Metallica Honors Cliff Burton With “The Call of Ktulu” at Sphere
Metallica has shared professionally filmed footage of “The Call of Ktulu” from the opening night of its Life Burns Faster residency at Sphere in Las Vegas.
The nine-minute instrumental came midway through the October 1st set with Robert Trujillo holding down one of the most bass-centered pieces in the Metallica catalog as the venue transformed around the band. The Sphere’s massive screen filled with an enormous Lovecraftian creature, eventually surrounding the group in one of the residency’s most striking visual sequences.
As the song concluded, James Hetfield dedicated it to the band’s late bassist and co-writer Cliff Burton. “In honor of our fallen brother, Mr. Clifford Lee Burton,” Hetfield told the crowd. “We love you, and we miss you, brother.”
Burton shares the writing credit for “The Call of Ktulu” with Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine. The instrumental appeared as the closing track on 1984’s Ride the Lightning.
Check it out!
No Treble CEO Jody Miller is a Chicago-based bassist, guitarist, engineer, and producer best known for his bass gear demo videos and as the co-host of The Bass Nerds podcast.
