30/9/1983 – Giorgos Ntalaras
3/10/1988 – Bruce Springsteen et.al.
27/9/2008 – Madonna
28/5/2009 – AC/DC
3/9/2010 – U2
8+9/6/2024 – Coldplay

And now…

9/5/2026 – Metallica

Those live shows are some of the performances that have written their own chapter in the musical history of our country, with tens of thousands of spectators attending to watch their favorite artists from every musical genre. On Saturday, May 9th, around 85,000–90,000 lucky people experienced a historic moment as we witnessed the GREATEST concert of all time. Simple, plain, and undeniable. Objectively speaking, without “yes, but…”

The O.A.K.A. Stadium — or rather the entire city of Athens — had been flooded that day and the days before by those misunderstood figures in black clothes and ominous band shirts, simply waiting for the clock to strike May 9th around 18:00, when the show would begin.

And I say 18:00 because my philosophy in these situations is, whenever possible, to watch every band playing at a live show out of respect both for the artists and for ourselves. Arriving outside O.A.K.A. slightly late, just before 18:00, I feared there would be delays entering the stadium, but in the end we got in effortlessly and took our seats having missed only the first few songs by KNOCKED LOOSE. To be honest, everything I knew about the American hardcore outfit came from a few songs I had heard recently, none of which really won me over. Still, a quick online search answered my question about how KNOCKED LOOSE managed to sneak into a lineup alongside METALLICA and the new METALLICA (aka GOJIRA). With only three full-length albums, KNOCKED LOOSE have already achieved major commercial success, especially in the U.S., earning high chart positions and even a Grammy nomination in 2025.

Their task was incredibly difficult. People were still entering the stadium or lingering outside, the sun was still high in the sky, the sound was mediocre, their music is chaotic enough as it is even under ideal sound conditions, and the stage was simply enormous for a band of their size. Nevertheless, they didn’t seem discouraged at all, delivering tremendous energy on stage, running around like madmen, while towards the end we even witnessed the first small pits opening up in two or three spots across the arena.

Side note… I chose to watch the concert from the upper tier right at the center of the stadium, knowing I would sacrifice some intensity but gain a panoramic visual experience, seeing everything happening both in the arena and on stage. End of side note…

During the 40 minutes they had available, they played 11 songs with emphasis on their latest album, “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To” released in 2024, while also referencing their earlier work. After all, they are far from newcomers, already counting nearly 15 years as a band, and undoubtedly their participation in METALLICA’s tour will elevate them even further commercially. Perhaps in a club setting or a more compact festival environment, their music could be appreciated even more fully.

Setlist

1. Blinding Faith
2. Don’t Reach for Me
3. Mistakes Like Fractures
4. Piece By Piece
5. Moss Covers All
6. Take Me Home
7. Hive Mind
8. Suffocate
9. Counting Worms
10. Deep in the Willow
11. Everything is Quiet Now

After a short break, it was time for the mighty GOJIRA. I think their participation as support in this show didn’t receive the recognition it deserved, probably because we had already enjoyed them as headliners at Release Festival just a few months earlier. For 30 years now, GOJIRA have been slowly but steadily climbing toward the top of metal music, but fate still owed them something — and it brought the Paris Olympic Games into their path, catapulting them to a whole new level.

Many argue that GOJIRA are the METALLICA of our era. Keeping proportions and changing times in mind, I would agree that they are certainly among the leading candidates to inherit that title.

The Duplantier brothers have built a brand combining flawless musicianship, outstanding songwriting, and strong social awareness. I personally consider Mario Duplantier one of the best drummers of his generation, and he proved it even within the massive scale of the O.A.K.A. Stadium. Their setlist covered material from across their entire career. They opened and closed with “Born for One Thing” and “Amazonia” respectively from their latest album, “Fortitude” — an album that completely destroys the narrative of those who always respect the first albums of a band more.  Somewhere in the middle of the set they caused the first true earthquake centered around Kalogreza with my personal favorite, “Flying Whales.”

Naturally, the song that made them mainstream was also present (just to tease those who claim METALLICA were sold for money), namely their rendition of the traditional “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” from their appearance at the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, the first truly serious pits emerged in several points across the arena, looking from above like whirlpools ready to swallow anyone daring enough to approach them.

After approximately one hour, GOJIRA concluded yet another performance in our country, having thoroughly warmed up a crowd that had by then almost completely filled the stadium.

Setlist

1. Born for One Thing
2. Backbone
3. Stranded
4. The Cell
5. Flying Whales
6. Love (“Remembrance” outro)
7. Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)
8. Another World
9. Silvera
10. L’enfant sauvage
11. Amazonia

At around 20:45, 5,676 days after the last time James, Lars, Robert, and Kirk had stepped onto a Greek stage, the moment that 85,000 spectators had been waiting for finally arrived (along with several hundred, if not thousands more outside the stadium). “It’s A Long Way to the Top” by AC/DC echoed through the Attican sky accompanied by a unified roar from the crowd. “The Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone raised the pulse even higher before two hymns from the depths of METALLICA’s discography exploded in our faces: “Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” from 1983’s “Ride the Lightning”.

