Metallica rocks Lubbock all night long
Jacqui Streety, editor-in-chief

As little as five years ago, I was a diehard Metallica fan. I had my high school locker adorned in pictures of my favorite band. I tattooed the ninja star logo on my back and lived and breathed Metallica—I hung on every statement they made and worshiped the ground they walked on. I had an entire wall of my bedroom covered in a collage of the band (which took me a full year to complete). So it was only fitting that I would go to see them play in Lubbock on Sept. 4 at the United Spirit Arena. I am not such a hardcore fan anymore but I had to go see them, as they will always hold a special place in my metal heart.

I had seen them four years ago in Dallas and was really let down—that’s why they aren’t my favorite band anymore. James wasn’t there and that really hurt me but I got a special treat as Jason Newsted (who departed as bassist in March of 2001) sang most of the set list and Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian (System of a Down) did “(Welcome Home) Sanitarium” one million times better and heavier than James Hetfield could have done it. So I was a little skeptical when I took my seat at the show this time.

I didn’t get see but two songs from Godsmack and didn’t really care to see anymore than that because I don’t think they were deserving enough of an opening gig for the band that redefined metal in 1983 with the release of “Kill ‘Em All.”

So they took the stage and the crowd went crazy, which was anticipated because for god’s sake, it was Metallica. Now I had a really good seat; positioned precisely in front of the stage and if I could’ve gotten in with my camera, I would have some really astounding pictures. Anyway, they opened with “The Ecstasy of Gold,” which is the little snippet from the movie “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” and then ripped right into “Battery” from their 1986 release “Master of Puppets,” which was the last really amazing album, as it was the last one recorded with bass-god Cliff Burton.

They were all dressed in black which helped to set the mood for the entire show because I knew then that they were going to cover all the basic elements that helped create Metallica. If James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich hadn’t had short hair, they would have looked just like they do on the poster in my room from 1991.

I don’t remember the exact order of the set list but I know that I was captivated by the music. This was one of the best bands back in the day and they absolutely changed my musical attitude; so to be in the same room as three of the masters of metal was staggering for me. Soon after, Hetfield asked the crowd to help him count and took us straight into “Fuel” from the 1998 record, “Reload.”

The newest addition to the group, Rob Trujillo (former bassist for Ozzy and Jerry Cantrell), came out and played the midsection from the instrumental “Orion,” from the “Master” album and that was quite amazing. While it had dawned on me that he was a skilled bass player, I didn’t know to what extent. I was just praying that he wouldn’t embarrass himself and attempt to play Burton’s “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) solo and he didn’t so I was relieved but his assault on “Orion” was breath defying.

Also from the “Reload” album, they played “The Memory Remains” which is a really good song but I personally am keener on the old school albums.

I am really glad I ponied up the money to see these guys this time around because the set was electrifying. They had a lot of pyro effects, which sometimes seemed extraneous but ultimately it really added intensity to the show. The crowd was great and the band really seemed to be feeding off the zealousness. When they dug out the vinyl material the show became so much more intense for me because I actually owned their 80s material on vinyl. They belted into “Fight Fire with Fire” with such veracity that I fell off my feet because I began thrashing so hard. Despite the fact that these guys are my parents’ age, Kirk Hammett is still a master on his axe. His fingers moved so smoothly over the fret board and he stood at the edge of the stage parading his skill and passion like a true rock star.

Hetfield really came to life on the stage. It was apparent that the rehab had done him some good because he seemed really happy and that made for much better music. He was talking to the crowd and getting us all involved with the show and I was really hyped. I may not have been on the floor but I was totally into the music. It really did take my breath away to be listening to Metallica because they are such an awesome band have made some remarkable contributions to the metal wave.

They did play “(Welcome Home) Sanitarium” and did it with such precision. Watching them play and run all over the stage with that song gave me a feeling of elitism. They illustrated such passion with every song they played. Lars went from his stool, to standing on his floor toms, to running across the stage, sticks in hand, to pump up the audience. This may have been a no-moshing event but the pack of fervent metal heads were never sitting.

They filtered into “Master of Puppets” and the 14,000 people venue was screaming along. They then moved into the black album with “Sad but True” and all the old schoolers were off their butts and banging their heads. Hetfield would begin the chorus and we would sing the rest. They played “Of Wolf and Man” from the black album and I was just there—my entire body throbbing with the pulsating beats of Ulrich’s drums. It seemed a bit heavier than it actually appears on the CD.
Then I became disappointed because they moved into three tracks from their latest release, “St. Anger,” which I really despise. I hate that album and I haven’t listened to it since the day I bought it. It was easier for me to get into the three songs though because the live experience is always so much deeper and more cutthroat than listening to it in your room. They played the title song, “Frantic,” and “Some Kind of Monster” (also the name of their rockumentary). I was much happier when the “St. Anger” set was over.

