Metallica’s performance at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium proved that time hasn’t dulled a thing, with fiery riffs and high energy igniting the crowd from start to finish.
It’s been a long time between drinks for Australian Metallica fans. Their last visit Down Under was way back in 2013 for Soundwave, what feels like a lifetime ago. Their planned 2019 tour was scrapped when James Hetfield entered rehab, leaving a gaping hole in the calendar and a lot of frustrated fans clutching unused tickets.
But in 2025, the gods of metal finally return, and Melbourne made sure to welcome them with the kind of fire and fury only four decades of anticipation can produce. More than forty years into their reign, Metallica remain heavy metal’s unkillable force.
From their scrappy Los Angeles beginnings in 1981, the band reshaped rock history with the speed and precision of Kill ’Em All and Ride the Lightning, the grandeur of Master of Puppets, and the world-dominating grooves of The Black Album. They’ve endured tragedy, creative implosions, and that famously awkward therapist period captured in Some Kind of Monster, but through every reinvention, every comeback, and every riff, Metallica have outlasted.
That legacy was written all over Marvel Stadium on Saturday evening, packed with old-school Metallica fans and fresh-faced newcomers ready for the night ahead.
First up, Los Angeles legends Suicidal Tendencies wasted no time reminding everyone why they’re still hardcore royalty. Frontman Mike Muir stayed true to himself, a man physically incapable of standing still for more than two seconds. Their set was a barrage of speed and attitude, with ‘Institutionalized’ still as sharp and funny as it was in ’83. Meanwhile, newer track ‘Adrenaline Addict’ proved these guys are far from a nostalgia act.
Then came Evanescence, flipping the mood but not the volume. Amy Lee’s voice cut through Marvel Stadium: haunting, clean, and impossible to ignore. Backed by moody visuals and a tight, heavy band, they rolled through a set that balanced drama and aggression in equal measure. ‘Going Under’ and ‘My Immortal’ hit the emotional mark, Lee seated behind her piano in full command of the moment, but it was ‘Bring Me to Life’ that sent the crowd into full sing-along mode.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: Metallica. The lights dropped, AC/DC’s ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top’ blared through the PA, and Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ rolled out across the screens: Metallica’s eternal cue.
When the band hit the stage and launched into ‘Creeping Death’, the place exploded. From that first riff, it was clear this was a celebration of everything Metallica has built. Hetfield prowled the stage like a man who’s spent a lifetime owning it, every growl and “yeah!” landing with the force of a sledgehammer. Kirk Hammett shredded with effortless flair, Robert Trujillo’s bass thundered like tectonic movement, and Lars Ulrich held it all together with the manic enthusiasm of a drummer who still refuses to coast.
For the next two hours, Metallica tore through a career-spanning set that hit every era. The classics – “Sad But True”, “The Unforgiven”, “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, and “Master of Puppets” – sounded monstrous, the kind of songs that make a stadium feel small. Cuts from 72 Seasons held their own, adding freshness and proving the band’s still writing with teeth.
The production was enormous but never excessive: clean lines of light, bursts of fire, and screens magnifying every sweat-drenched moment. Even in a space as huge as Marvel Stadium, it felt personal, like 60,000 people were all plugged directly into the same amplifier. When the final note of “Enter Sandman” faded into the Melbourne night, it felt like proof that time hasn’t dulled a thing.
Until next time, Metallica – here’s hoping we see you back on Aussie soil a little sooner for that one.
Words by Brit Leombruni.
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