24.05.2026 Metallica

Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt (Germany)

Everything was set for Metallica, Part 2. Thanks to Pantera, the atmosphere was already at boiling point, and waves of La Ola rolled through the stadium. Just like on Friday, the band kept the crowd waiting, and only around 20:50. did the familiar songs “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ’N’ Roll)” and “The Ecstasy Of Gold” ring out once again. These were the only two songs played on both days. Then, with “Whiplash” from their 1983 debut “Kill ’Em All”, the wild ride through 45 years of band history began.
The focus of the albums was arranged differently than on Friday, and the next banger followed seamlessly with “For Whom The Bell Tolls.” Once again, the current album “72 Seasons” received only minimal attention as only “Lux Æterna” made it into the setlist. As usual, Lars Ulrich’s drum kit was lowered after each quarter of the set and raised again one quarter of the ring further along. Additionally, it rotated slightly from song to song, allowing everyone to watch him work. Unlike Friday, his bandmates James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo were not as tied to the drum kit and made much better use of the ring. This meant the audience saw far more of them throughout the evening. The Inner Circle in particular enjoyed direct contact thanks to the lack of a stage barrier. The highlight was definitely Robert Trujillo surfing on a board over the Inner Circle while still playing his instrument. Singer and guitarist James Hetfield acknowledged that the crowd’s energy was even better than on Friday. Smiling, he said: “Is the Metallica family bigger today, or are you just louder than on Friday?”
Midway through the set came the obligatory Kirk and Rob Doodle, where guitarist Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo pick a song with regional ties and try to improvise it. On Friday, the Eintracht Frankfurt anthem had instantly created a roaring choir. This evening, however, the crowd looked puzzled. The two had chosen Accept’s “Fast As A Shark.” An unusual choice at first glance, but very logical in hindsight: Accept, originally from Solingen, were, along with the Scorpions, stylistically influential in the early 1970s and had a major impact on Metallica’s beginnings. Additionally, for Accept’s 50th anniversary, a new album “Teutonic Titans” had been announced, featuring Hammett’s newly recorded version of exactly this song. All in all, it was fine, but not more than that.
After that, it was megahit after megahit: “Fade To Black,” “Wherever I May Roam,” “The Call Of Ktulu,” and “The Unforgiven.” The crowd sang every song at full volume, and the band clearly enjoyed it. During “The Unforgiven,” the arena once again turned into a sea of lights as thousands of phones lit up which was pure goosebumps. Even the often divisive cover “Whiskey In The Jar” from the 1998 album “Garage Inc.” was celebrated without exception tonight. The evening progressed, and Metallica worked their way toward the finale and what a finale it was. Soldiers began marching across the cylindrical screens, accompanied by lasers, fireballs, and explosions on stage, until the iconic, slowly building intro of “One” began. The explosions were deafening, but the massive choir of fans screaming every word was even louder. And as if that weren’t enough, the giant balls from Friday reappeared while the grooving riffs of “Enter Sandman” from the 1991 “Metallica” album rolled through the stadium. Everyone summoned their last reserves of energy. The band barely had to do anything as the enormous choir sang every syllable one last time before the band, to thunderous applause, said their goodbyes to the sound of “The Ecstasy Of Gold,” once again handing out handfuls of picks and drumsticks.
I hadn’t thought it would be possible, but after Friday’s fantastic performance, Metallica managed to raise the bar even higher. The band: in full playing mode and energized even more by the crowd. The audience: in significantly better spirits than on Friday and much louder. The setlist: packed with even more and even bigger hits than on Friday. It simply shows what an unbelievable body of work these four guys from Los Angeles have created. Two nights with two hours of music each, without repeating a single song, and still delivering one massive hit after another without any filler. And the most recent albums “Hardwired… To Self‑Destruct” and “72 Seasons” barely even appeared. Just one song from the former on Sunday, and the latter only once per show. I already mentioned the criticism of the stage design in the Friday review, so I won’t repeat it here. Otherwise, the band was far more agile, and you saw much more of them throughout the concert than on Friday. I take my hat off to these four gentlemen. They truly made this weekend unforgettable. I’ll gladly repeat myself: the tickets, even for a single show, are incredibly expensive, but given the unbelievable performance, worth every cent.