After 40+ years as a band, eleven studio albums, and touring the globe for millions of fans, what could Metallica possibly offer fans at this point? Easy—release another album and keep touring. Their M72 tour – named after 2023 album 72 Seasons – is now in its second leg of a three-year world trek. With their long-awaited arrival in Atlanta, the big questions emerged: Is this just for the money? Do they still have the energy? Can the music still hit as hard? Will the staging and effects live up to expectations?
Yes × 4.
Opening the night with two hard-hitting fan favorites from their second album—“Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls”—followed by the thunderous “Cyanide” – left no doubt; you’re at a metal show. When the volume rattles your chest, and, for anyone forgetting earplugs, served as a visceral reminder of the genre’s intensity. Well okay – it wasn’t that loud – but fans can make their own call on whether next-day ear ringing counts as a badge of honor.
The arena setup is striking: eight cylindrical LED displays hang from the ceiling featuring wrap-around graphics, adding a decorative flair as well as visual energy including live camera shots of the band, animations, and other graphics.
The stage design is “in the round”—a donut-shaped platform that dips closer to the floor audience at certain points, with general admission on the outside and a VIP-only “snakepit” in the center. Lars Ulrich’s drum kit(s) emerge at different spots along the stage perimeter during the show, while the rest of the band had freedom to move around with strategically placed mic stands at the dips.
For VIPs in the snakepit, the band interacts quite a bit—no bad angles, just front-row energy from every direction. But General Admission has its advantages: fans can get within 50 feet of the stage, record their vids and selfies to their heart’s content, and even follow their favorite band member around the perimeter. For those in the seats, the arrangement is still probably for the best. At times, the band or an individual is closer than they would be if the stage were at the end of the arena, but other times they’re further away. Regardless, the band makes visible efforts to engage all areas of the crowd.
Lars’ drum kit has a kind of gravitational pull, as it ought. While the others clearly enjoy roaming the stage – essentially playing to their own pockets of fans – there’s a noticeable lift in energy and smiles whenever two or more bandmates connect. And when they gather around Lars, it not only looks more like a band to the audience, their energy suggests it feels more like one to them too.
Standout performances included “One,” delivered with military imagery, the sounds of helicopters and gunfire, and explosive pyrotechnics. And of course, the eight-minute epic “Master of Puppets”— which begs to be show closer over “Enter Sandman,” which actually would be a phenomenal song to start an evening. Everyone probably had a personal favorite that didn’t make the cut (“The Unforgiven,” for example), but with a setlist deep enough to cover multiple nights, Metallica keeps it somewhat dynamic from city to city.
An oddball moment? Giant beach balls released during “Seek and Destroy.” Not exactly metal—but irresistible to the surprisingly large number of kids on the floor, who happily chased them while the band powered through the song. Still, a word to parents: Metallica might welcome kids into their “family” (James called out first-timers in the crowd—at least a quarter, by a show of hands), but safety in the pit is your responsibility. It’s a metal show. They (and you) might get personal attention from the band, but it’s on you if they get hurt from the press of the crowd or a mosh pit.
Despite the heaviness of the music, there was no shortage of gratitude from the band. Hetfield, in particularly strong voice, seemed genuinely moved by the crowd, searching into the upper reaches to acknowledge the audience there. The passion, professionalism, and scale of the performance made it clear: Metallica isn’t coasting. They set their bar high long ago, and the fans’ expectations are their own.
Now touring through 2026. If you missed them, catch a plane.
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