Metallica performs at Aftershock Fest in Sacramento on Oct. 8, 2021. Photos courtesy Aftershock.

SACRAMENTO — Metallica frontman James Hetfield was clearly back in his element performing in front of tens of thousands of fans at a sold-out Aftershock Fest at Discovery Park.

“Are we having a good time?” Hetfield asked midway through the set. “Well…quit it.”

While Aftershock officially kicked off Thursday, Friday felt like the unofficial homecoming of the festival, which was canceled last year because of the pandemic. The Aftershock stage has seen the likes of just about every big name in modern hard rock and metal, but this was the first time Bay Area icons Metallica have appeared on the bill.

“We’re not here to spread COVID, we’re here to spread love and rock and roll,” Hetfield said.

Metallica performs at Aftershock Fest in Sacramento on Oct. 8, 2021.

The band added a few fun curveballs, opting not to play only a greatest hits set. While staples like “Master of Puppets,” “One,” and “Seek and Destroy” were all included, so was some relatively newer material. The band ripped through the fiery “Moth Into Flame,” as well as “Cyanide” and “Frantic.”

“This song is off of your favorite album” Hetfield joked at outset of the St. Anger track. (though, to be fair, the song really hits live, with more well-mixed percussion).

As it is with just about every concert these days, the theme of getting back together and a return to normalcy was ever-present. Most every band mentioned how excited it was to finally be back on stage in front of a live audience. In the tight-knit world of hard rock and metal, that message seemed to carry greater weight.

While Metallica was terrific as a complete unit, it’s worth mentioning just how on-his-game Hetfield is right now. He’s returned to the stage rejuvenated following a rehab stint, looks healthy, his voice is in top form, and he showed a youthful vigor. Along the way, Metallica also mixed in the S&M classic “No Leaf Clover” as well as “Whiskey in the Jar,” from the band’s Garage Inc. record. The best part of the set was that it served as an authentic representation of all of the eras of Metallica, sans one glaring omission that fans will certainly hear more of when the band returns to headline Sunday night.

Metallica performs at Aftershock Fest in Sacramento on Oct. 8, 2021.

The lucky few fans who were able to catch the band at the intimate show at The Independent in September got some hints into the setlist, though Metallica did stray some from that set. After a brief encore, the band returned for a trio of classics including “Battery,” a fiery “Fuel” and sing-a-long closer “Seek and Destroy.”

Aftershock fans were also blessed with a luxury rarely seen at the fest: an absolutely perfect day. Discovery Park can sometimes bake in the sun, but Friday’s mild temperatures made for ideal festival conditions. Aftershock also added some nice touches to improve the viewing experience. New monitors and screens with dedicated speaker systems that never made a band sound distant were placed throughout the grounds. Immediately following Metallica’s set, there was a fireworks show; a fitting close to a spectacle of a night.

The rest of the afternoon and evening, Suicidal Tendencies, Dropkick Murphys and Rancid provided a strong dose of punk. The former performed with bassist Tye Trujillo, the son of Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. Modern rockers Seether and Volbeat also turned in strong and energetic performances during the afternoon. In the case of Volbeat, the band actually covered a Metallica track that appeared on the band’s recent Black Album box set.

Skillet performs at Aftershock Fest in Sacramento on Oct. 8, 2021.

Skillet packed a punch during a tight 35-minute set. One of the drawbacks of the festival setting was shorter set length, and Skillet’s performance seemed to flash by at lightning speed. The band put a heavy focus on the anthems, including “Feel Invincible,” “Sick Of It” and “Legendary.” With a new record on the way, the band mixed in “Surviving the Game,” its title track.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, what you believe , or who you voted for, music brings people together and that’s what we’re here to do,” frontman John Cooper said. Drummer Jen Ledger hopped up to sing backing backing vocals on “Awake and Alive” and the terrific “Hero.”

Rockers Pop Evil brought high energy and heavy set earlier in the afternoon. Frontman Leigh Kakathy at one point jumped into the crowd.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.