Photo Credit: Steffan Chirazi
And… breathe!
We all need affirmation in life, especially right now in 2026, where it’s fair to say chaos is throttling the globe, and we look to anything that makes us feel happy and safe. So where do we find our escape, our joy, our relief?
In rituals, those ceremonial acts which carry a deeper sense of meaning and help structure the lives of those who engage in them together. It’s the fourth year of this latest road ritual (M72 started back in 2023), and for the latest annual kick-off, 90,000 (and change) filled the Athens Olympic Stadium on Saturday night for the largest ever live concert in Greek history. Read those last words again: IN - GREEK - HISTORY. I mean, personally, I think creating history in a country which gave us Alexander the Great, the Minoans, the Myceneans, Zeus, etc. (and let’s face it, I’m leaving a raft of major players in that “etc.”) is pretty spectacular.
Photo Credit: Steffan Chirazi
For those who were there, you came from all over Greece, not just Athens. And you came from all over the world, not just Europe. Some of you have been going to see Metallica for 40-plus years, and some of you were seeing your first-ever Metallica gig live and joining the family. Welcome to the comforting embrace of a gathering which allows all your fears, frustrations, anger, and aggravations in life to be packed up and ignored for a little while. It’s been a while since I saw that many people bursting into laughter and tears of excitement as they thunder-bounced their way onto the floor after the gates opened, their energy permeating the entire night.
I looked at James, Lars, Kirk, and Rob during rehearsal the previous night, and they remain our North Star, our lighthouse in the fog as we all wrestle and wriggle with daily life turmoils. Of course, Metallica are the magnets, with this incredible music being the drag and draw, but YOU are the continual catalysts, the battery for it all, and the unbreachable positive spirit that feeds them—a rock potluck where everyone brings something to the table.
Photo Credit: Steffan Chirazi
Then there’s the comfort of the rituals within the main ritual.
Theirs.
Kirk skipping rope pre-show.
Lars in the tuning room early.
James and a cigar, checking out Knocked Loose.
RT working on a doodle with Kirk.
Green juice.
Gratefully meeting the Make-A-Wish guests for the night and feeling humbled.
Meet & Greets.
Physio work.
Some food.
Photo Credit: Steffan Chirazi
And yours.
The Pop-Up Store social, disguised as a huge queue. The gatherings around town as old friends see each other again for the first time since November 2025, knowing that this is medicinal… stories and greetings exchanged with hugs and smiles. The sprint for the rail. These rituals mean so fucking much because we can rely on them to hold firm and be there for us to engage in, as can Lars, James, Kirk, and Rob in theirs.
I mentioned rock potlucks earlier. Well, Knocked Loose and Gojira are one hell of a weighty pair of offerings to the feast. Knocked Loose are marvelous, tight, and tense. Frontman Bryan Garris endlessly paces the stage in some sort of semi-hostile trance as the band explodes in pockets of pure rage. Gojira continue the barbarous barrage, being just as relentless in their own assured and fluid way, walls of weighty, progressive rhythmic groove rounding out what is one of the best bills of its kind anywhere right now if you want heavy.
Photo Credit: Steffan Chirazi
That connection between Metallica and you just gets stronger. And it is a “between.” Fitness regimens and good dietary choices are observed; obviously, there are rehearsals, and when it comes to M72, Rob and Kirk put enormous work into bringing respect and appreciation to the local destination’s culture. Watching the synergy between them and the Athens audience during "Zorba" and "De Horas Pouthena" by Trypes was electrifying. "One," "Seek," "Puppets," and "Sandman," all incredible, indefatigable surgeons of sanity, and levelers which continue to bring light into our lives, whatever is happening. There will be deeper cuts and a bit more range as the tour goes on. However, given that it was 16 years since the band last visited Athens, the set was designed and weighted to give people more of those “classics.” Judging by the waves of “roar” from the crowd, it was a well-observed choice.
As it has always been, Metallica is a safe space for all, whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever you do, whatever you believe in. I truly believe it is why Metallica is as vital and important as it’s ever been, because we KNOW it is where we can be us among us.
Photo Credit: Steffan Chirazi
More than ever, during this time when it feels like people are in a tumble-dryer, wherever they’re living, just waiting and hoping for the motion to stop and the heat to dissipate, this has become about more than just the music and the songs. Metallica, and specifically M72 in this case, feels like a full-suite sanity service. Truthfully, I think you should be able to claim the ticket price via your health insurance, or at the very least get a prescription, because it's not only rock'n'roll, it's much more. This juggernaut of joy is catharsis, excitement, hope, and escape.
90,000 people in Athens made that much clear.
Welcome back, my friends, to the gloriously effective ritual that never ends.
