Danish heavy metal band Volbeat served as their opening act, and they were able to warm up the stage for Metallica.
They kicked off their set with “Hardwired” and “Atlas, Rise!”
“Hey Nassau. Strong Island. How do you feel? We made history in this place with Metallica. We’ve been here a lot,” lead singer James Hetfield said. “We don’t give a shit about politics or religion. You are here right now together, and you are celebrating with us. You are Metallica family,” he told their fans, which garnered an enormous reaction from the crowd.
Metallica had the audience singing along to “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” as red lights dimmed from the stage. They showed their softer side on the ballad “The Unforgiven,” which had a heavy chord progression.
They picked up the pace with the upbeat and vicious “Now That We’re Dead,” which had a killer drum solo by Lars Ulrich. It was followed by the aggressive “Moth Into Flame” and they took their fans on a trip down memory lane to the 80’s with “Harvester of Sorrow.”
“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” included a medley with “I Disappear” from Mission: Impossible 2, which was an added treat. “Are we reaching you up there?” they asked. “Do you feel it? Awesome. I feel y’all up here,” they said.
After “Master of Puppets,” they closed their memorable set with “Fade to Black” and “Seek & Destroy,” where the response was raucous for both.
For their encore, they returned to the Nassau Coliseum stage to sing two of their signature songs, including the lyrically-impressive “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman,” which was the heavy metal anthem of the night, where they left their audience yearning for more.
The Verdict
Overall, Metallica was able to rock out at the newly-renovated Nassau Coliseum in New York. They prove that they only get better with age, time and experience. Kirk Hammett nailed the lead guitar, while Robert Trujillo proved to be all about the bass. Lars and James made the Long Island audience feel at home. Their show was a true heavy metal show, complete with a mosh-pit and coupled by the aroma of pot throughout the venue. Their concert at NYCB Live garnered an A rating.
For more information on Metallica, and their touring schedule, check out their official website.
