Highlights:
• The match up between motormouths Lars Ulrich and Stephen Colbert was no contest. Stephen is just too fast with his quips and Lars could barely get a word in edgewise.
• Stephen tells the band that he loves Saint Anger ("Never actually heard the album"), and they smile politely, perhaps knowing that it's the lowest point in their 30 year discography.
• Stephen suggests "Next to the Always" and "Under the Sometimes" as alternate titles to the somewhat nonsensical Through the Never.
• Metallica running around and vamping on Colbert's tiny (compared to what they're used to) studio stage like it was their normal arena set up was pretty endearing.
• Massive reverb on Hetfield's vocals throughout the night, but the performance was still fairly raw and unrestrained. Going to go out on a limb and guess that Metallica aren't playing to a backing track yet.
• Even though I saw Metallica play "Master of Puppets" live and in person, it was somehow even more thrilling to see them play it on The Report, with Hetfield substituting at least one "master" with "Colbert!" Also, Stephen's introduction was beyond amazing.
