EDMONTON -- Bruce Springsteen goes on an hour late because, well, he's Bruce Springsteen. That's just what he does.

Metallica does the same thing last night - but at least they had a good reason: the band just wanted to make sure all their loyal fans were in the building.

Remember, this metal band values its fans almost as much as life itself. The feeling is often mutual. Metallica is the sharing, caring metal band - and we are their devoted minions. Raise your goblet of rock.

Anyway, more than 18,000 headbangers crushed their way into Rexall Place last night to witness the return of the kings, nay, the Gods of metal. Headbangers like to party. And so each person coming into the arena had to be searched carefully for contraband, of course - not that it did any good, judging from the smell - and so there was a wee delay. Rather frustrating for some people. But they needn't have worried. Metallica waited till everyone was inside. No complaints about the delay were heard - especially once the band proceeded to live up to its reputation and then some.

After the opening 15-minute blast of Blackened and Fuel - with a great deal of same set on fire - singer James Hetfield explained, "Sorry we're a bit late. I know what you're going to say: 'You're seven years too late, James' " - and yes, the last time we saw these guys was in 1997 - "We wanted to make sure you were ready." (Just throw in a few f-words in there to get the authentic effect.)

There was general agreement. The crowd was ready.

With the band firing on all cylinders and as loud as a jet engine, as expected, last night's "in the round" concert was similar to at least the two previous Metallica shows. Hey, at this point, these guys know what works. A stage that rotated slowly gave all parts of the crowd an equal eyeful, with cameras positioned in all sorts of odd places (including one by Lars Ulrich's left foot). But despite the expensive production, the music took centre stage. With 36,000 fists pumping out the beat, the band started old school - pulling out such songs as Harvester of Sorrows early on - before launching into the old school-style material from the new album, St. Anger.

"Did you bring your anger with you?!" Hetfield asked the crowd. Again, there was general agreement. Frantic was one of the St. Anger highlights, and there were many, but what really went over like metal manna from heaven were the older hits - it's always more fun when you know all the words. The arena shook as 18,000 headbangers hollered out the chorus of King Nothing.

Opening act Godsmack may have given folks the wrong idea by releasing a dreary new unplugged album - what are they thinking? It's the latest in a series of grim, sludgy records that don't even come near to capturing what this Boston foursome is capable of live. A frankly boring band on album turned out to be an exciting, aggressive headbanger band of the highest calibre on Metallica's stage. Lyrics dealing with rebirth - about "being alive in the place where I once died," and so on - set a dark tone, but the band was flying high from the first note. They kicked out the jams on one ripping rocker after another, including their big breakthrough hit Voodoo - again sounding a hell of a lot better on a live stage.

Kudos to the headliner for letting the opening band blow off some pyro; the crowd was on its feet for the duration -- not just because the Hetfieldian lead singer advised us to stand in the strongest language possible, either. In a nutshell, he bellowed, "This ain't no wide screen TV. This is a rock 'n' rock concert!" Thanks for pointing it out, dude. It sure was.

In The Seats: 18,000 in Rexall Place

Note Perfect: King Nothing

Sour Note: Too loud to hear sour notes