar, Hammett addressed the similarities between the two riffs, saying “That’s really funny [that fans noticed], because we called that riff ‘The Batman Riff’, and I know exactly what you are talking about.” So no, you’re not crazy when you thought that riff sounded suspiciously familiar.
Hammett also spoke a more on drawing influences, saying: “One thing I noticed from watching AC/DC at Power Trip is that AC/DC are actually a bunch of different bands. AC/DC is a fucking boogie-woogie blues bar band… a rock band… a hard-rock band… a heavy metal band. They are all those types of bands rolled into one. It goes from ‘Baby, please don’t go’ to fuckin’ Back In Black.”
You can get Hammett’s signature Epiphones and ESP guitars right here and start stealing riffs from Batman like, now. And yes, that includes his recent Epiphone Greeny reissue and those kickass Flying Vs.
