Last night, Metallica made their glorious return to New Zealand after 15 long years, proving three things: They are the undisputed gods of rock - even in their 60s, at least 1 in every 100 Kiwis is a raging metal head, and Eden Park MUST host more gigs.
Walking into the stands to the piercing vocals of Amy Lee from support act Evanescence, the sight of the sheer volume of the crowd was goosebump-inducing. The gargantuan stage was bookended by a mammoth 'M' and 'A' from the same iconic logo emblazoned on the shirts of tens of thousands of fans for whom tonight was monumental. (I really wanted to say monu-metal there, but I didn't).
When I picked up my tickets earlier that day, there were already seas of people waiting for the doors to open and lining up for merch. I watched a woman ask to pay for a paper copy of her ticket as a keepsake, even though she had an electronic version on her phone. Metallica inspires the kind of old-school rock devotion you rarely see these days, and it turned Eden Park into a high-octane cathedral.
Somewhat confusingly, the main show kicked off with AC/DC's 'It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)' alongside a photo montage of the band from years gone by. It probably went down really well in Australia, but here in Aotearoa it felt a bit 'affectionate-but-ignorant American uncle'. Thankfully, it was one of only two missteps the entire night.
Then the real opener hit - that classic Western cue ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ - which still makes zero narrative sense but remains outrageously fun. Suddenly, the crowd knew what kind of sermon it was about to receive.
Metallica hit the stage with a sonic boom so thunderous it's surprising it didn't register on Geonet. James Hetfield isn't just a rockstar, he's sort of THE rockstar. The kind of performer that makes a little kid look up and go, “When I grow up, I wanna be that.”
The set began with 'Creeping Death', a song about the biblical tenth plague of Egypt, told from the perspective of the Angel of Death. Fucking. Sick. It was as cinematic and ceremonial as you could have hoped for, as the stadium descended into darkness and grey clouds hung low, threatening rain.
‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ tore in as the second song, another massive track from the 'Ride The Lightning' album. Kirk Hammett took to the altar at the world's loudest church service, shredding with a supernatural talent that made me really regret giving up guitar at 15.
Lars Ulrich relentlessly drove everything forward with his aggressive, commanding drum prowess, intermittently leaping up from behind the kit in sheer ecstasy, energy to spare. Ulrich was all of us emotionally, but none of us could fathom it physically or technically.
Robert Trujillo prowled around the stage, brandishing his bass menacingly and being a troublemaker - his power stance so wide and solid, it appeared to anchor him to the Earth's core, which he probably reached with the might of the vibrations emanating from his instrument.
When Hetfield bellowed "Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire," the opening line of 'Fuel',' Eden Park fittingly erupted into an inferno, the screens playing images of giant pumping pistons as jets of flame punctuated the song, burning so hot you could feel the heat from the stands.
The rest of the first half featured the beloved, dark, stomping thrash chugger 'Harvester of Sorrow', followed by 'The Unforgiven' and 'Wherever I May Roam', putting to rest any fears that the band would favour their newer releases. We'd be largely staying firmly in the 80s and early 90s, where we all belong.
Hetfield, who made the tough decision to enter rehab in 2019, cancelling Metallica's NZ show that year, was gleefully grateful for the unwavering support of the more than 55,000 Kiwis at his feet.
"It's been a loooong time," he said. "I have the best job in the whole fucking world," he grinned.
Then came time for 'Rob and Kirk's Doodle', where the pair play a local song from whichever country they're in, while Hetfield and Ulrich presumably catch their breath. Their version of 'I Got You' by Split Enz was a perfect choice, proving that the intro to that song is actually surprisingly metal.
Unfortunately, bless them, Six60's 'Don't Forget Your Roots' did not hit the same. Clearly, they were going for mass appeal, and Six60 is the biggest band in NZ right now, but not amongst Metallica fans.
Even Trujillo seemed to doubt the choice, stumbling through the chorus, but he did "keep it real" before they started, admitting they often learn these songs the day of the gig. There was still something surreal and wholesome about seeing Metallica's take on such a Kiwi summer staple, and I bet the Six60 lads are still LOSING it right now, but surely Shihad? Blindspott? Even Th' Dudes? Ah, well.
The full band returned for 'The Day That Never Comes', plunging us back in at the deep end of the show, complete with long sprawling interludes where time lost all meaning and you could only marvel at the stamina of these musical beasts.
By the time the opening refrain of 'Nothing Else Matters' rang out, the crowd was ready to turn into a cursed choir. The entire stadium lit up with phone lights, which would have once been lighters, and Hetfield's record-perfect vocals saw tears spring to my eyes.
Not to be lulled into to a moment of tenderness for too long, Hetfield asked us, "Auckland, do you want it HEAVY?" just as the sky opened, as if the rainfall had been organised as part of production.
'Seek and Destroy', from the band's debut album 'Kill 'Em All', effortlessly stood the test of 40 year's time, setting the tone for the final phase of the evening as giant black and yellow beach balls were unleashed on the audience, ricocheting off the mosh as the crowd entered full chaos mode.
Metallica's set lists get mercilessly picked apart after every show, but it's hard to imagine anyone asking for a better final three songs than 'Master of Puppets', 'One' and 'Enter Sandman'.
Anyone in a 10km radius of Eden Park must have heard - and felt - 55,000 people bellowing "OBEY YOUR MASTER, MASTER!" at full volume, and the uninitiated probably thought it was the end of days.
At one point, Hetfield dropped his knees as if in prayer, taking a brief moment amid the madness - but not for long. 'One' exploded into existence with strobe lights and the sound of gunfire, a fittingly theatrical introduction to an iconic song that makes you go 'someone really needs to write a Metallica rock opera' in the brief nanoseconds between headbangs.
Finally, 'Enter Sandman' flattened Eden Park as the downpour began in earnest. "Exit light, enter night," couldn't have been more fitting words - we were well and truly off to Never-Never Land. Hetfield's maniacal laugh against Hammett's insane solo was a moment sent straight from the underworld, and it was gloriously demonic.
As the crowd was still reeling from the final chords, fireworks erupted over Eden Park, and the band led us all in an impromptu rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for Hammett, who was being doused in silly string to celebrate his turning 63 the day before.
The contrast couldn't have been more stark - or more perfect, really. Metal naysayers complain about how evil and angry the genre is, painting fans as nasty degenerates and musicians as leaders of an army of hate, but Eden Park was full of unbridled joy last night.
Four friends stood arm in arm at the close of their show, fists raised triumphantly, having came, saw and conquered - a redemption moment for Hetfield and a core memory for all in attendance. Even as 55,000 of us poured out of the stadium and into the storm, every drenched face was plastered with a smile, and even the security guards were throwing the goat.
And THAT's fucking metal.
Metallica M72 World Tour Setlist - Auckland, NZ - Eden Park, 19th November
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Fuel
Harvester of Sorrow
The Unforgiven
Wherever I May Roam
Kirk and Rob Doodle
('I Got You' by Split Enz & 'Don't Forget Your Roots' by Six60)
The Day That Never Comes
Moth Into Flame
Sad but True
Nothing Else Matters
Seek & Destroy
Lux Æterna
Master of Puppets
One
Enter Sandman
Images by Connor Crawford.
Published by Monika Barton
20 Nov 2025