Hard metal

In 2011, when die hard Metallica fans in the UAE first heard the news that the band was coming to town, thousands snapped up tickets in record time.

Almost 20,000 fans packed the du Arena that night, and they weren’t disappointed, as the rock quartet of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo blasted out an assortment of their greatest hits including Enter Sandman, Creeping Death, Nothing Else Matters, Sanitarium and Seek and Destroy. There were tears of joy in the front row as fans from across the region screamed for their heroes. This year’s show on April 19 is set to be even bigger.

The nine-time Grammy Award winning band’s meteoric rise to superstardom saw it emerge from the grungy underground music scene, to eventually become one of the most influential hard rock bands in the world.

They have over 20 million Facebook fans worldwide, and 48,000 in the UAE alone.

The band has received rave reviews throughout the world for its contribution to rock music.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Greg Prato of Allmusic said: “Metallica expanded the limits of thrash, using speed and volume not for their own sake, but to enhance their intricately structured compositions.”

Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica have scored several multi-platinum albums, including 1991’s Metallica (commonly referred to as ‘The Black Album’).

Their last album, Death Magnetic, was certified platinum just six weeks after it debuted on top of the Billboard Top 200 Album chart in October 2008.

Tickets for Metallica live at the du Arena on April 19 are on sale at www.thinkflash.ae or 800FLASH (35274).

Tickets start at Dhs295 for General Admission, Dhs695 for Fan Pit and Dhs995 for Fan Pit Early Entry.