Review: Metallica finally gives hometown fans what they wanted ...Middle East

After more than two years and some 70 shows, Metallica’s M72 World Tour has finally landed in the band’s hometown Bay Area.

And here we were beginning to think it might never happen.

Yet, Bay Area metal fans wishes came true as the trek — which began way back in April 2023 in Amsterdam and is currently scheduled through a pair of early July 2026 gigs in London — hit the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday (June 20) with a second offering set for Sunday. (See metallica.com/tour to purchase tickets for Sunday’s show or for other concert information.)

Of course, we should have known that Metallica wouldn’t forget the Bay Area. Indeed, the quartet — which ranks as the biggest-selling Bay Area act of all time — always goes out of its way to show local fans how much they mean to the band.

And it was certainly no different on Friday, as Metallica took the stage right before 9 p.m. and delivered an excellent two-hour set that managed to come in just under the Levi’s Stadium’s much-discussed 11 p.m. weekend curfew.

The mighty men of Metallica — vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — seemed absolutely thrilled to be back home and rocking out in front of 55,000-plus Bay Area fans.

“Oh my God,” Hetfield said as he stared out toward the legions of fans wearing Metallica gear in the upper decks of the stadium. “I’ve got the best job in the entire world.”

The Metallica show– which followed marginally enjoyable opening sets from horror-metal mavericks Ice Nine Kills and former nu-metal hitmakers Limp Bizkit — got off to an incredibly strong start as the group first unleashed a ferocious version of “Creeping Death” and then rocked right into a powerful “Harvester of Sorrow.”

That dizzying one-two-punch combination set the bar for the rest of the 16-song set mighty high — and, really, Metallica would only reach those heights again once they settled back into greatest hits territory toward the end of the show.

Yet, the group still sounded terrific as it mined some deeper cuts from its 11-album catalog, including a pair apiece from 2008’s “Death Magnetic” (“Cyanide,” “The Day That Never Comes”) and 2023’s “72 Seasons” (“If Darkness Had a Son” and the title track). Of those lesser-known numbers, “The Day That Never Comes” was the real stand-out, thanks one of Hammett’s many incendiary leads of the night.

Unfortunately, Metallica did not touch upon what is, by far, it’s best album of the 21st century — the double-disc banger “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct.” But perhaps the group will delve into that 2016 triumph on Sunday.

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One of the really nice things about Metallica’s current “No Repeat Weekend” format — where it performs completely different set lists at each of the two shows in a particular city — is that it allows them to venture much deeper into the catalog and play more rarities.

Of course, on the financial side, it requires fans to buy tickets for both nights if they want to hear both “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman.” And these die-hard Metallica fans are very willing to do just that.

In terms of Metallica audiences, however, this one was well below average in regard to both enthusiasm and energy. Maybe that had something to do with the unseasonably chilly weather — which was a big talking point all night — or from having to put up with a long day of Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills in order to get to the main event.

Whatever the reason, the audience definitely seemed to check out a bit during stretches of the show. Sure, those moments usually corresponded with the lesser-known offerings on the setlist. But that hasn’t stopped other Metallica crowds that I’ve seen gobble up every note that the band plays on the stage.

Thankfully, the lukewarm fan response at times wasn’t reflected in the group’s effort level, as the four musicians tore through topnotch takes on “Cyanide” and “Orion.” Hetfield dedicated to latter to their “fallen brother” Cliff Burton, the late, great Metallica bassist who was the primary songwriter of that gorgeous instrumental found on 1986’s “Master of Puppets.”

Metallica was working from a massive stage that absolutely dominated the middle of the stadium’s floor. Low-frills in nature, but incredibly practical in design, the stage was hollow in the middle — except for those lucky fans allowed to fill in the space — and basically resembled one long and curvy circular track, on which the band would log in plenty of steps as they entertained fans on all sides of stadium. Even Ulrich was set in motion, as he worked four different drum kits that would suddenly appear (then disappear) at different spots on the stage.

Metallica also utilized eight tall video towers — each boosting cool wrap-around screens — to carry all the action to those fans sitting in the upper decks of the stadium. That was a smart move in many regards, not the least of which that those raised video screens were pretty unobtrusive and didn’t block views of the actual stage.

Having dealt with the chilly weather all night, the audience definitely thawed out and came alive during the homestretch of the show, as Hammett, Ulrich, Hatfield and Trujillo (looking particularly cool in his Black Sabbath “Vol. 4” shirt) coalesced their ample talents around the always-poignant “Nothing Else Matters” and then thundered through “Sad but True.”

Mosh pits erupted right at the start of an high-energy take of “Fuel” and the good times would continue through a powerful, show-ending pairing of “Seek & Destroy” and “Master of Puppets.”

“I told you,” Hetfield remarked to the crowd, “I have the best job in the world.”

It’s a pretty great one, Mr. Hetfield. And we can’t wait to see you do your job again on Sunday at Levi’s.

Metallica setlist June 20, 2025 1) “Creeping Death” 2) “Harvester of Sorrow” 3) “Hit the Lights” 4) “King Nothing” 5) “72 Seasons” 6) “If Darkness Had a Son” 7) “Kirk and Rob Doodle” 8) “The Day That Never Comes” 9) “Cyanide” 10) “Orion” 11) “Nothing Else Matters” 12) “Sad but True” 13) “Battery” 14) “Fuel” 15) “Seek & Destroy” 16) “Master of Puppets”

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