Metallica had the time of their life in the early part of May, joining the San Francisco Giants baseball team for a special Metallica-themed evening that saw Lars Ulrich throw out the first pitch and James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett thoroughly rock the National Anthem. As expected the band's performance of the 'Star-Spangled Banner' rocked and fans have been clamoring for it ever since. Now the band is obliging by making the Hetfield and Hammett version available as a free download for those who want it.

It should be noted this is the first time ever the members of Metallica have performed the National Anthem live. The atmosphere of the Giants audience also made it special as you can hear audible cheers and applause for just about every extended, rocked out guitar lick.

Over 41,000 people caught this rare performance at a sold out AT&T Park in San Francisco, and the hometown faithful left happy with not only some great Metallica memories but also a walk-off homer from Buster Posey giving the Giants the win over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 'Star-Spangled Banner' is just one of the many downloads that Metallica have made available over the years. They have their own distinctive LiveMetallica.com site for fans seeking to collect their concert recordings. If you're not a member of LiveMetallica.com, you can sign up for free. Get the Metallica version of the National Anthem and see photos from the performance here.

Watch Metallica Perform the 'Star-Spangled Banner'

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