It wasn’t only the audience that went wild from the very first moment Metallica stepped onto the stage at Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA) on Saturday night — many would say they absolutely “demolished” the venue with a two-hour explosive setlist.

Above all, it was the raw energy of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and Robert Trujillo that overflowed from the mesmerizing “high priests” of heavy metal, as everyone in attendance witnessed.

And “everyone” truly meant everyone: from ten-year-old kids attending with their parents, to young couples, to longtime metalheads — the so-called “freaks” — well into their fifties.

Knocked Loose opened the concert of the year in the blazing afternoon heat, before giving way to Gojira, who gave an all-out performance and received massive applause during their hour-long set.

But everyone was eagerly awaiting Metallica’s fifth appearance in Greece, and when the intro to Creeping Death blasted through the speakers at 8:45 p.m., the packed stands and arena erupted into frenzy.

Full throttle

The 600 speakers and subwoofers suspended from eight towers surrounding the stage produced phenomenal sound, and combined with the incredible mood of the band, swept the OAKA crowd away from the very first minute.

It will be interesting to see the results from the seismograph that monitored the concert on behalf of the National Observatory of Athens Geodynamic Institute, in order to determine whether the synchronized movement of tens of thousands of spectators could create measurable seismic vibrations.

Playing at full speed, the band chose a setlist filled mostly with classic hits and fewer newer songs — tracks the audience recognized from the very first notes.

James Hetfield warmly greeted the crowd, saying he was grateful that Metallica had returned to Athens, while guitarist Kirk Hammett remarked that music itself began in Greece.

Spyros, Trypes, and total delirium

Without pause, the band “bombarded” the audience with massive songs like The Unforgiven, during which mobile phones lit up the stadium, Nothing Else Matters and of course the furious Seek & Destroy, sung by the entire Olympic Stadium.

Hetfield’s mention of young Spyros, a boy battling cancer who had dreamed of seeing the band up close, deeply moved the audience — especially when the camera focused on the smiling child standing just steps away from the Metallica frontman.

As for Greece itself, beyond verbal references, Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo surprised the audience with an unusual duet, first performing a beautiful rendition of Zorba’s Dance on guitar and bass, which earned warm applause.

But the crowd truly exploded when Robert Trujillo performed a song by Trypes one of the most beloved tracks written by Giannis Aggelakas.

OAKA erupted once again, while classic anthems like Fade to Black and Master of Puppets pushed the intensity even higher.

And that intensity didn’t fade even with Enter Sandman — the band’s signature track — which closed Metallica’s concert in Athens in the best possible way.

Despite the screams and applause of the thousands of spectators, there was no encore during this relentless night — a night that clearly justified James Hetfield’s remark that he has the best job in the world.