Metallica never does what is expected.

In 2018, they put together their first ever Helping Hands benefit show to raise money and awareness for their philanthropic foundation, All Within My Hands. The show was completely acoustic and took place at The Masonic in San Francisco. It featured their debut performance of the newly arranged version of “Disposable Heroes”, and a few months after the show they released it as a double LP, pressed on marbled blue vinyl; today, that album has become a hard-to-find collectible, typically selling for more than $100 on Discogs.

In 2020 – at the height of the pandemic when there were still many unknowns and no vaccines available yet – Metallica announced their second Helping Hands concert. This time it was broadcast live from Metallica HQ in San Rafael and featured not only a full acoustic set but also an additional electric set. Among many cool highlights, they performed “Creeping Death” acoustically and performed the acoustic arrangement of “Disposable Heroes” electrically. It was definitely a night to remember.

And on December 16, 2022, Metallica gave the fans another night to remember with their third Helping Hands show – this time at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles – now available for streaming and download from LiveMetallica.com and nugs.net. Fans can also pre-order the physical copy of the show as a two-CD set here.

Similar to their 2020 Helping Hands show, the 2022 edition featured an acoustic set followed by a fully plugged-in, electric and heavy set too. In the first set, Metallica played five songs, three of which were covers: two Thin Lizzy songs and UFO’s “It’s Killing Me”, which marked the band’s first time covering UFO in front of a live audience.

Returning to the stage for round two, they opened with a smashing performance of ‘The Call of Ktulu’ and followed it up with eight more songs, including the live debut of ‘Lux Æterna’.

This concert marked Metallica’s last show in 2022, and right now it’s their last show before M72 tour kicks off in support of their next studio album, 72 seasons.

72 seasons is set for release on April 14, 2023, and their first M72 stops are scheduled for April 27 and April 29 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam.

Check out photos from Metallica’s 2022 Helping Hands Show in Los Angeles