When Metallica hit the stage at Lane Stadium on May 7, it wasn’t just another stadium show, it was a scientifically confirmed less seismic event.
When the opening sheds of “Enter Sandman” rang out on the show, more than 60,000 fans jumped together and created enough power to detect soil movement. Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory, which is a mile away, discovered the shaking under the set and later confirmed that the amount had literally shaken the soil.
“Metallica saved ‘Enter Sandman’ for the last song at night. It did not disappoint, shaky Lane Stadium so hard that it registered on Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory’s Helicorder. Nothing compares to experiencing it live, but this multi-camera video shared by the band is coming pretty close,” reported Virginia Tech’s web site.
While trembling did not pose any danger to the public, the moment quickly earned the nickname “Metallica Quake” across social media. According to Fox Forecast Center, the seismic activity was for less to be judged on the Richter scale.
“The size would have been less than 1.0,” said Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory Research Associate Martin Chapman. “Too small to even feel a mile away.”
For the locals, the track has deeper meaning. “Enter Sandman” has the soundtrack Virginia Tech Hokie’s football team inputs for years and blasts through the stadium speakers to fire the crowd.
Virginia Tech Athletics shared the moment online and said, “Thanks for jumping with us, Metallica! Come back at any time.”
The concert was part of Metallicas M72 World Tourwhich supports their eleventh studio album 72 seasons. The tour contains two-night stops in each city without repeated songs across both sets. Support treatments on this leg include Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Suicidal Tendencies and Ice Nine Kills.
72 seasons Debuted at No. 2 on Billboard 200 after the release in April 2023. The set debuted with 146,000 earned units and achieved the largest week of units for any rock or hard rock album for over three and a half years. It also marked the band’s 12th top 10 mapping album, of which nine has reached the top two. 72 seasons also marked the band’s first original album in seven years.
Last month Metallica also dropped the first trailer for their upcoming fan-focused documentary, Metallica saved my lifeDirected by the band’s long-time partner, Grammy winner Jonas Åkerlund, who will be shown in selected cities on the band’s ongoing M72 World Tour.
In a statement on April 8, the group wrote: “As a couple of you may know, we have been working behind the scenes for the past few years on a new movie that will be released later in the year with your guys! Metallica saved my life Exploring our world through the life of fans who have supported each other through heights, low, attempts and triumphs for over four decades. And yes, we’re a bit in it too. ”