Just past the security-guard friskers, a sign read: "Moshing may occur." Not surprisingly, the sign proved prophetic.

This may be an older and wiser Metallica [ tickets ], but the group's adrenaline still flows freely. A balmy California Monday (3/8) announced spring's arrival, but sweat and smoke made the inside of the Cow Palace unbearably muggy--perfect for this type of show.

When one looks at the Billboard charts, there are a lot of performers that seem perfect for more intimate settings. There are few bands that appear to have been specifically made for arenas, and Metallica is one of them.

Metallica didn't simply come out and play a few tunes--they dominated the large, rotating, center stage, tearing through selections from their entire catalog. Frontman/guitarist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett, drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo are no fools; they are keenly aware that "Seek and Destroy" (from their 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All), "Fade To Black" (1984's Ride The Lightning), and "Blackened" (1988's …And Justice For All) are required listening, and should be accompanied by the appropriate magnesium flames and concussion blasts.

But the band also took to lesser-known material, of particular note "Holier Than Thou," from the Black Album, and "Frantic," from their latest, "St. Anger." The latter also featured pre-song instructions from the band for coordinated shouting through its machine-gun opening riffs.

"Thanks for coming out and sharing some noise with us," Hetfield bellowed to the fist-pumping, black-T-shirt-clad faithful.

Despite Hammett's usual, melodic-minor bombast, and the wide-eyed, demonically-grinning Hetfield, this tour will belong to the bottom end. Ulrich flashed many smiles at the crab-walking and sumo antics of (relatively) new bassist Trujillo, who, with all love and respect to departed bassist Jason Newsted, has lit a four-alarm blaze under this band's collective ass. The crowd accepted him as a brother, as they should with his pedigree: Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, and most recently Ozzy Osbourne (with whom Newsted now plays bass).

The rejuvenated Ulrich vigorously flailed through the hyper-speed tempos, leaping off the drum throne after every song to run to the front of the stage and slap hands with the fans who'd fought their way to the barricade. The fans who put the band on the map more than 20 years ago. Without radio. Without MTV.

Metallica was, and always has been, keenly aware of this, and you could see it in their faces as they looked out to the sweaty, swirling mosh pits.

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