Right from the beginning, everyone understood that METALLICA were not messing around. They hadn’t come merely to promote “72 Seasons”, as some mockingly claimed and secretly hoped. In fact, their latest album was represented only by “Lux Aeterna,” simply reminding us that METALLICA are still here and still creating music.

The four musicians launched into the performance with unstoppable momentum in every aspect. At one point, the wild Robert Trujillo climbed down from the stage and stood right beside the audience, who literally embraced him.

Next came a taste of “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct” with arguably the best song they’ve written in recent years, “Moth Into Flame,” absolutely perfect for arenas. I’ll never forget its incredible presentation back in 2018 at the basketball arena in Bologna, with dozens of drones flying above the stage. Here, we had an abundance of flames, both real and digital, projected across the gigantic screens hanging seemingly from the Calatrava roof itself.

The underrated “Load” found its rightful place through “King Nothing,” which was welcomed enthusiastically, while the first part of the set concluded with “Lux Aeterna” and two diametrically opposed songs that nevertheless perfectly represent the band’s dual identity. Tears of emotion and tender embraces during “The Unforgiven” were almost sadistically replaced moments later by the merciless pounding of “Fuel” … and by then you already felt like Marie Antoinette in GOJIRA’s famous performance — your head completely detached from your body and tucked under your arm.

About halfway through the set, it was time for Kirk and Rob to take center stage and give Lars — who had probably already lost five or six kilos of sweat — and James, who had run countless miles across the stage, a moment to breathe.

At first, Kirk moved us deeply, reminding us that our ancestors became immortal for their timeless contribution to music and culture. Then the two of them did the unthinkable… they performed the classic and expected “Zorba the Greek,” but also “Den Horas Pouthena” by Greek legendary bandTrypes, even singing the chorus properly while the crowd erupted in ecstasy and sang along.

“Ride the Lightning” was honored once again in the second half of the concert through “Fade to Black,” with James reminding us that we are all members of the great METALLICA family and that nobody is truly alone.

The trio that followed from “The Black Album” reaffirmed why that album became such a landmark both for the band and for metal music in general: “Wherever I May Roam,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Sad But True.”

In between songs, James addressed young Spyros, who attended the concert with his family through Make-A-Wish while battling cancer, encouraging him as the entire crowd chanted “Spyros! Spyros!”

During “Nothing Else Matters,” the lighters came out (okay, smartphones — but “lighters” sounds far more romantic), while “Sad But True” launched us from our seats, where we obviously never sat down again for the final dreamlike quartet.

“One” remains perhaps METALLICA’s most recognizable song, with its anti-war message more relevant than ever. During “Seek & Destroy,” the crowd participation reached its absolute peak, while giant balls in the colors of the tour filled the arena, making the spectacle even more impressive from above.

The legendary “Master of Puppets” album was rightfully honored with its title track  and the audience seemingly realizing that the dream was nearing its end and pouring out even more energy. Finally, the night closed triumphantly with the guaranteed anthem “Enter Sandman,” while the band remained on stage for several more minutes receiving deafening applause and each of the four musicians addressing the audience individually.

Setlist

1. It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) (tape)
2. The Ecstasy of Gold (tape)
3. Creeping Death
4. For Whom the Bell Tolls
5. Moth Into Flame
6. King Nothing
7. Lux Aeterna
8. The Unforgiven
9. Fuel
10. Kirk & Rob Doodle (Zorba / “Den Horas Pouthena” – TRYPES cover)
11. Fade to Black
12. Wherever I May Roam
13. Nothing Else Matters
14. Sad But True
15. One
16. Seek and Destroy
17. Master of Puppets
18. Enter Sandman

With the opening show of this year’s tour, METALLICA proved they are still alive and still capable of inspiring new generations of metalheads. Their set may be shorter compared to 15 or 20 years ago, but the emotions they provoke remain just as powerful.

Any technical or performance imperfections hardly bothered anyone except those who simply look for reasons to complain. After all, it is part of our greek character to never be satisfied when it comes to others, while rarely examining ourselves with the same scrutiny.

The show they delivered was monumental and meticulously crafted down to the finest detail. The sound, considering the circumstances (an open stadium, 360-degree speaker orientation, etc.), was quite good and improved steadily throughout the evening. All three bands displayed tremendous energy and enthusiasm, while the crowd participated wholeheartedly.

So, let us cherish these historic moments as highly as they deserve, because chances are we may never experience something like this again in Greece — unless James and the rest of the band have another surprise waiting for us in the future.

And honestly, the fact that by the end of the night you could see on people’s faces not merely excitement or adrenaline, but an expression of bliss and complete fulfillment, says more than enough.

Live Correspondent: Kostas Boudoukos