The crowd gathered outside of Hilton Coliseum on Monday night might have caught the attention of the average person. The hundreds of long-haired, tattooed metal-heads standing in line would have prompted anyone to wonder what event could draw such a crowd.

It’s simple question with a simple answer: Metallica.

Undeniably one of heavy metal’s most influential bands, Metallica performed a high energy spectacle for fans.

The eager crowd waiting for the doors to open was a testament to the band’s influence on heavy metal during the last few decades. Monday’s metal-heads wearing leather pants and decrepit black T-shirts were standing side-by-side with younger metal fans sporting Hot Topic-sponsored wardrobes and those wearing average clothes.

All were united for the same reason — to pay homage to one of metal’s most enduring bands.

Leading the bill was Massachusetts hard-rock band Godsmack, who, despite member’s best efforts, seemed lost as they wandered around trying to entertain the fans gathered on all four sides of the 360-degree stage. Not even a tandem drum solo between singer Sully Erna and drummer Shannon Larkin could liven the otherwise bland stage performance.

In a sense, anything may have seemed bland considering what was to come.

After an anxious wait that seemed to last a lifetime, the lights went down and the crowd came to its feet. The cheers became almost deafening as the screens hanging above the stage came to life displaying clips from a western film, and became louder when four figures no brighter than shadows took the stage. Metallica had arrived.

Wasting no time, the band members started their set with “Blackened,” the opening track to their classic 1988 album “… And Justice for All.” With thunderous applause, the lights came up to reveal four of the most recognized faces in heavy metal — each poised with his instrument, looking in full form and ready to give his best.

As the band roared through the songs that spanned its entire career, the group performed with an intensity achieved only through decades of tour experience. Even at times when the quartet was scattered around the giant stage, each was able to capture the attention of the audience effectively.

The band went through four songs before playing “Frantic,” a track off of its latest and most disappointing album “St. Anger.”

Although it was only the first of two songs they played from “St. Anger,” it was during those two songs that the band seemed mechanic. Simply going through the motions to promote its newest album, the group truly came to life when it played its classic material.

Songs like “Master of Puppets,” “Battery” and “Sad But True” had Metallica playing with the raw energy that has allowed it to connect with audiences throughout its legacy. Each member delivered his own skill that lent to the band’s unrelenting performance.

The most exciting song of the evening was undoubtedly “One,” which was introduced with fireworks and explosions meant to sound like gunfire and featured a memorable moment when guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett joined bassist Robert Trujillo at center stage and played huddled together.

After several encores, the evening ended with the performance of “Seek and Destroy,” a Metallica classic from its 1983 debut “Kill ’em All.” Afterward, the band stood on stage and received an uproar of applause from its endeared fans who had witnessed a masterpiece.

Hetfield, Hammett, Ulrich and Trujillo — each as legendary as the band he is part of — proved why they are one of the best metal bands of all time — and still a force to be reckoned with.

Metallica photo gallery