Metallica @ Copenhell 2022
The long, hard road into Hell...
The fact that Copenhell has managed to resurrect itself in the wake of COVID by booking not only the triumvirate of Priest, Maiden, and KISS that were originally booked for 2020, but topped it all off with the arguably biggest metal band ever, is more than impressive. It's life-affirming. – Just like metal itself.
And, indeed, just like Metallica themselves. Having gotten in touch with a very human warmth in the autumn of their career, metal's biggest both look, sound, and play like they're nowhere near done anytime soon.
And this is in spite of the fact that Lars Ulrich is having a harder and harder time nailing not only the bass drum rolls, but also the snare drum rolls in "One"; that both guitarists sometimes skip strokes in order to keep up in certain passages, and that not only Kirk Hammett, but also the ever more graying and liver-spotted James Hetfield sometimes playing dead strokes and wrong notes.
Yes, with all this out of the way up front, none of us care more about anything than the actual songs. Those songs that made Metallica the force-to-be-reckoned-with that they rightfully remain, and that helped shape metal into the beast it was always meant to be.
Those songs remain as great as when they were released. Hell, some of them perhaps even better – such as the shamefully overlooked "Bleeding Me", the new kid "Moth Into Flame", and the encore-opener "Damage, Inc.".
Those three, however, are also good examples of Copenhell's biggest crowd yet – some +30,000 – letting the band down a bit. I'm guessing many of those that are here tonight on a one-day ticket basis aren't quite as down with those deep cuts as the rest of us who are fans of the actual genre; not just that one band and their greatest hits.
For the most part, though – as is to be expected at a Metallica gig – this is still one of the most lively and grateful audiences you'll ever see. Of course, this shows in songs like the mandatory banger "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and a heavier-than-ever "Sad But True", but also in the ever-growing "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", and especially in a heart-warming "Fade to Black".
As I see it, the two biggest problems tonight are the order of the songs, and some of the inclusions. "Whiplash" is a bit of an odd show-opener, and "Enter Sandman" isn't exactly an obvious third song (although luckily out of the way after that). Also, let's be honest: "Trapped Under Ice" was never exactly their greatest song.
The drudgingly monotonous "Harvester of Sorrow" was always the least thrilling part of an otherwise near-immaculate record. And "Dirty Window" – shit, anything from that one godawful album – is better off forgotten by everyone.
So, where does all this leave us? To summarize, the band is far from metal's most technically proficient, but their energy and attitude are unmistakable. Not everyone's into all the deep cuts, but most of us sing and rock along with most of the songs. Which, by far, mostly rock, except for some wrong choices.
Well, in the grand scheme, we're going good. Not quite as good as you'd expect from a band in a league of their own, though. I've only seen Metallica three times before, granted; but each of those have been considerably better.
Still, all else being equal, it's probably impossible for Metallica not to deliver a solid show, and that's exactly how their Copenhell debut turns out. Nothing more, but nothing less, either.
Rating: 4 out of 6
Genre: Thrash metal / heavy metal
Venue: Copenhell, Helvíti Stage
Date: Wed., 15/6/2022
Setlist:
- Whiplash
- Creeping Death
- Enter Sandman
- Harvester of Sorrow
- Trapped Under Ice
- Bleeding Me
- Sad But True
- Dirty Window
- Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Moth Into Flame
- Fade to Black
- Seek & Destroy
Encore: - Damage, Inc.
- One
- Master of Puppets