Metallica\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 with the band since 2011 also playing shows in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.<\/p>\n
This was by far the biggest crowd in this year\u2019s 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\u2019t dimmed them.<\/p>\n
They arrived behind 72 Seasons \u2013 the 2023 album distinguished by its frenetic tempos and darker lyricism \u2013 yet the Abu Dhabi show was a greatest-hits display of their power and precision.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Opener Creeping Death, a thrashy masterpiece from Ride the Lightning, is as direct as ever. James Hetfield\u2019s voice remains a force, capable of sliding from a clear, emotive tenor into a full-throated growl.<\/p>\n
For Whom the Bell Tolls, with its darker atmosphere, carries one of Metallica\u2019s most distinctive grooves, anchored by Trujillo\u2019s bass, while Kirk Hammett\u2019s lead work dazzled without overwhelming the song.<\/p>\n
Fuel was one of the bigger moments \u2013 a cyclonic hit of guitars and frenetic pyro. It set the pace for a raw, joyful night and extended the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix\u2019s long line of rock headliners over 16 years \u2013 Muse, Def Leppard, The Who, Linkin Park and Aerosmith \u2013 a proud tradition of heavy guitars that continues to this day.<\/p>\n