The band's surprise appearance was billed as the unknown group "Dehaan" and Metallica frontman James Hetfield let fans in on the secret in a coded way on his Instagram page earlier in the day by saying, "Don't miss Dehaan! #MUYA #mff#UwillRegretMissingThem#IfUdoUmightKillEmAll #winkWink#getIt?"

Another hint that the mystery band had a tie to Metallica was given away in the name "Dehaan". Dedicated fans would notice that the star of Metallica's upcoming movie, "Through The Never," is an actor by the name of Dane Dehaan (Chronicle, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), who plays a member of the band's crew that is sent out on a mission during the band's set in the film. The synopsis says that while he is on this mission "he unexpectedly has his life turned completely upside down."

antiMusic's Anthony Kuzminski was on hand at the festival and has this report about the surprise set: When the artist line-up for Orion Music + More was announced a few months back, those who were closely dissecting the wide and vast array of artists noticed a band called "dehaan". No one could find anything out about the band, but the band revealed little tiny clues over the weeks leading up to the festival so at 4:30 on a perfect summer afternoon, the crowd around the Vans Damage Inc stage was full of fans anticipating a potential surprise from Metallica. The banner of "dehaan" was crossed over and replaced with "Metal Up Your A**", an infamous Metallica t-shirt and what was originally supposed to be the title of their debut 1983 LP which eventually became Kill 'Em All.

Shortly after 4:30, fans excitement went up a notch with the appearance of Ray Burton to the right side of the stage. His appearance elicited a chant of "Cliff-Cliff-Cliff", honoring the late Metallica bass player who helped take Metallica to another level musically. Ray went to a microphone and told the crowd to have a great time before James Hetfield appeared telling the crowd that "dehaan" was a mystery band from Baltimore before a shot of distortion paired with Lars Ulrich's crashing symbols initiated "Hit the Lights", the lead cut from Kill 'Em All. In honor of its 30th anniversary, the band decided it would be a good time to tear through the speed metal masterpiece in full. What followed over the next fifty-five minutes was a blistering joy ride of not just nostalgia, but peak into a world that most of the attendees could only imagine in their dreams. Something Metallica has done better than any other band (possibly aside from Iron Maiden) over the last decade if shifting between the present and the past. They are an ever evolving band who continues to reinvent themselves but are acutely aware of the fervent fan following they have and with every opportunity they get, they give the fans what they want. In 2006 when they toured Europe, they played Master of Puppets nightly in its entirety. At last year's Orion festival they performed Ride the Lightning in full the first night and Metallica aka The Black Album the following night. This is not because they have lost their creative mojo, but because it is what the fans want. Due to the speed with which these songs were written and recorded, they may not fit into the mold of an arena show, but at Orion, the songs were a reminder that Metallica was and still is the very best at what they do. When Hetfield told the crowd "This is like a festival, but a club as well", everyone understood completely what he meant. There was a communal and familial atmosphere to their set, with several life long fans holding their children on their shoulders from a distance so they can see, grasp and understand what this band means to so many people.