Lollapalooza wasted no time launching its long weekend in Grant Park with the loudest bang possible thanks to heavy metal heroes Metallica, who may have previously performed at the mega festival in 2015, and of course, back in its touring days, but have only grown in legendary status since then.

Despite not recording new material, the iconic group comprised of front man/guitarist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Lars Ulrich remastered and reissued several of their iconic albums, including “Kill ‘Em All,” “Ride The Lightning,” “Master Of Puppets,” “…And Justice for All” and “The Black Album.”

As a result, they spent most of a more than two-hour set looking back, however, it was
obvious from the opening crunch of “Whiplash” that Metallica’s material was living, breathing and constantly evolving, thanks in part to a recent resurgence on Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”

“Enter Sandman,” “The Memory Remains” and “Wherever I May Roam,” then later, “Fade To Black,” “Seek & Destroy” and the fireworks-adorned finale “Master Of Puppets” were amongst the additional aggressive epics, met with the hysteria of a huge fanbase in what was thus far Lollapalooza’s best example of bridging multiple generations.

In between, one of today’s climbing rap contenders, Lil Baby, had a lighter but no less enthusiastic crowd for a co-headlining set, stacked with cuts off his own “Harder Than Ever” and “My Turn,” plus slices of several features, collaborations and covers.

Meanwhile, ZHU kept the electronic creations flowing from “Dreamland” on back, while giving the Windy City a hearty helping of his chilled out West Coast house flavors.

Another dose of variety and virtuosity came from the guitar of Billy Strings, who brought his unique brand of bluegrass, Americana and roots rock, along with a spontaneous nature characterized by some awe-inspiring solos.

Singer/rapper Ashnikko is also on the ascent after gaining significant viral traction on TikTok and demonstrated even more versatility with her DJ, toggling between pop, hip-hop, rock and punk.

Sweden’s Tove Lo and her band brought a sexy shade of pop to the proceedings and pumped up the party with previews of the bold “Dirt Femme,” plus a steady chain of multi-platinum singles, such as “Talking Body,” as she literally bared all.

R&B’s leading lady, Jazmine Sullivan, actually kicked off the festivities a little early with a series of smooth grooves and ballads at the Kimpton Gray Hotel during the official Lollapalooza Pre-Party, which was hosted by IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Getting to hear her gorgeous vocals and deeply personal lyrics on the luxurious rooftop was an unforgettable experience, leaving Lollapalooza lovers spellbound as they looked forward to so much more on the horizon.

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Lollapalooza continues at Grant Park through Sunday, July 31. For additional details, visit Lollapalooza.com.