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On Saturday, Metallica headlined the second night of the Download Festival.

The show is part of the band’s 2012 European Summer Vacation tour, which sees them performing their 1991 self-titled (“Black”) album in its entirety for the first time.

NME reports Metallica played a two hour set to a gigantic crowd, and were rewarded with the most responsive audience of the weekend so far.

The band, who were preceded by footage from a classic Clint Eastwood western and their favoured Ennio Moriccone soundtrack, kicked things off with “Hit The Lights” from their debut album “Kill 'Em All,” with drummer Lars Ulrich jumping out of his seat at every opportunity.

Before they launched into 'The Black Album', they played a selection of hits including “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and “Master Of Puppets,” the latter of which saw James Hetfield leave some vocal duties to the huge crowd before wandering up to a raised part of the stage for the extended guitar solo.

The band then left the stage while VT footage was screened from throughout their career, incorporating old news reels and photos of the band over the years. They then returned to play the classic LP in full, with Hetfield - who was wearing a jacket with the name of Sunday night's headliners, Black Sabbath, emblazoned on the back - paying tribute to "the Metallica family" before “My Friend Of Misery” and asking the crowd how they were surviving "the typical Donington mud" during “Nothing Else Matters.”

They then finished their set with fireworks, balloon balls and a rendition of their early single “Seek And Destroy.”

All photos courtesy of Metallica.