Watch Metallica Spawn a Monster for Their Sphere Residency Opener

An array of ostentatious 3D graphics, including a giant Cthulhu, accompanied the band’s debut at the Las Vegas venuePhoto by Jeff YeagerMetallica, never a band to shy from spectacle, made a reliably mammoth debut at the Las Vegas Sphere last night (October 1). Operating as a four-piece unit in front of the venue’s giant curved screen, they opened with Master of Puppets classic “Battery” to launch an 18-song set spanning from their 1983 thrash-metal debut Kill Em All to their most recent album, 2023’s 72 Seasons. Graphics included towering tombstones, elliptical stained-glass windows, and a multidimensional depiction of the Lovecraftian Chthulu during the Ride the Lightning track “The Call of Ktulu.” Watch footage of that and more, and check out the setlist, below.In contrast to the playful neon exterior, the massive screen displayed visuals of “nooses, crosses, flooded landscapes, ruined buildings and other imagery that seemed pulled from a succession of horror movies,” San Francisco Chronicle notes in a review. James Hetfield said from the stage, “For modern technology and old guys playing loud music, I have to say this is pretty awesome.”Last night’s show was the first of 24 performances scheduled at the 20,000-capacity venue through March 2027. The shows, taking place every Thursday and Saturday, are billed as “No Repeat Weekends,” with no overlap between each week’s setlists.Metallica at Sphere: Night 1:01 Battery02 Creeping Death03 Now That We’re Dead04 Sad but True05 The Shortest Straw06 Wherever I May Roam07 The Day That Never Comes08 ...And Justice for All09 Sleepwalk My Life Away10 Nothing Else Matters11 The Call of Ktulu12 Lux Æterna13 Ride the LightningJazz Monroe is a music and culture writer based in London. His work also appears in The Guardian, The Independent, and elsewhere. ... Read More