This past Monday evening, January 26th, Metallica performed in front of a full house at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont located just outside Chicago, Illinois. If you are a fan of the 80’s version of Metallica, this show was as good as it could have gotten. Not only did they play their newer songs from Death Magnetic, but they played duo’s of their older songs going from "Creeping Death" to "Ride the Lightning", "Sad But True" to "Enter Sandman", and then from "One" to "Master of Puppets".

Even the songs from Death Magnetic rocked hard. Perhaps they are not quite as heavy and hardcore as the earlier songs in Metallica’s history, but they are definitely not as light or alternative as the songs from Load, Reload, or St. Anger. Hearing them live sounded even better and heavier, helping fans to forget the memories of songs such as "King Nothing" or "Bad Seed".

Throughout the show, Hammett reminded everyone as to why he is both a legend and an all-time greatest guitarist. His switching back and forth of soft and heavy sounds along with his ripping solos continuously left the audience in complete amazement. Even with their shorter hair, Hetfield and Ulrich looked younger than ever with their astonishing performances. Ulrich was non-stop song after song, still creating a perfect helicopter-sound while grinding on the drums whenever necessary. Trujillo fit right in with the band, constantly showing off his skills and talent on the bass as if he had been a member from the very beginning.

Overall, Metallica’s performance was both brilliant and flawless. It was great to hear them revert to their original style, and it was wonderful to hear their new songs live. Perhaps Death Magnetic is not as heavy as their first albums, but they are certainly heading in a better direction than they were before. Bottom line; Death Magnetic is what St. Anger should have been.