They showed. They rocked. No surprise in either case. “The best-kept secret in rock ‘n’ roll,” James joked at the start of the officially unconfirmed 80-minute set in the backyard amphitheater of Stubb’s. “We thought we’d join the party.” The new stuff came off almost as adrenalinized as the old stuff. The one downside was the crowd — about half SXSW attendees and half Metallicats that somehow got in — didn’t go as crazy and as a typical audience, which really is half the fun of their shows. When they kicked off “Master of Puppets,” though, everyone turned a 14-year-old metalhead no matter their hipster credentials. Here’s the setlist:

Creeping Death / For Whom the Bell Tolls / Harvester of Sorrow / Broken, Beaten & Scarred / Cyanide / Sad But True / Sanitarium / Master of Puppets / Blackened

ENCORE 1: Breadfan / Whiplash      ENCORE 2: Seek & Destroy

Oh yeah, and forgot to mention: Word is the band is headed to the Twin Cities this fall, probably October at the Target Center.

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