If there was a hint that Thursday’s openers struggled to fill the stage, there’s none of that here, as Spencer Charnas and the boys emerge in full black tie to scatter across the whole setup – while being assailed by two separated Leatherfaces for opener SAVAGES. That begins with the arrival of Boston terrors Ice Nine Kills. With bright Saturday sun falling through the closed roof, first-show nerves mercifully dissipated, and a Metallica setlist that feels far more predictable thanks to the no-repeat format and simple process of elimination, there’s more room to have fun. Night two feels substantially more relaxed. Nothing Else Matters dropped mid-set! When your show ends with a full-throttle run-through of Ride The Lightning, Battery, Fuel, Seek & Destroy and Master Of Puppets – and a whole stadium moshing – it’s a bit special, even by Metallica standards. And Metallica duly obliged, bringing a lean, mean set for the ages that managed to fit three new tracks ( Lux Æterna, Screaming Suicide, Sleepwalk My Life Away) while still feeling like a career-spanning retrospective from jaw-dropping opener Orion to lesser-spotted deep cuts King Nothing and The Day That Never Comes. Between Mammoth WVH’s somewhat-static virtuosity and Architects’ all-action attack, the stage was set for something special. We’ve already talked about the opening Thursday night in-depth but, in the context of the full weekend – or perhaps as the very first show of the whole damn tour – it had a no-frills urgency that stood apart. No, the one that’ll really endure is how, at the end of 32 songs and well over four hours of music across two awesome nights, the 50,000+ punters in attendance were still baying for more. If there’s one non-musical moment that’ll stick with us from the landmark first stop on the San Francisco giants’ planned two-year M72 World Tour, it won’t be queueing alongside the metal masses for a show-exclusive shirt six hours before doors open it wont be walking into Amsterdam’s colossal Johan Cruyff Arena to see the space-age stadium setup for the first time hell, it won’t even be Lars Ulrich’s eye-catching new 72 Seasons-yellow drum kit magically popping-up around their circular stage. In case that's not enough, there are three classic gig posters from 'Tallica's Ride the Lightning era, and if you're the reading type, the set features a gorgeous hardback book full of exclusive photos and stories.Even after all these years, in the live arena Metallica still know how to raise the bar. Once opened, fans will get their hands on the newly remastered album pressed on high-quality vinyl as well as on CD and digital formats. On top of that, you'll be spinning a double-LP of Metallica's Magig at the Hollywood Palladium, featuring a classic setlist including "Fight Fire With Fire," "Ride the Lightning" and "Creeping Death." Oh, and speaking of "Creeping Death," there is a beautiful picture disc with the single artwork pressed on Side A - and backed with "Am I Evil?" and "Blitzkrieg." On top of all that, fans get several CDs, including one chock full of demos and rough mixes from Lars Ulrich's vault, a couple of never-before-released live shows and interviews with Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton. With a similar price tag as the Kill 'Em All set, the deluxe set of Ride the Lightning is worth your hard-earned cash.
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