Metallica kicked off their European tour with a monster of a setlist

By Merlin Alderslade
last updated

From dropping Enter Sandman just three songs in to unwrapping rarities from Ride The Lightning, Load and even St Anger, this was something special

Metallica live on stage
(Image credit: Natasha Moustache via Getty)

It's easy to assume we know exactly what we're going to get when it comes to seeing veteran rock and metal bands live. Many are content to go through the motions, playing the same old territories every single year, pumping out the same, standard greatest hits set to tick boxes and make sure everyone goes home happy.

Metallica, it seems, are just not one of those bands. Last night, the biggest band in heavy metal played a homecoming show of sorts for their Danish drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich, rocking up to Copenhagen to headline the first night of the city's four-day Copenhell festival.

The gig was Metallica's first back in Europe since the pre-pandemic era, and the Four Horsemen were clearly in no mood to fuck about, pulling out one of their most unique and career-spanning setlists of recent times.

Opening with Kill 'Em All speed metal classic Whiplash before lurching into Creeping Death, Metallica would drop the first big surprise of their set soon after - playing traditional set closer Enter Sandman just three songs in. 

If that was unexpected, what followed was even more of a jaw-dropper. After timeless ...And Justice For All number Harvester Of Sorrow came Ride The Lightning rare cut Trapped Under Ice - previously played just five times in the last 13 years - and Load classic Bleeding Me!

There were more surprises in store, too - not least returning Master Of Puppets banger Damage Inc, which had all but disappeared from Metallica's sets in recent years, and St Anger's Dirty Window, which, while making its second appearance of 2022 so far, was still played for only the fourth time since 2004.

Basically, Metallica remain living proof that even forty years in, you can still fuck with the formula. Check out the whole setlist below.

Metallica Copenhell 2022 setlist

1. Whiplash

2. Creeping Death

3. Enter Sandman

4. Harvester Of Sorrow

5. Trapped Under Ice

6. Bleeding Me

7. Sad But True

8. Dirty Window

9. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

10. For Whom The Bell Tolls

11. Moth Into Flame

12. Fade To Black

13. Seek And Destroy

Encore

14. Damage, Inc.

15. One

16. Master Of Puppets

Merlin Alderslade
Merlin Alderslade
Executive Editor, Louder

Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.