Metal collided with history on Saturday, July 5th, as Metallica lit up Birmingham’s Villa Park in a thunderous tribute to the legends that started it all. Taking the stage just before Black Sabbath’s final bow, Metallica didn’t just perform—they paid reverence to the very gods of metal who shaped them.
Opening with a blistering take on Sabbath’s “Hole in the Sky,” James Hetfield and crew made their intentions clear: this was more than a set—it was a salute. What followed was a sonic blitz that had the crowd roaring: “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and a jaw-dropping deep-cut cover of “Johnny Blade.” Metallica kept the pedal to the floor with the thrash anthem “Battery” before finishing with the seismic “Master of Puppets.”
Their set was part of the massive “Back to the Beginning” celebration—an epic send-off to Black Sabbath that brought together a metalhead’s dream lineup: Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, and surprise superjams featuring members of Rage Against the Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ghost, Aerosmith, and more.
Speaking before the show, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo told Heavy Consequence how deeply honored they felt to share the stage on such a momentous occasion. For Metallica—and every fan lucky enough to witness it—this wasn’t just a concert. It was the end of one era, and a fiery torch passed to the next.
