Metallica brought years of pent-up excitement to Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium on Wednesday night, energizing the crowd with a live performance of the Virginia Tech Hokies’ iconic entrance song during a stop on their M72 World Tour.

As for the home team, the Hokies are coming off a 6-7 season that saw them go 4-4 in ACC play — good for ninth in the conference. They lost to Minnesota in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Head coach Brent Pry is entering his fourth season as Virginia Tech's head coach, with the Hokies posting a 16-21 record from 2022-24.

Band played first concert at Lane Stadium, where the Black Album classic has served as the Hokies football team's intro music for 25 years