Metallica kicked off their 2023-2024 “M72 World Tour” at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam on Thursday evening (April 27th) in support of their new album, 72 Seasons. The two-year outing (tickets available here) features the metal icons playing two completely unique sets over two nights in each city.
For the first night in Amsterdam, the metal titans showcased three songs from 72 Seasons, including “Lux Æterna,” “Screaming Suicide,” and “Sleepwalk My Life Away,” with the latter two receiving their live debuts.
Elsewhere in the 16-song set, 1984’s Ride the Lightning, 1986’s Master of Puppets, and 1991’s self-titled LP (aka “The Black Album”) were equally represented with three songs each, while no more than one song was played from any other albums.
The concert kicked off with the instrumental “Orion,” marking the first time since 2011 that Metallica opened a show with the Master of Puppets classic. The set ended with the epic “Master of Puppets,” which had a major pop-culture moment last year after being featured in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Other highlights included “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Sad but True,” “Battery,” and “Seek & Destroy.”
For fans wondering why staples like “Enter Sandman” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Creeping Death” didn’t make the cut, it’s likely they’ll be performed Saturday night (April 29th) at the same venue. As mentioned, the band is not repeating any songs over the two shows in each city on the tour.
Metallica are performing in the round during this tour, meaning they’re surrounded by the audience on all sides as they play in the middle of the venue.
See fan-filmed video footage and the setlist of the kickoff show below, and pick up tickets to Metallica’s upcoming tour dates here. And be sure to read our recent cover story interview with Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo.
Setlist:
Orion
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Holier Than Thou
King Nothing
Lux Æterna
Screaming Suicide (live debut)
Fade to Black
Sleepwalk My Life Away (live debut)
Nothing Else Matters
Sad but True
The Day That Never Comes
Ride the Lightning
Battery
Fuel
Seek & Destroy
Master of Puppets