Flashback to 1992: Metallica Deliver Crushing Performance of ‘Whiplash’ in San Diego

We're feeling nostalgic, so we decided to jump in our 'Tallica time machine and travel back to one of the most brutal performances in the band's history.

Acting Like a Maniac

That's right, we're talking about the brutality of Live Shit: Binge and Purge, Metallica's live collection that covers their massive, multi-day sets at the Seattle Coliseum in Seattle, Washington, in 1989, the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California, in 1992 and the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico in 1993.

While you can pick any track from Binge and Purge and be guaranteed a good time, we decided to head to San Diego for the closing song from their regular set: Kill 'Em All's "Whiplash."

"Whiplash" is already one of Metallica's thrashiest tunes, but when they pulled it out on their Wherever We May Roam Tour in '92, they hit a level of heaviness like never before.

If you've never seen it before—or you want to watch it for the 469th time—check it out below.

Watch Metallica Perform "Whiplash" in San Diego in 1992

"You guys are fucking quiet again, man, what the fuck's going on?"

James Hetfield holds nothing back as his intensity is on full display throughout the performance, and Jason Newsted matches that intensity when he takes over vocal duties for a couple of verses. The video itself captures the insanity of the song, too, with rapid-fire cuts of the audience and band spliced together for a head-spinning, head-banging experience.

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The live debut of "Whiplash" came on Oct. 23, 1982, at Billy Barty's Roller Fantasy in Fullerton, California. As Ron McGovney recalls in the below tweet, people were actually roller skating while Metallica performed at Billy Barty's. Seriously.

Since that 1982 gig at the roller rink, Metallica have performed "Whiplash" more than 900 times.