Metallica have dropped the new song “72 Seasons” — the title track of their forthcoming album, arriving April 14th.
The band teased a significant portion of the song’s music video on social media before releasing the full track and music video today (March 30th). The performance clip sees the band illuminated by red lasers, giving off the effect of Metallica barreling through space.
It’s fitting visuals for what is the fastest and grooviest of the four singles we’ve heard from 72 Seasons, following “Lux Æterna,” “Screaming Suicide,” and “If Darkness Had a Son.” James Hetfield may have recently said that he and his fellow bandmates were “average” players, but this new track proves otherwise.
Lars Ulrich is locked into the pocket of the quick tempo, and the riff structures and palm-muted chugs hit with undeniable power. Hetfield’s more pronounced drawl also works nicely around the arrangement and vocal melody, which ascends to a soaring chorus hook. When he’s not singing, the band veer through instrumental sections that build tension and variation — and give Kirk Hammett ample room to shred.
Expect to hear the new Metallica songs on their upcoming 2023-2024 “M72 World Tour.” Tickets for the shows are available at this location.
In other news, guitarist Kirk Hammett has teamed up with Gibson for a signature model guitar replicating his iconic “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul Standard. The Gibson Custom Shop model has been aged to match the original, and a more affordable core model “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul Standard is set to arrive on April 11th, just days before 72 Seasons drops.
You can pre-order 72 Seasons on vinyl here. Watch the video for the title track and view the single artwork below.
“72 Seasons” Artwork: