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Metallica:
Still the best, scars and all
METALLICA (live
pix)
MACHINE HEAD (live pix)
THE SWORD
Verizon Center
Washington, D.C.
January 15, 2009
By GREG MAKI
Long ago, Metallica secured its place in
music history. Their first four albums, released between 1983
and 1988, are the gold standard in metal; the self-titled
“black album” (1991) has sold more than 20 million
copies; and later this year they will be inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The point is, it’s been a long time
since this band has had something to prove. Front man James
Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett
easily could spend the rest of their days in their mansions,
collecting royalty checks and getting fat.
Instead, along with bassist Robert Trujillo (still “the new guy” even though he's been with the band for about six years), they're spending middle age the way they've spent most of their adult lives: touring the world, playing their music for legions of Metallica fans at each stop along the way. Because the tour—dubbed “World Magnetic”—is in support of Death Magnetic (2008), arguably their best album in 20 years, it is a must-see for fans both new and old.
More than four years after their last visit to the capital city, Metallica rolled into the sold-out Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Jan. 15. Metal bands, fans—anyone associated with the genre—take note: This is how the big boys do it.
Metallica commands a big stage—which on this tour is set up in the center of the arena floor, surrounded by fans on all sides—like no other. Hetfield, as the singer and an underrated rhythm guitarist, is the clear leader, and his playful crowd interaction held the attention between songs. Hammett showed his chops are as strong as ever, while Ulrich, behind his somewhat modest drums, and Trujillo, who must have giant calluses on his right hand instead of fingers since he plays without a pick, gave each song a rock-solid foundation.
The stage itself was mostly bare, with Ulrich’s drums in the center and, keeping with the theme of the Death Magnetic artwork, four large coffins suspended above that changed position at various points.
Following the brass and strings of Metallica’s customary intro music, “The Ecstasy of the Gold” from The Good, the Band and the Ugly, the one-two Death Magnetic punch of “That Was Just Your Life” and “The End of Line” set the tone for a set in which the new album comprised a third of the 18 songs.
The much-maligned albums Load (1996), Reload (1997) and St. Anger (2003) were completely omitted from the two-hour show. Surprisingly, Ride the Lightning (1984), which includes classics like “Creeping Death” and “Fade to Black,” received the same treatment.
It didn’t matter, which speaks to the quality of Metallica’s vast catalog and especially the new album. “Broken, Beat & Scarred,” which featured an enthusiastic crowd sing-along on the oft-repeated, cringe-worthy line “What don’t kill ya make ya more strong,” was the clear fan favorite among the Death Magnetic tracks.
Nothing, though, can top old staples like “One,” “Sad but True” and “Master of Puppets.” “Enter Sandman” has been played to death in the nearly two decades since its release, but for good reason—its riff is unforgettable and the song—and all of Metallica’s songs, for that matter—sounds just as vital as it did when it was first released.
The band left the stage after “Enter Sandman,” but no one else was going anywhere. They quickly returned with the Misfits’ cover “Die, Die My Darling,” then went back to where it all began with a show-closing combo of songs from their first album, 1983’s Kill ’Em All. As the band members remained on the stage to soak in the crowd’s adoration, Ulrich promised the fans they would not have to wait another four-and-a-half years to see them again.
METALLICA SET LIST: That Was Just Your Life, The End of the Line, The Four Horsemen, Harvester of Sorrow, One, Broken, Beat & Scarred, Cyanide, Sad but True, Wherever I May Roam, All Nightmare Long, Kirk Solo #1, The Day That Never Comes, Master of Puppets, Battery, Kirk Solo #2, Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman, (encore) Die, Die My Darling, Motorbreath, Seek & Destroy
I arrived at the venue too late to see The Sword, the band Ulrich handpicked to open the show. That was a disappointment because I am a fan of the Austin, Texas’ band’s retro, Black Sabbath-style metal. I am happy that Machine Head scored the direct support slot on this leg of the tour because their 2007 album The Blackening is a masterpiece and they deserve to be seen by thousands of metalheads each night. Though they seemed a little lost on the vast stage, they played a tight 45-minute set highlighted by “Halo,” possibly the best song on The Blackening; a cover of Iron Maiden’s “Hallowed Be Thy Name”; and their most recognizable song, “Davidian,” the set closer.
MACHINE HEAD SET LIST: Clenching the Fists of Dissent, Imperium, Beautiful Mourning, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Halo, Davidian
©2009 Live-Metal.Net
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