Lang Lang

Metallica teamed up with the phenomenally talented Chinese pianist Lang Lang at the 56th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (January 26, 2013). It was a strange collaboration on paper, though offered a brooding intensity to the band's classic song One. Check out Metallica and Lang Lang. 

Metallica Arrive At The Grammy Awards

"It's been 22 years, I do believe [since we last performed at the Grammys], so we're excited to be back," Lars Ulrich told Artisan News before the performance, "That's a long time to be away from anything, so we've got a lot of energy stored up that we're ready to unleash.

Continue reading: Metallica And Lang Lang? 5 More Divergent Musical Collaborations

Since their first appearance at the Grammys exactly 25 years ago, Metallica have often experimented with classical instruments. Back then, they played One, but lost the Hard Rock/Metal Performance award to flute-mongers Jethro Tull. Last night they returned with that same song, collaborating with classical pianist Lang Lang on a haunting new rendition.

It's been 25 years since the band's first Grammys.

After an introduction by Jared Leto, the performance opened with Lang Lang playing a series of harsh and dramatic harmonies, which blended seamlessly into guitarist Kirk Hammet’s recognizable riff. At that point the audience erupted in a cheer. Frontman James Hetfield played the song's iconic intro and Lang Lang played some expressive runs. Then, as the frontman sang about feeling disabled in war, Lang Lang’s piano melody added another layer of depth to the song.

Continue reading: Metallica Team Up With Classical Pianist Lang Lang For Anniversary Performance Of 'One'