Metallica Opens Sphere Residency With 18-Song Set and a Monster

Metallica opened their Las Vegas Sphere residency on October 1 with "Battery," the opening track of 1986's Master of Puppets, and played an 18-song set that stretched from their 1983 debut Kill 'Em All to 2023's 72 Seasons.

The four-piece performed in front of the venue's giant curved screen, which carried visuals including a multidimensional depiction of the Lovecraftian Cthulhu during "The Call of Ktulu," the instrumental from 1984's Ride the Lightning.

The Sphere's neon exterior offered a playful contrast to what played inside. The screen showed "nooses, crosses, flooded landscapes, ruined buildings and other imagery that seemed pulled from a succession of horror movies," the San Francisco Chronicle noted in its review.

Frontman James Hetfield addressed the room from the stage. "For modern technology and old guys playing loud music, I have to say this is pretty awesome," he said.

The October 1 concert was the first of 24 performances scheduled at the 20,000-capacity venue through March 2027. The shows run every Thursday and Saturday and are billed as "No Repeat Weekends" — no songs will overlap between each week's setlists.

The opening night setlist ran 18 songs deep. After "Battery" and "Creeping Death," the band reached into Kill 'Em All-era material and later albums alike, including "Now That We're Dead," "Sad but True," "The Shortest Straw," "Wherever I May Roam" and "The Day That Never Comes." The middle of the set carried "...And Justice for All" and "Sleepwalk My Life Away," before "Nothing Else Matters" and "The Call of Ktulu." The band closed the run of aired songs with "Lux Æterna" and "Ride the Lightning."

The residency gives Metallica nearly two and a half years of scheduled dates at the venue, and the "No Repeat Weekend" format means audiences returning for a second week will hear an entirely different show — a commitment that will test the depth of a catalogue now spanning four decades.