Metallica played over 200 shows in just 13 months for their Damaged Justice Tour during the late ‘80s, the first leg of which began in Europe.

Supported by Danzig and Queensrÿche, Hetfield and the guys normally performed at least 18 blistering songs for each date, covering 15 European countries in just the first two months.

After a 10-day pause, ‘tallica spent five months blitzing their way through 28 U.S. states, followed by nine Canadian cities (in under two weeks), before embarking on an 18-day jaunt through New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Instead of taking a well-deserved breather, Metallica kept the ball rolling — because apparently rest is for sissies — with a second leg through North America alongside The Cult (a personal favorite) that lasted another four months before finishing up in Brazil. And that was a typical grind for these metal hooligans.

Consequently their live shows throughout the ‘80s, which remain the gold standard for any touring act regardless of genre, laid a shatterproof foundation for what was to come. And not surprisingly the San Francisco-based foursome are still going strong.

To borrow from John Bush, they’re the ultimate road dogs. Always have been.