When Metallica hit the final note of "Enter Sandman" Sunday they officially put the exclamation mark on their three-year M72 World Tour.

The 99-gig, eight-leg stadium blitzkrieg began April 27, 2023, in Amsterdam and rocked sold-out venues across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania.

Even though the tour was built loosely around their 72 Seasons album, the true highlight was their “No Repeat Weekends,” where in many cities, the metal legends played two nights with different setlists, different openers and deep cuts sprinkled among the classics. This format allowed them to entertain their biggest fans who might want to attend both nights in a city without seeing the same show.

Speaking of 72 Seasons, it performed very well for a 2023 metal album by a band more than 40 years into its career: the group's 11th album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, reached #1 in the UK, topped several rock and vinyl charts, and it won Best Metal Performance at the 2024 Grammys for the title track.

Across all 99 shows, however, the band played only 9 of the 12 tracks from the album. Sorry, “Crown of Barbed Wire,” “Chasing Light” and “Room of Mirrors.”

But these are the bangers Metallica did live debut on the M72 Tour

“Screaming Suicide” and “Sleepwalk My Life Away,” 4/27/23, Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA

To promote the tour and album, Metallica played a few songs before they hit the road, so they missed out on M72 live debuts.

"Lux Æterna,” was performed at the Helping Hands benefit in Los Angeles on December 16, 2022.

“If Darkness Had a Son" got its debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live on April 10, 2023. And the song “72 Seasons” had been performed for cameras at Ready Set Studios on April 18, 2023.

"Let's play another new one. I hope that's ok with you," James Hetfield said to the Dutch audience halfway through the tour kickoff show in Amsterdam.

"We're in love with this album. We're grateful that a lot of you like it," he said before singing "Sleepwalk My Life Away." James may love the record, but they only played that tune four more times -- all in 2023.

"Screaming Suicide," though, found the setlist a total of 23 times over the three year run, which is a testament to how deep their catalogue is: any other band would have this in their set as much as they could.

“You Must Burn!” 4/29/23, Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA

One of the nice things about the No Repeat Weekend format is it took effect right away. A new slate of songs meant two new songs got to meet an audience.

On the 8th slot of the setlist, in the middle of the show, the group live debuted "You Must Burn!" Hilariously, before the song began, James strummed a few chords on his guitar to see if it was in tune. When it sounded horrible, he said, "perfect."

Earlier in the set they played the title track of the album for the first time in front of a crowd. So in a way, the Dutch got four live debuts in one weekend, the most any city received.

“Shadows Follow,” 8/4/23, East Rutherford, MetLife Stadium

Metallica did a lot of things right on this tour. One thing was they paced themselves. After spending much of the spring in Europe, they took six weeks off before coming to America.

To get the rust off, their soundcheck was longer than usual. "Creeping Death," "Harvester of Sorrow," "72 Seasons," "If Darkness Had a Son," "Fade to Black," "Orion," "Sad But True," "The Day That Never Comes," "Lux Æterna," "Spit Out the Bone," and "Shadows Follow" helped the gents prepare to rock the home of the NY Giants and Jets.

That night they live debuted “Shadows Follow” in the ninth slot. It's a song they played 25 more times on the tour.

“Too Far Gone?” 8/6/23, East Rutherford, MetLife Stadium

Jersey got another live debut on Sunday thanks to the no-repeat weekend.

"Too Far Gone?" a jam they'd play only 18 other times, was placed a little earlier in the set at #6 right after "Lux Æterna" and before the Kirk and Rob Doodle.

A few months later in November, the tune would go to #1 for songs on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. It became their 13th #1 placement on the 42-year-old chart.

“Inamorata,” 5/26/24, Munich, Olympiastadion

Ending in a bang in Bavaria, Metallica live debuted the 11-minute epic closer from 72 Seasons, “Inamorata."

It was the only live debut of the 2024 M72 leg, but what a monster it was.

Metallica's longest tune dwarfs its previously lengthy leaders: “Inamorata” (72 Seasons, 11:10), “Suicide & Redemption” (Death Magnetic, 9:57), “The Outlaw Torn” (Load, 9:49), “To Live Is to Die” (...And Justice for All, 9:48), “...And Justice for All” (...And Justice for All, 9:46).

Which 72 Seasons songs wrapped up the M72 Tour?

In London last weekend during the last two nights of the tour, Metallica could have played anything off 72 Seasons and what they chose was telling.

Friday night (7/3) they rocked two tunes they played a lot on the tour: "Lux Æterna" and "If Darkness Had A Son." The former made the setlist 64 times over 99 shows, the later 43 times.

Then on Sunday (7/5), the group paid tribute to the album they're touring on by playing the title track.

They also included “Screaming Suicide” to the set, whose music video has received 8.3 million views since it dropped three years ago. Pretty good for a heavy tune.

In the caption of the video Hetfield wrote, “The intention [of the song] is to communicate about the darkness we feel inside.

"It’s ridiculous to think we should deny that we have these thoughts. At one point or another I believe most people have thought about it. To face it is to speak the unspoken. If it’s a human experience, we should be able to talk about it. You are not alone.”

Even though the tour is over doesn't mean “Crown of Barbed Wire,” “Chasing Light” and/or “Room of Mirrors” have run out of chances to get their live debut this year.

Metallica is taking a few months off before their Sphere residency dubbed Life Burns Faster. The tunes very well could receive a mind blowing unveiling in that billion dollar venue.

Get your tickets (if you can) on Metallica's website.

The 24-show residency runs from October 1, 2026 through March 13 in Sin City.

Metallica Life Burns Faster Vegas Residency

10/01, 10/03, 10/08, 10/10, 10/15, 10/17, 10/22, 10/24, 10/29, 10/31, 11/05, 11/07, 1/28, 1/30, 2/04, 2/06, 2/18, 2/20, 2/25, 2/27, 3/04, 3/06, 3/11 and 3/13.