Once the lads from Sheffield finished their strong set, Metallica took the stage to the familiar strains of their longtime Ennio Morricone-penned opener, “The Ecstasy of Gold,” and immediately brought their fans way back – as far back as possible – to the first song the band ever recorded, “Hit the Lights.” They wasted no time further laying on the thrash with “Master of Puppets” and “The Four Horsemen.” The much-hyped Ride the Lightning section arrived a few songs later, with the band performing the album in reverse, probably an easy decision for a record that ends with a long and winding instrumental (“The Call of Ktulu”) and begins with as fast, heavy and precise a track as the band has ever written (“Fight Fire With Fire”). The song “Escape” received its world premiere, a somewhat shocking feat for a 28-year-old song, but hearing it live served as a sufficient reminder as to why it had been cast aside for so long.
Band Hell Theater