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Robert Trujillo, Metallica's new bass player, didn't miss a beat when the group played FedEx Field in Landover, Md., as part of its Summer Sanitarium Tour./Alex Russell, fredericksburg.com |
From the blistering opening aural assault of “Battery” to the closing song “Enter Sandman,” the huge crowd that gathered to see the band was on its feet.
Critics who lambasted Metallica’s newest release, “St. Anger,” would have been pleased the band focused on its older material, even playing a few songs that have been missing from recent tours. The audience, however, enjoyed the three new songs that made Friday’s set list.
Lars Ulrich remains one of the best drummers in rock, and Kirk Hammett hasn’t lost a lick. “Master of Puppets” proved James Hetfield an exceptional front man. And new bass player Rob Trujillo seemed comfortable enough: He didn’t miss a beat.
Opening act Limp Biz-kit’s Fred Durst expressed his idolization of Metallica several times. In an unusual move, Limp Bizkit performed Metallica’s “Sanitarium,” which the head-liner also played later in the evening.
Other covers by Durst and the Limp boys were The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes,” performed from the back of the arena karaoke style, and George Michael’s “Faith,” which was the closing number—complete with video footage of Michael.
Linkin Park’s performance was much improved over its recent appearance at the Patriot Center, threatening to exhaust the crowd before the bigger acts even took the stage.
—Clay Jones