With heavy thunderstorms projected in Detroit on Wednesday night, Metallica is expected to hit the stage at Comerica Park earlier than originally planned.

The 1981-formed thrash-metal band was scheduled start about 9 p.m., but the start time has been moved up to 8:15 p.m., according to a spokesman for the concert organizers.

It's not clear how the change will impact performances by openers Avenge Sevenfold and Volbeat.

More than 1.5 inches of rain was expected to fall in Detroit between Wednesday and 2 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

#Flood Watch now includes all of Southeast Michigan this afternoon through Thursday morning #miwx pic.twitter.com/iHMYfoDuhl — NWS Detroit (@NWSDetroit) July 12, 2017

Metallica's stop in Detroit is part of the band's Worldwired tour, Metallica's first full North American tour in seven years in support of its most recent album, "Hardwired... to Self-Destruct."

The November-released album eclipsed 1 million in sales earlier this month, according to Billboard.

It's Metallica's first return to Motown since the short-lived, two-day Orion Festival on Belle Isle in 2013 that was later called a financial disaster by drummer Lars Ulrich.

Fans donning various black T-shirts emblazoned with lighting-influenced artwork from some of the earliest among Metallica's 10-studio-album catalog, "Kill 'em All," "Ride the Lighting" and "Justice for All," began arriving in Downtown Detroit more than six hours before the first opening band was set to hit the stage.