Metallica, Metal Church

Press Photo, 1987

This promotional material documents Metallica's 1987 concert at the Pantages Playhouse in Winnipeg, featuring support act Metal Church. The concert occurred during Metallica's "Damage, Inc. Tour" supporting their Master of Puppets album, which marked the final tour with bassist Cliff Burton before his tragic death in a bus accident in Sweden in September 1986. This particular show represents the band during their thrash metal peak, performing material that would become foundational to heavy metal music.

The Pantages Playhouse, a historic theater venue in Winnipeg's Exchange District, provided an intimate setting for what would become one of many legendary Metallica performances during this era. Concert promotional materials from this period are significant to music collectors as they document the band's rise from underground thrash pioneers to mainstream metal icons. The inclusion of Metal Church as support reflects the Pacific Northwest metal scene's influence during the mid-1980s, with both bands helping define the sound and aesthetic of American heavy metal during this transformative period in rock music history.