Opening for Metallica was another popular metal band, Godsmack, who played songs well-known to their fans such as “Venom” and “I Stand Alone.” Godsmack visibly rocked the Arena as there wasn’t a single person remaining seated after their hour on stage. Lead singer Sully Erna took a break from performing to describe how lucky he felt to be touring with such a “legendary” metal band as Metallica. Then, the music ensued with an acoustic drum double act between Erna and drummer Shannon Larkin, highlighting the end of Godsmack’s performance.

Shortly after Godsmack, the band the audience had been waiting for, Metallica, took the stage, opening with “Blackened,” from its 1988 album …And Justice for All. James Hetfield, singer and guitarist, thanked all the fans for coming to the show, whether it was their twentieth, fifth, or even first time seeing Metallica in concert. Hetfield’s words to the crowd didn’t last long, though, for the arena became pitch black moments before the stage exploded in a fury of pyrotechnics and he began to sing the familiar words to “Fuel,” a track off the album Reload. This was just the start of an amazing concert that managed to cover songs from every Metallica album in the seemingly short time they graced the stage.

Metallica played a great mix of their old and new music, including, “Nothing Else Matters,” “Battery,” and “The Unforgiven,”—longtime favorites of most fans. The song “I Disappear,” from the Mission Impossible: II soundtrack was dedicated by Metallica to the Albany fans packing the Pepsi Arena from ceiling to floor. Each time a slow ballad was played, the audience mirrored the night sky, as lighters popped up across the arena.

Aside from their usual tunes, Metallica promoted their most recent album, St. Anger, by playing the title track along with “Frantic,” but the older music was noticeably more prevalent. Many seem to find that the performances from the new album were a disappointment when compared to masterpieces from Metallica or Master of Puppets. However, the mighty Metallica went beyond the traditional display of musical talent to add variety to the show; guitarist Kirk Hammet and the new bassist for the band, Robert Trujillo, both awed fans with extensive solo performances during the course of the concert. As if that wasn’t enough of a thrill, the band came back to play several encores, one of which included the ever popular “Enter Sandman” song from the self-titled album most well known as Black.

At the end of the night it seemed that the two-and-a-half hours Metallica owned the stage was an amazing reminder that while they laid low for several years, this is one metal band that wouldn’t be easily forgotten. The concert was testimony that Metallica’s memory will always remain.