Metallica’s return to Etihad Park can now be comfortably described as their Middle East hometown show, having packed more than 25,000 fans on all three occasions.

Bassist Robert Trujillo once described Etihad Park to The National as looking like a spaceship from the air, and each return has strengthened that connection – with the band since 2011 also playing shows in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

This was by far the biggest crowd in this year’s ongoing Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concert series, and the road hounds they are, Metallica performed with scintillating precision and drive. Forty years at the forefront of heavy metal hasn’t dimmed them.

They arrived behind 72 Seasons – the 2023 album distinguished by its frenetic tempos and darker lyricism – yet the Abu Dhabi show was a greatest-hits display of their power and precision.

Their entry cue, The Ecstasy of Gold by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, almost works as a Pavlovian call for the faithful, with metal hand signs lifting across the field. It signalled the start of the Metallica lair: part sinister, part physical release.

Opener Creeping Death, a thrashy masterpiece from Ride the Lightning, is as direct as ever. James Hetfield’s voice remains a force, capable of sliding from a clear, emotive tenor into a full-throated growl.

For Whom the Bell Tolls, with its darker atmosphere, carries one of Metallica’s most distinctive grooves, anchored by Trujillo’s bass, while Kirk Hammett’s lead work dazzled without overwhelming the song.

Fuel was one of the bigger moments – a cyclonic hit of guitars and frenetic pyro. It set the pace for a raw, joyful night and extended the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s long line of rock headliners over 16 years – Muse, Def Leppard, The Who, Linkin Park and Aerosmith – a proud tradition of heavy guitars that continues to this day.

The Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concert series concludes on Sunday with US pop star Katy Perry.

Results

Stage Two:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45

2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix

3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates

4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma

5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ

General Classification:

1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03

2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04

3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06

4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10

5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

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