Metallica: 72 Seasons - Global Premiere

Metallica have gone all out on the promotion of this record, hosting a global listening party the night before the official release. It’s a fantastic way to listen to the new tracks, fans gathered in sold out cinemas, decked out in their t-shirts and genuinely excited by the prospect of fresh music. Each track has an accompanying video so you’re not left watching a blank screen, but some are undeniably better than others. Those directed by Tim Saccenti focus on the band performing against various arty backdrops and fare considerably better than the video paired with ‘Shadows Follow’, unless you particularly enjoy watching pulsing mountains for 6 minutes. ‘Chasing Light’ also battles to keep your interest as you watch black and white pixels dancing across the screen for the duration. 

But it’s the music that matters, and ‘72 Seasons’ is fast paced and intense. Though free of surprises, it’s pretty much what you want from Metallica at this stage of their career. And it’s fascinating to hear the band give their own take on each of the tracks. It’s easy to hear the Motörhead influence talked about in the speed metal of single ‘Lux Æterna’ but harder to find the link to surfing and the ocean that Robert Trujillo insists is present in ‘Sleepwalk My Life Away’. It becomes apparent just how much thought and work goes into an album like this; the decisions that are made regarding sequencing, the ideas behind the lyrics, the mechanics of how a song is put together. 

The title track starts the album in classy fashion, a bass note rumbling beneath a riff that Kirk Hammett says came to him quickly and fully formed. It’s a pleasingly old school thrasher, propelling along at high speed. James Hetfield’s vocals are direct and powerful and remain so throughout the twelve tracks. ‘You Must Burn!’ (Don’t overlook the exclamation point) is blissfully heavy and I’m sure there’s something of ‘Sad But True’ in that riff. ‘If Darkness Had a Son’ with it’s ‘temptation’ hook will translate well live and truly has the groove and swagger that Trujillo talks about. There are no ballads here, nothing experimental or weird. And though much is made of ‘Inamorata’ being the first Metallica track to exceed 10 minutes in length, thankfully it doesn’t feel that way at all. Yes, there is a quieter section where Trujillo’s bass and Ulrich’s drums are given a moment to breathe but then the almost doomy riff returns, sounding all the more impactful for the change in dynamics.

It’s hard to get a real feel for an album on the first listen, but to me, it sounds like Metallica are far from done. '72 Seasons' is out now, and awaits your judgement.