Full Review by The Riff Report Blog – July 5, 2025
Stage: Back To The Beginning Main Stage
Band: METALLICA (USA – The Kings. The Closers. The Absolute Unit.)
Time: Somewhere after midnight, beneath fire, stars, and 70,000 horns in the air 🤘

🎸 “SEEK… AND DESTROOOOOY!” – METALLICA BRING THE FINAL KILL SHOT TO VILLA PARK 🎯🔥

There was only one way to end the Back to the Beginning mega-festival at Villa Park – and that was with Metallica. The undisputed gods of thrash rolled in like a wrecking ball of nostalgia, fury, and absolute professionalism, delivering a two-hour masterclass in How to Rule the World With Riffs.

Forget walk-offs. Forget encore gimmicks. This was blood, sweat and METAL – served hot and heavy.

🔥 THE SETLIST – ALL KILLER, NO FILLER

  • Whiplash
  • For Whom the Bell Tolls 🔔
  • Creeping Death
  • Ride the Lightning
  • The Memory Remains (lighters up, crowd howl was deafening)
  • If Darkness Had a Son
  • Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
  • Fade to Black 😭
  • Sad But True (heaviest riff of the weekend? Quite possibly)
  • 72 Seasons
  • The Unforgiven
  • One (with full pyro, lasers, PTSD)
  • Master of Puppets
  • Battery
  • Nothing Else Matters 🖤
  • Seek and Destroy (finale = crowd became one enormous pit of joy and chaos)

🎤 JAMES HETFIELD – THE RIFF DAD STILL HAS IT 🔥

James stalked the stage like a lion with a Telecaster. His voice? Gruff perfection. His swagger? Untouchable. His “YEAH!” game? Still elite.

Midway through the show, he said:

“We’ve been doing this a long time… but nights like this remind us why we f***ing started.”

Cue Fade to Black. Cue tears. Cue goosebumps.

🎸 KIRK HAMMETT – WAH MASTER & GUITAR WIZARD 🎩🎶

Yes, he still loves the wah pedal. Yes, he used it a lot. And yes – it still slaps.

From haunting solos in “The Unforgiven” to absolutely melting minds with “One,” Kirk played like a man with hellfire in his fingers.
Bonus: during “Master of Puppets,” he ran the length of the stage while soloing, grinning like a teenage skate punk. Iconic.

🧱 ROB TRUJILLO – THE LOW-END BEAST WITH THE BEST CRAB WALK IN METAL 🦀

Rob’s bass tone during “Sad But True”? Filthy. “Creeping Death”? Devastating.
The man headbanged, windmilled, and crab-walked like it was 2003, all while laying down riffs so thick they could cause minor earthquakes.

Someone in the crowd shouted, “ROB, YOU BEAUTIFUL BASS BASTARD!” and we second that emotion.

🥁 LARS ULRICH – LOVE HIM OR LOATHE HIM, HE DELIVERED 🥁

Look, it’s Lars. You know what you’re getting. But last night?

LARS. WAS. ON. IT.

From the staccato fire of “Battery” to the surgical chaos of “One,” he nailed it. Even haters had to admit: the man’s groove was on point.
Plus, he gave a cheeky wink to the camera and shouted “Cheers Birmingham, you’ve always been f**ing LOUD!”* Classic Lars.

🔥 PRODUCTION – FIRE, LASERS & METAL THEATRE 🛸💥

We’re talking pyro synced with double kicks.
Giant screens showing glitchy puppet strings during “Master of Puppets.”
Laser grids raining down during “One.”

At one point, flames shot 30 feet in the air during “Fight Fire with Fire” and a lad next to us dropped his pint in awe. Diolch for your sacrifice, mate.

🧨 CROWD SCENES – A METAL UNITED NATIONS 🇺🇳🤘

Battle vests. Kids with ear defenders. Punks, goths, dads, emos, full families – all roaring together.
Massive circle pits opened. Crowd surfers flowed like a river of limbs.
And during “Nothing Else Matters”? Thousands swaying in silence. A moment. A mass communion of the riff.

One guy proposed. Another crowd-surfed holding a Les Paul. A girl next to us cried during “Fade to Black” and high-fived strangers after.

🕯️ MOST POWERFUL MOMENT – “ONE” STILL STANDS UNTOUCHED

Intro. Silence. Lasers. Machine gun drums.
People screamed. Some froze.
We’ve seen mosh pits. We’ve seen walls of death. But this? This was warfare in audio form.
And then, straight into “Master of Puppets”? Good. Night.

🎯 FINAL VERDICT: METALLICA REMIND US WHY THEY’RE STILL THE F***ING KINGS

After 40+ years, Metallica aren’t slowing down – they’re refining destruction into an art form.
This wasn’t a legacy act phoning it in – this was a metal sermon. Loud, tight, emotional, and unforgettable.

Score: 15/10 Puppets, Flames & Unforgiven Tears 🎸🔥🖤
Mood: Blessed. Bruised. Baptised by the riff.

Diolch, Metallica – for slamming the door on Villa Park with a final, almighty bang.