Is it hard to imagine a place where everybody is united under one roof, enjoying themselves and each other’s presence? A place where people from every generation, every culture and every background can share the same air, the same food, the same drinks and the same love for one thing? Such a place might be impossible to conceive in a time (and specifically country) as deeply and systemically fractured as ours, but occasionally, there is a grand, unifying force that brings everyone together, even if for only a short amount of time.
Being in that environment is one of the most inspiring and comforting experiences a human being can live through. One of, if not the, biggest catalysts for such an event is art, whether that be film, literature, music or any other form. Music seems to be the most powerful art form in this respect, which is in no doubt due to much higher digestibility and, most importantly, the inherent event nature of concerts. Live music allows for that place of unity to concretely exist within our time and space, graduating from hopelessly ideal concept to a very real setting for communal bonding and celebration. Musical artists typically attract a wide variety of people, and one musical act with one of the most unequivocally diverse fanbases is Metallica.
The heavy metal band is the biggest in the world for their genre, with astronomical sales and an unbelievably monumental and loyal following. After 40-plus years, 11 studio albums (the latest of which dropped in April and is currently being supported by the M72 World Tour) and countless live shows and accolades, the 60-year-old members are still performing at the peak of their careers. The band’s earth-shaking performance at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, is as definitive proof as ever of their mastery over the art of music and performance.
Following the thrilling opening acts of up-and-comer Ice Nine Kills and metalhead favorite Five Finger Death Punch, there was an extended intermission period before the lights dimmed. As the excitement of the crowd channeled through every single nerve in attendance, AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock and Roll)” rang out as fan photos cycled through on the video displays. Afterward, the notes of Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy of Gold” (a longtime opening track for Metallica) began to soar throughout the stadium as fans took over with enthusiastic vocalizations of the song’s iconic chorus.
The four band members (singer/rhythm guitarist/frontman James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo) took their place onstage during the track’s denouement, immediately after which they set the stadium afire with “Whiplash,” one of the thrashiest tracks from their debut album “Kill ‘Em All.” After kickstarting the hearts of the 78,000 fans in attendance, the quartet pulled out the heavy one-two punch of “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Ride the Lightning,” both from their sophomore album, and both of which sent audience excitement even further over the edge. After Hetfield quipped on their polarizing “St. Anger” album, Ulrich led into the speed metal power of “Dirty Window” from that very album.
Following a shout-out to Los Angeles, a crescendoing ambient rock track piqued the audience’s interest before transitioning into the title track/opener for their latest album “72 Seasons,” offering another 8 minutes of heart-pounding metal. The band continued showcasing their latest release with the stadium-friendly anthem “If Darkness Had a Son.” Hammett and Trujillo then offered up an enjoyable two-minute jam (“Ghetto Funk”) written specifically for the show, preceding a soul-stirring performance of one of their most hard-hitting and beautiful tracks, “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” from their third album “Master of Puppets.” The “72” support continued with their downtempo headbanger “You Must Burn!” The band then proceeded with their famous instrumental “The Call of Ktulu,” which itself was preceded by score from their 1999 collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony (the concert was cheekily titled “S&M”), and the already otherworldly composition reached new levels of transcendental power. They weren’t done with “S&M,” however, as they pulled out that concert’s original “No Leaf Clover,” a grand, gorgeously orchestrated piece that should have pleased fans hoping for some deeper cuts during the show.
The streak of ambitiously cinematic tracks didn’t end as “Wherever I May Roam” followed suit, powerfully closing out a stunning triple-header of the band’s most artfully rendered works. Next up was their memorable and high-octane critique of fame and addiction “Moth Into Flame,” which served as an introduction to the pyrotechnics onstage. When the song ended, ominous images of a glitching California flag were shown, and on came the elegant and classical melody of the guitar intro for “Fight Fire with Fire,” which, of course, led into the ear-blasting uptempo riffs that helped build Metallica’s reputation as a musical force to be reckoned with.
The final stretch of the show arrived with the jam from the highly underappreciated “The Outlaw Torn,” which made way for their heavenly cover of “Whiskey in the Jar,” a performance that saw Hetfield at his most deeply felt and passionate. The second-to-last song, the widely celebrated anti-war power ballad “One,” started off with an eye-popping pyrotechnics show, punctuated by those heartbreaking first four notes and ended with every single fan leaping from the ground and embracing the overwhelming madness of its instrumental section. The show euphorically ended with Metallica’s biggest hit, “Enter Sandman,” and before one could process the incredible event they had just experienced, it was all over. A seemingly endless standing ovation ensued as the members gave out their sincerest gratitude while supplying those on the floor with guitar picks and drumsticks.
It is undoubtedly no simple task at all to gather 80,000 people from as various backgrounds as those of the ones in attendance, but Metallica was able to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task for two colossal and historical nights for California to relish in, with many more cities having experienced (or about to experience) this same kind of beautiful unanimity. At SoFi and everywhere else that they have played and will play, Metallica’s rapturous performance serves not only as a lively and impassioned celebration of their densely illustrious career, but as an encapsulation of the power of art and the all-too-often-taken-for-granted importance it has in building up and holding together a functional society. For two hours, every single soul in attendance was on the same wavelength, joined together through the mutual understanding of the music that they love. If that’s not a resounding affirmation of true cultural and societal significance, then perhaps nothing is.
