Metallica Ignited Charlotte with a Relentless “Creeping Death” Opener at Bank of America Stadium 2025

When Metallica took the stage at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on May 31, 2025, the air buzzed with anticipation. The M72 World Tour had already been setting stages ablaze across the globe, but no one expected the opening blow to hit quite as hard as it did. And then came “Creeping Death.”

As the first rumble of the intro echoed through the stadium, longtime fans instantly recognized what was coming—and lost their minds. With tens of thousands of fists pumping into the sky, the moment felt less like the start of a concert and more like the start of a battle cry. The band wasn’t easing into the night. They were kicking down the door.

James Hetfield’s growl cut through the crowd like a whip. Every word he spat was met with an echo from the masses—fans shouting “DIE! DIE! DIE!” during the iconic bridge with such unity, it felt like a ritual. The energy was so high it felt like the stadium itself might shake apart.

“Creeping Death,” first released on the Ride the Lightning album in 1984, has long been a staple of Metallica’s live sets. It’s based on the biblical story of the ten plagues of Egypt—told through the eyes of the Angel of Death. The band often uses it to ignite the crowd, and in Charlotte, it delivered with apocalyptic force.

Kirk Hammett’s solo tore through the night like lightning. His fingers moved like a blur across the fretboard, summoning the same fury he first unleashed over four decades ago. It was vintage Metallica—raw, relentless, and filled with emotion. Fans in the pit watched in awe, many mouthing the solo note-for-note.

Behind the kit, Lars Ulrich pounded the drums with precision and power. His playing was tight, classic Lars—driving the song forward while engaging with the crowd at every opportunity. He leaned into every hit like it was personal, keeping the heartbeat of the track thunderous and steady.

Robert Trujillo held down the low end with a commanding presence. His growling basslines provided the thick, grinding backbone of the song, and his headbanging stage movements brought a physical intensity to the performance that had fans mirroring him in the stands and the pit alike.

What made this performance of “Creeping Death” so memorable wasn’t just how tightly it was played—but how alive it felt. Metallica didn’t just perform the song; they inhabited it. Each member brought decades of experience, pain, and triumph to the moment, making the song feel freshly dangerous.

This wasn’t a band running through the motions. Metallica has played “Creeping Death” thousands of times, but in Charlotte, it was like they were channeling the spirit of their 1980s selves—hungry, fierce, and ready to conquer. The fire in their eyes said it all: they weren’t just visiting their past—they were still living it.

Looking around the stadium, you could see generations of fans—from Gen Xers who’d seen them in ’89, to teenagers who’d discovered them on TikTok—singing every word. That’s the true power of Metallica. “Creeping Death” has become more than a song. It’s a multi-generational anthem.

The M72 Tour’s stage design amplified the chaos. With the band positioned in a massive circular setup, they connected with every section of the stadium. Fans surrounded them on all sides, creating a sense of intimacy and intensity rarely seen in shows this size. No one felt far from the action.

As the final chords rang out and Hetfield roared into the mic one last time, the crowd’s response was deafening. It was as if every voice had merged into one massive, defiant scream. That moment—that unified, explosive reaction—is what rock and metal were built for.

Even after “Creeping Death” ended, its presence lingered. You could see it in the faces of the fans—stunned, sweating, smiling like they’d just survived something colossal. And in a way, they had. They’d been swept into Metallica’s world and dropped back to Earth with ringing ears and full hearts.

There’s a reason “Creeping Death” remains one of the most beloved songs in Metallica’s catalog. It’s heavy, it’s smart, it’s biblical in scale, and when performed live—especially like this—it becomes something otherworldly. Charlotte witnessed that transformation firsthand.

By the time the band continued into the rest of their set, the tone had been set. Metallica had arrived, and with “Creeping Death” leading the charge, they’d reminded everyone why they are still, after all these years, the undisputed rulers of heavy metal’s live experience.