Confirming rumors that we reported on last week, Metallica is indeed gracing our fair city with their metal presence on January 18.

The Beijing gig went up on their official tour schedule over the weekend and a news item dated November 13 on the site states:

"We’re kicking off an extremely exciting, crazy week with the announcement that we will be returning to China and for the first time ever playing in Beijing! As you may know, we’re going to get the new year started right with a trip to Asia and we’re beyond excited to add Beijing to the WorldWired Tour schedule on January 18, 2017 at the Le Sports Center. Tickets will be available on November 17 starting at 2pm [Beijing time] through the ticketing hotline 400 610 3721 and online via Damai.cn."

When Metallica played China in 2013 (stopping only in Shanghai), the show sold out in two hours, so fans would be advised to mark their calendars for the start of ticket sales this Thursday.

Videos from that Shanghai gig are plentiful on Youku and their pre-approved setlist from their last China tour can be seen here. The proposed set list for the Beijing show is in the comments on this post below.

The band, 2009 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the recipient of eight Grammies (and dozens of other awards), traces its history back to 1981 when lead vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield responded to a classified ad placed by drummer Lars Ulrich. That would make the band's track record span a little more than half the history of the People's Republic of China.

Truth be told, Beijing’s no longer a desert for imported heavy metal. The city hosted Megadeth last year and Iron Maiden this past spring, and even edgy death metalists Cannibal Corpse in 2012. Getting the proper permissions should not be an issue for Metallica, and given their sellouts in Shanghai in 2013, making bank should not be an issue either.

Metallica is touring to support the release of their 10th studio album Hardwired ... To Self Destruct, which is due to be released later this month.

Images: Metallica.com, Jammy.fm