Metallica-72 Seasons

Metallica, legends, trail blazers, an institution. They’re back with their first new album since 2016, and boy is it a ride!

“72 Seasons,” the title track kicks things off. Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich dance the groove, Robert’s bass hooks the listener in. Then the guitars come in, and the listener is immediately transported. A solid journey through the timescope of what feels forever and nothing. There’s thrash and a groove to this that sets it out immediately. A song that emphasises the burdens put on one when you’re young, as the ‘Wrath of Man,’ comes crawling through. A solid start.

“Shadows Follow,” hits the jaggedness, going stop and start, whilst the drums hammer in. The groove then comes through and James Hetfield comes snarling into being. A twisting turning that illuminates the pressings. This reviewer felt themselves moving to the groove and singing along within moments. A brilliant follow on from the opening title track.

“Screaming Suicide,” is next. The second single from the record, and one that deals with the sensitive topic of suicide but with the riffs and the swagger to get the listener moving and ready to throw down. Hetfield sounds on fire throughout and the band compliment him with a rhythm that turns the tide and presses onward.

“Sleepwalk My Life Away,” opens up with a Robert Trujillo bassline that immediately hooks you in. The riffs bring elements of Load Era Metallica forward, swimming with a bit of edge and grit. Hetfield once again drives the day, his lyrics, his vocals and his melodies turning toward something dark and contemplative. A song that sees the band embrace their groove.

“You Must Burn!” is big. A song that has a fat riff and a swaggering beat. Harkening back to the Black Album and “Sad But True,” it drives a hard bargain. Demanding the listener feel and immerse themselves within the complexities of time. The lyrics, the lyrics are something else. Drawing on something similar to a Witch Trial and a burning (obviously!) they sink into the listener’s skin, hammering away and bringing more. This song will be a headbanger when performed live. This reviewer was headbanging whilst listening.

“Lux Eterna,” the first single from the album is next. A song that moves and pushes off with energy and fire. A callback to the early days and Metallica’s clear NWOBHM influences. It presses in and drives. A feel good, after the heaviness that has preceded it.

“Crown of Barbed Wire,” takes us back to the heavy and the groove. The riffs and the drums build to a cacophony. The anticipation is something else entirely. The breakdown is something else. The riffs flatten the concrete of time and delve into unchartered waters. There’s groove, there’s heaviness, then there’s this. Hetfield has danced into a new lyrical territory, throwbacks to what may be considered something Biblical, his vocals are superb.

“There’s No Light!” That’s how “Chasing Light,” kicks off and from there the listener is taken on a journey. Sometimes ferocious, sometimes mellow, but never slowing down. A song that gets the listener grooving and curious. Bringing the feelings forward and taking a tilt toward the edge of the abyss, all in search of that light.

“If Darkness Had A Son,” starts off with a military beat, the drums and guitars getting into a hypnotic rhythm. One is waiting for the build up and the break. It continues for a time, bringing the listener closer and closer but never quite delivering the promise. Indeed, this seems more like a sludgefest, turning the groove forward and enticing the listener. The lyrics are gold. Highlighting the dangers of temptation and asking whether our internal darkness makes us more prey to them.

“Too Far Gone,” is a throwback to the early days of the band. The rhythm, the riffs, they could fit quite nicely on the first two albums. Then there are the vocals. Throughout this album, James Hetfield has sung his heart out, and on this song he really takes you into his mind. Bringing you to his thoughts and his feelings. Is he too far gone to save, he asks in the chorus. This will have to be played live, the crowd will love it!

“Room of Mirrors,” is ponderous at the beginning, a duelling between guitars and drums before delivering something satisfying with the breakdown and the riff montage. A fast paced number that delves deep into the psyche of the listener and our inner child. The good and bad in us all as James sings. The solo on this song is something else, it seems Mr Hammett stuck true and brought something new to the fore. Then there are the harmonies, they were beautifully done and brought a smile to the reviewer’s face. One can imagine the audience singing them when this song is ultimately played live. Phenomenal.

“Inamorata,” has some serious Sabbath, Sleep, St Vitus and Doom vibes. A riff and a drum pattern that gets right into your skin and makes you intrigued for the journey. And a journey it is.  Especially at the 6 and a half minute mark when Metallica show you why they are melodical Gods. That harmony! For eleven minutes, Metallica take you through a story and a half. Misery, she loves company, but you’re not going to give her any, any more. On the back of that, the riffs, the groove, the swagger, the middle, all of it just sings.

If this the finale, then what a finale!

For forty odd years Metallica have led the way, and for this reviewer and fan, this album stands up there not in comparison to what has gone before, but for where we are now.

In 2023, with the way the whirlwind of life is going, this is what is needed.

Metallica have brought something fresh to the fore.

72 Seasons is out on 14th April via Blackened Recordings.