After that, they played “No Leaf Clover” from disc one of the “S&M” double-disc album from 2000. It was a bit strange because I’m so accustomed to hearing it played with the San Francisco Orchestra, directed by Michael Kamen, and there was no ensemble this time. The band did a really good job without the 200 instrumentalists though and if one wasn’t used to hearing the orchestra in the back, the difference could have gone unnoticed. They also played “I Disappear” from the soundtrack to “Mission Impossible 2 (M:I-2)” and it was amazing. That is a really good song and they played as if it were just another one of their hits and not just some song that appeared on a movie soundtrack.

I feel that the best part of the performance was when they played “Creeping Death” from the 1984 album, “Ride the Lightning.” They mesmerized the crowd and we chanted “Die, Die, Die” during the interlude. This was classic Metallica—this was the aspect of the show that I had most anticipated.

I don’t know what the last song was before they left the stage the first time but the audience didn’t go anywhere. We stayed and stamped our feet and chanted for an encore. The band came back out and busted into “Nothing Else Matters.” At this, lighters flared and the venue was lit with fire, the crowd swayed and sang some of the most important lyrics ever written. It was beautiful and arresting. This was one of the best songs from one of the best albums by one of the best bands in 1991.

What came next was so incredible that I could hardly believe it. It was the only song they played from the “…And Justice for All” album. I wish they had played “Harvester of Sorrow” but I wasn’t left feeling shortchanged at all. The speakers blared with a cut from “Full Metal Jacket” with Pyle’s mantra, “This is my rifle, this is my gun … there are many like it but this one is mine.” It then cut to the scene in the movie where Pyle is in the bathroom about to blow his head off and then the pyro sounded off. It sounded as if the Spirit Arena had come under artillery attack. The fire shot high and it was hot, as I could feel the heat against my face. Then, smaller fire balls were set around the stage accurately in beat with the gunshots in the intro to the song. The crowd roared, the lights dropped and Hammett’s guitar rolled into “One.” It was so exquisite; it was the highlight of the evening. This time, the pyro effects had been chosen wisely and were so articulate that it made the song seem more magical than I already thought it was. When the song was over, most thought the show was over and many began leaving.

But they were mistaken.

We cheered for one more song and they came back to infiltrate Lubbock with “Enter Sandman.” This is probably the one song that is universal to all Metallica fans. This is the one song that everyone knows the lyrics to. This, for the longest time, was the song that stood as an anthem for black clad, long haired headbangers. It was so supernatural; there was a mystique in the air. I wanted to headbang through this song and the rest of the set but it was hard to take my eyes off the band. It was so difficult for me to accept the fact that I could miss some significant motion by one of the members long enough for me to just let the music engulf me in its entire splendor.
 

But when they came back for yet another encore, I was able to do this. They closed the show with “Seek and Destroy” from “Kill ‘Em All” and it was so bad ***. Hammett’s guitars are so awesome on the early material and I just thrashed and thrashed until my little body was begging me to stop. Hetfield’s voice, though it has matured quite a bit in 21 years, was able to sound just like it did back in 1983. Given, it wasn’t quite as pubescent as it was on the album, he sounded much younger, and the depth in voice was obviously absent but replaced with the youth he portrayed in the early 80s.

Overall, the show was really amazing. Because of my previous Metallica experience, I was unsure what to expect this time around; but I wasn’t left disappointed and that’s what is important. Watching the band as they moved on stage and came to life with the music was great.

Sometimes Metallica can seem so over concerned with money (with all their lawsuits and all) and

so pretentious and arrogant but they didn’t seem like that at all during the show. It was really apparent that the time off the band had taken was really a beneficial move. Sure, I missed not hearing any new material from them for four years but they really seemed refreshed. The music was crisp, clean and delivered with a lot of love. I was a little saddened that this was a no moshing event (even though I didn’t have a floor ticket) because that just isn’t a Metallica show.

Nonetheless, it was awesome, the pyro effects were great but I think the attitude of the band is was set the mood for the event. The last time I saw them, Hammett and Ulrich seemed really tired and just worn out but this time it seemed like Metallica had been reinvented.
 

There were some down sides of the show. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t care at all for the songs from “St. Anger” and I was really upset that they didn’t play more songs from “…And Justice for All.” Now the review of the show in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal says that they played “Blackened” from the “Justice” CD but they did not. I repeat, they did not play “Blackened,” the only song from that album played was “One,” which was spectacularly done, I must add. I was also a little more than disappointed that they didn’t play one single track from the 1996 “Load” album. They received a lot of criticism when that album came out—their musical direction had obviously strayed from what they had become trademarked for and above all else they cut their hair. Different as the music may have been, it was obvious that they had progressed as people and musicians and I really liked that CD.
 

So there were a few pitfalls in the show but that’s probably because after the first few songs, I hyped it up so much in my head, that I was anticipating too much. I will definitely say that this show was so much better than when I saw them four years ago. It was well worth the exorbitant amount spent on the ticket. If you haven’t seen Metallica before—you’re missing out on a good show put on by one of the greatest bands in the world.