Metallica madness is set to hit an “eardrum-rattling” fever pitch in Perth, with one of the globe’s biggest heavy metal bands to kick-start the Australian leg of their epic M72 World Tour at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.

Lead singer James Hetfield was spotted incognito and relaxed aboard a Rottnest Express ferry on Thursday afternoon, alongside his girlfriend Adriana Gillett, as the countdown to the metal group’s epic national tour launch continues to tick.

It’s the first time the American band — dubbed the biggest of the “Big Four” thrash bands — has been Down Under in more than a decade.

Comprising founders Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, along with Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo, the four-piece group will be supported by nostalgic rockers Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies.

As fans

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