Metallica wasted no time going old-school and establishing a tight bond with the faithful Thursday night at its headlining performance at Lollapalooza. In a somewhat unexpected move, the band initially bypassed the T-Mobile mainstage in favor of setting up at the center of its runway maze out amid the audience. Clustered in close formation, the quartet tore into “Whiplash,” one of its earliest tracks, with a manic ferocity that seemed hellbent on making the neck injury associated with song’s title a reality.
For a few moments, at least, the underground rawness and nonconformist sounds of the nascent early ’80s thrash-metal scene sprang to life in the most improbable of places: a large-scale downtown setting ringed by glitzy skyscrapers and VIP seating platforms. Outfitted in a battle vest — an imposing denim jacket covered in band patches that was standard apparel for every card-carrying metalhead in the Reagan era — singer-guitarist James Hetfield even dressed the part. He also pulsed with requisite energy.
During a merciless “Creeping Death,” the second blow of a triple gut-punch opening flurry, his call-and-response exchanges with bassist Robert Trujillo came across as those of a sergeant barking commands at a group of fresh recruits. In many ways, Hetfield and Co. were doing just that. If the loud roar and show of countless hands in reply to Hetfield’s question about how many in the massive crowd were seeing Metallica for the first time served as any indication, the concert functioned as a novel experience for tens of thousands of people — and proof that Lollapalooza still exposes potential fans to artists, even a band as big as Metallica.
Not that the group is a stranger to the festival. The band headlined Lollapalooza in 1996 back when it was still an annual tour. At the time, interest in so-called “alternative rock” was waning; organizers’ decision to include a mainstream artist such as Metallica seemed to confirm the inevitable, and Lolla founder Perry Farrell later admitted it angered him. Nearly two decades later, the group returned as a 2015 headliner. Metallica’s popularity has only grown since.
Underscored by the vast number of Metallica T-shirts sported by festgoers Thursday, this appearance finds Metallica arriving as the most successful touring band in history, having grossed an estimated $1.4 billion from ticket sales between 1982 and fall 2019. Indeed, unlike some of their ’80s and ’90s peers, Metallica keeps finding ways to remain relevant and appeal to multiple generations — including fans who weren’t even alive when the quartet released its blockbuster “Metallica” (aka “The Black Album”) LP in 1991.
Hints about the aura surrounding that bygone era can be gleaned in the new season of “Stranger Things,” which features a rebellious, long-haired, Dungeons & Dragons-obsessed headbanger named Eddie Munson and an episode in which Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” — the hulking title track from its seminal 1986 album — plays a key role. Its inclusion in the smash series has turned the 36-year-old song into a phenomenon and attracted yet another crop of listeners; it recently entered the Top 40 for the first time.
Extending 20 minutes past the normal 10 p.m. curfew, Metallica closed its two hour-plus show with a rendition of the addiction-based tune that aimed to pulverize the senses and leave nothing in its wake. However predictable, the placement of “Master of Puppets” — along with the inclusion of “Stranger Things” video clips — seemed fitting: the heavy-hitting culmination of a favorites-packed set list in which most songs were chosen for the festival environment. The same held true for the band’s use of pyrotechnics.
To its credit, Metallica didn’t sleepwalk through commonly known numbers like the tension-building “Enter Sandman” or stomping “Sad But True.” Faced with a less-than-desirable singalong response to “The Memory Remains,” the band worked to win over new converts and connect with loyal followers. Despite the occasional stray chord, early entrance or rusty patch, Metallica remained committed to its craft and challenged itself to make even staple material feel vital. Moreover, the chemistry between Hetfield, Trujillo, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and drummer Lars Ulrich indicated a desire to play for more than accolades or nostalgia. Ditto their unwillingness to back away from pressing sociopolitical issues.
Girded by Ulrich’s double-bass assault, Hetfield’s traumatized vocals and repeat sequences of machine-gun riffs, “One” decried war by illustrating its horrors in unmistakable lyrical and sonic terms. The conflict-themed “For Whom the Bell Tolls” thundered with booming percussion and screaming guitars that threatened to tear a hole in the sky. Complexity and catchiness also combined to memorable effect on the moving “Fade to Black,” whose beautiful melodies belied the serious weight of its subject matter of suicide.
Hetfield, who has a history of battling personal demons, interrupted the ballad before its climactic finale to speak about the importance of mental health — and encourage anyone who’s troubled to talk to someone. Sincerity and vulnerability also coursed throughout the delicate “Nothing Else Matters,” guided by dual-guitar harmonies and finger-picked notes that helped put into perspective the dynamic strengths of Metallica’s music. Ditto a brief, understated Hammett solo that doubled as a breather for the rest of the band.
Now 41 years into its career, Metallica isn’t as fast, wild or menacing as it was during its prime. But it’s still in great physical shape, and capable of speed, virtuosity and the occasional surprise. An impromptu jam preceded a rollicking cover of “Whiskey in the Jar,” a traditional Irish tune popularized by Thin Lizzy — a prominent influence. The collective also dusted off “Battery,” a frenetic adrenaline rush that piled speed atop of speed at the risk of losing its through-line.
Better still was the reflective, punk-fueled “Dirty Window.” Angry, vitriolic and mean, the bare-knuckled deep cut presented Metallica at its most dissonant and disobedient. Hetfield acknowledged as much when he prefaced it by admitting a majority of fans dislike the album (“St. Anger”) on which it resides. He even mock-booed the LP. But Metallica went ahead and played the song anyway — “whether you like it or not,” Hetfield added.
Memo to Metallica: Never lose that edge or sense of humor.
Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.