Watch Metallica play their first of two headline sets at Download 2023

nme.com:

Metallica played the first of their two headline sets at this year’s Download festival. Check out the full setlist and footage of the moment below.The Thrash metal pioneers took to the Donington Park stage for the ninth time last night (June 8), for what was the first of their two headline slots at the 2023 instalment of the heavy metal festival.As previously promised, the two sets will contain material from across their four-decade-long discography, and no two songs will be repeated on either night — making room for some lesser-played tracks to come out of the woodwork.This was proven with their performance last night, which included their most famous tracks including ‘Sad But True’, ‘Seek & Destroy’ and ‘Leper Messiah’, as well as material from their latest studio album ‘72 Seasons’, such as ‘Lux Æterna’, ‘Screaming Suicide’ and ‘Sleepwalk My Life Away’.With some of their mammoth hits like ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘One’ and ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ left off their set — and undoubtedly set to appear tomorrow night (June 10) — James Hetfield and co.

instead made space for lesser-played tracks. This included the band kicking off the 16-song setlist with sorely-underplayed 1984 track ‘Creeping Death’, as well as the emotive 2008 ballad ‘The Day That Never Comes’.Other highlights included the fan-favourite instrumental track ‘Orion’, and the blistering thrash hit ‘Fuel’.

They also closed the show with ‘Master Of Puppets’ — a track that has recently seen a mainstream resurgence thanks to its feature on hit Netflix series Stranger Things.

Check out footage of the show below, as well as the full setlist.1. ‘Creeping Death’2. ‘Harvester of Sorrow’3. ‘Leper Messiah’4. ‘King Nothing’5. ‘Lux Æterna’6. ‘Screaming Suicide’7. ‘Fade to.