Metallica Explains Decision to Play “Black Album” Backwards During Summer Tour Dates

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty ImagesDuring their summer festival appearances and on select tour dates, Metallica has been playing its entire classic, self-titled 1991 album, better known as "The Black Album," in reverse order.  Drummer Lars Ulrich explains that he decided to change up the set list for the shows because he felt it would be better to end the “Black Album” performances on a high note with their biggest hits.

“It doesn’t say anywhere that if you play an album in its entirety, you have to play it front to back,” Ulrich tells Rolling Stone.  “This is all subject to change if it doesn’t work.  But the idea of starting off with the lesser-known songs and buried down there and ending up with ‘Sad but True’ and ‘Enter Sandman’ seems like a winner.”

While Metallica is currently on tour overseas, the band will be back in the U.S. to perform "The Black Album" in reverse, along with 1984’s Ride the Lightning, in its entirety for their inaugural Orion Music + More festival.  That event will make its debut on June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ.

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