Metallica roars through Pittsburgh in display of classic metal dominance

Metallica didn’t show any signs of slowing down in their visit to Pittsburgh’s PNC Park on Sunday night.

The veteran thrash metal band — if “classic metal” isn’t a thing like classic rock, it should be — played a two-hour set that might have blown the roof off if they hadn’t been outdoors.

No new albums in the past six years? No problem. A huge crowd filled the Pirates’ park to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, who haven’t played Pittsburgh much lately (their last shows here were in 2018 and 2004 before that). The lines to purchase merchandise (like $40 T-shirts) were so long that the ends from opposite sides of the stadium were nearly overlapping before the show.

A massive setup featuring five video screens, with a stylized “M” on one side and an “A” on the other, dominated the outfield. The stage also featured a pit of fans in the middle and walkways extending into the crowd. Smoke helped set the atmosphere for much of the night, aided along by vape bros.

Metallica hit the stage at 9 p.m., on a smaller, more intimate section on the left side of the stage for their first three songs. They opened with “Whiplash” before getting the crowd’s fists pumping during “Creeping Death.” And then came “Enter Sandman,” which drew such a reaction that it felt like the stands were moving.

Enter Sandman (beginning) at PNC Park pic.twitter.com/XEEY4PsaKy

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) August 15, 2022

The softer “Nothing Else Matters” had thousands of cellphone flashlights waving the way lighters used to. “Sad But True” got the crowd singing along, which was true for most of the night, maybe a result of all the $17 beers sold.

Metallica’s set leaned heavily on their first 10 years, with only three songs (and a cover) released after 1991. Singer/guitarist James Hetfield queried the crowd about 2003’s “St. Anger,” describing it as “the poor album that gets so much (crap).” Crowd reaction appeared mixed, but Metallica blasted through “Dirty Window” anyway, sounding much better than the album version. The other more recent songs played were “The Memory Remains” and “Moth Into Flame,” as well as their cover of “Whiskey in the Jar.”

“Ride the Lightning,” released in 1984 and considered one of the top thrash metal albums of all time, led the way with four songs: “Ride the Lightning,” “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “Fade to Black.” Hetfield addressed the crowd during “Fade to Black”: “This is about something we’re not supposed to talk about. This is about suicide.” He then encouraged fans to get help if they needed it, telling them they’re not alone.

Ride the lightning pic.twitter.com/F0jeLiBe2E

— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) August 15, 2022

Other highlights included “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (where pyro finally showed up) and “Seek & Destroy,” which led the band to do a fake exit before the encore. Metallica opened the encore with “Battery” (replacing “Blackened” for the only change from Thursday’s show in Buffalo). Then came “One,” with a stellar laser show, and “Master of Puppets,” which features video from Netflix’s “Stranger Things” after being featured in its most recent season.

Metallica’s members — Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — may be approaching their 60s, but they showed few signs of stopping as they provided the figurative fireworks. And would a sell-out at PNC Park be complete without literal fireworks? It started with “Battery” during the encore, with more coming during “One” and after the show.

Fireworks to end Metallica’s 2-hour show in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/u197DD6q3B

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) August 15, 2022

Earlier in the night, Greta Van Fleet’s bombastic 1970s-style rock, channeling Led Zeppelin and Rush among others, set the stage for Metallica. The band showed off their groove throughout their timeslot. Their penultimate song, “The Weight of Dreams,” allowed guitarist Jake Kiszka to shine. His extended, fiery guitar work on that song could have stood equal ground with the epicness of a Lynyrd Skynyrd solo. Greta Van Fleet closed the set with “Highway Tune,” probably their most recognizable song.

Ice Nine Kills opened the concert with their brand of theatric, horror metal (heavy on the double bass). Likely some of the few people wearing dress pants, shirts and ties, the band also donned a variety of masks as they referenced horror movies like “American Psycho,” “It” and “Evil Dead,” among others.

Metallica setlist

1. Whiplash

2. Creeping Death

3. Enter Sandman

4. Ride The Lightning

5. The Memory Remains

6. Nothing Else Matters

7. Dirty Window

8. Sad But True

9. Whiskey In The Jar

10. For Whom The Bell Tolls

11. Moth Into Flame

12. Fade To Black

13. Seek & Destroy

Encore

14. Battery

15. One

16. Master of Puppets