There’s no rust on Metallica, a working band that works hard for the fans. These reigning kings of metal killed ’em all in their blistering set at Madison Square Garden over the weekend.
That set chronicled Metallica’s entire career — from cover songs that influenced them to their own signature tunes to material from last year’s “Death Magnetic,” the group’s return to their ’80s thrash-metal roots.
Metallica hadn’t headlined at the Garden for a decade, so it was as if the band was reintroducing itself to New York.
Singer James Hetfield was an animal at this show. He was all instinct, totally immersed in the music. Helping Hetfield get higher was his partner drummer Lars Ulrich, whose beats were unrelenting. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett also deserves major kudos for his fluid fretwork.
Bob Seger’s road-weary anthem “Turn the Page” was a huge hit at the sold-out show. But the spine-chilling moment came when the metal ballad “Nothing Else Matters” melted into the swagger of “Enter Sandman.”
Metallica’s performance was elevated by a powerful catalog of songs, the band’s old-school
rock-show approach of holding nothing back, and their gratitude to the fans.
For doubters who’ve often heard the insincere “I really love you guys” uttered by rock stars from the stage as they take $300 a ticket, Hetfield’s devotion to the fans seemed authentic.
After more than two hours of music, the band didn’t scurry off the stage. With the house lights on, Metallica stayed onstage for a solid 10 minutes, talking to fans they recognized from previous shows and tossing handfuls of guitar picks as keepsakes from this excellent performance.
dan.aquilante@nypost.com