Metallica became the first metal band to perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas when they launched their Life Burns Faster residency on Thursday night (Oct. 1).
The performance began with a furious rendition of “Battery,” the high-octane opening track from Master of Puppets. From there, Metallica rolled into “Creeping Death,” the lead single from 1984’s Ride the Lightning.
“Vegas, do you want heavy?” frontman James Hetfield loudly asked early in the show, garnering a monstrous cheer in response. “Metallica gives you heavy, baby!” the singer then declared as the band launched into “Sad But True.”
READ MORE: Here’s How Metallica Launched Their First Sphere Show
As with any concert at the Sphere, music was only part of the experience. Metallica made the most of the state-of-the-art venue’s capabilities, mixing incredible visuals into their performance throughout the night.
As you can see in the video from YouTube user @abarlev1 below, a soaring, gothic cathedral climbed up the walls during “Now That We’re Dead,” eventually displaying a mammoth alter to worship to the metal gods. Each of the stained glass windows focused on a different member of the band and featured images pertaining to turning points in their respective musical jounrey — just some of the many easter eggs that were mixed into the visuals throughout the evening.
READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Metallica Album
Meanwhile, “Wherever I May Roam” featured a wild train ride that careened past some of the wold’s most identifiable landmarks before coming to a stop at the Sphere. These performances and more can be seen in the videos below.
Other highlights from the set included such classic hits as “Nothing Else Matters,” “Seek and Destroy” and “Master of Puppets.” For the first time in over a decade, Metallica mixed “…And Justice for All” into their set list. According to setlist.fm, the last time they played the tune was in 2014. Meanwhile, “The Call of Ktulu” was dedicated to Metallica’s late bassist, Cliff Burton, almost exactly 40 years after his tragic death. A full set list from the show can be found below.
Metallica’s Sphere residency is currently scheduled to run through March 2027, totaling 24 performances. The band has promised each weekend will have no repeat set lists.
Metallica Calls Playing the Sphere ‘F—ing Intimidating’
Earlier this year, Lars Ulrich revealed that he was inspired to play the Sphere after seeing U2 open the venue in 2023.
“I was there [on the] opening night and was so just f—ing awestruck, inspired, energized, all of it,” the drummer remarked. “It was just, like, ‘Holy s—, this is somehow another frontier.’”
Ulrich also spoke about the unique challenge of playing the Sphere.
“It’s gonna be challenging,” he said. “And obviously, like everybody else I’ve talked to about it, it’s overwhelming and f—ing intimidating. But … that’s a place maybe we don’t end up in often enough, because we have a tendency to put ourselves in environments that we completely control and know. And so I think it’s really good to be able to throw yourself for a loop like that.”
Watch Metallica Perform ‘Wherever I May Roam’ at the Sphere
Watch Metallica Perform ‘Now That We’re Dead’ at the Sphere
Watch Metallica Perform ‘Battery’ at the Sphere
Watch Metallica Perform ‘The Call of Ktulu’ at the Sphere
Watch Metallica Perform ‘Sad But True’ at the Sphere
Watch Metallica Close With ‘Master of Puppets” at the Sphere
Metallica, October 1, Las Vegas Sphere Set List
1. “Battery”
2. “Creeping Death”
3. “Now That We’re Dead”
4. “Sad But True”
5. “The Shortest Straw”
6. “Wherever I May Roam”
7. “The Day That Never Comes”
8. “…And Justice for All”
9. Kirk and Rob Doodle (“Sleepwalk My Life Away”)
10. “Nothing Else Matters”
11. “The Call of Ktulu”
12. “Lux Æterna”
13. “Ride the Lightning”
14. “The Memory Remains”
15. “Seek & Destroy”
16. “Master of Puppets”
Metallica Albums Ranked
There are moments of indecision when compiling this list. After all, we really could have had – for the first time ever – a three-way tie for first.
Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
