‘You Are Not Alone': James Hetfield Shares Hope During ‘Fade to Black’ in Buffalo

It's a regular occurrence for James Hetfield to pause for a few moments in the middle of performing "Fade to Black" to connect with the Metallica Family on a deep level.

"Hey Buffalo. Can you hear me? I can hear you," Hetfield said before he and his bandmates kicked into the song's bridge at their recent show at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y., on Aug. 11.

"It's a beautiful sound to hear each other. This song here is about suicide, written in 1983. We've all had struggles. We've all had dark times. We've all known friends or family members that have taken their own lives. They've committed to a permanence to a temporary problem. We've all been touched by it. If you're feeling like you're struggling, there's people to listen. There's people that will listen to you. There are people that love you. I love you. And you're not alone. Remember that. You are not alone."

You can watch our fan-shot footage from the show in the Instagram post below.

Watch James Hetfield Connect With Buffalo Audience During "Fade to Black"

If you've caught Metallica live recently or you've enjoyed streaming their shows via nugs.net or LiveMetallica.com, you know how common it is for Hetfield to take this exact moment in "Fade to Black" to reach out to those who are struggling.

It's a beautiful moment; no matter how heavy the music gets, no matter how high the intensity rises, Metallica will always make sure their fans and family know they're welcomed, embraced and, as Hetfield said in Buffalo, loved.

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"Fade to Black" is the fourth track on Metallica's second studio record, 1984's Ride the Lightning. The performance in Buffalo marked the 1,210th time Metallica have played it live onstage.

In addition to this unforgettable moment during "Fade to Black," Metallica pulled out a couple of great surprises for fans in Buffalo, including performing the live rarity "Dirty Window" and opening their encore with "Blackened," which was only the second time they played it live in 2022.

Check out the full setlist and photos from the show below.