Metallica’s 11th studio album, 72 Seasons, was released worldwide this morning after a few months of hype and promotion. The band announced the new album late last year in conjunction with an ambitious, multi-year tour. The band will play two shows in each city each weekend with two different setlists, dubbed the “No Repeat Weekend.” As someone who may or may not have tickets to four of those shows, I have a heavy interest in listening to the new material to see what I may or may not be subjected to when I see James and company live in a few months.
The title of the record refers to the first 18 years of your life, but separated as seasons rather than years. James Hetfield said he found the phrase in a parenting book and found it so intriguing he based an entire album around it lyrically. In that sense, 72 Seasons can be considered a concept album loosely based around the emotions and experiences through the first 18 years of their lives. This made me a bit apprehensive because the last time the band used their music as a form of therapy, the result was St. Anger, and you know how that turned out.
The band also released the artwork for the album alongside it’s first single, "Lux Æterna." Hetfield described the use of yellow as “eternal light,” which is the meaning and lyrical theme of the first single from the album. The black items featured in the album cover seem to represent childhood interests once “breaking free” from the crib. While the song was actually good, the artwork was easily the worst of any Metallica album ever. Mixed feelings, to say the least.
In recent weeks, however, early reviews of the album started to come out and were overwhelmingly positive. One reviewer called it the best album Metallica had written since bassist Robert Trujillo joined the band. Another called it the best album the band put out since …and Justice for All. Given all the hype, I needed to check it out for myself. I rarely do this anymore, but I actually sought out a leak of the album (NAPSTER BAD) because I was that interested to hear it after these glowing reviews. The album clocks in at just over 77 minutes over 12 songs, in true Metallica long-winded fashion, similar to their last two releases Death Magnetic and Hardwired…to Self-Destruct. I’ve given the album a handful of spins, mostly to determine whether or not a band pushing their 60s actually topped the Black Album.
Here’s a track-by-track breakdown of my initial impressions of 72 Seasons:
1. “72 Seasons” (7:39)
A lengthy, eponymous opener that starts to tell us how the album is going to play out. The production sounds good. The band sounds great. Typically fast Metallica riffing behind Lars pounding the drum kit. The riffing is a little heavier than the last two albums, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s as if the band has taken some of the better elements from the Load/Reload era and incorporated them into their prototypical thrash. Hetfield’s vocals sound as good as they ever have, especially when he’s wailing about the “wrath of man.” The lyrical themes we expected are present. It seems that Kirk has found his wah-wah pedal for some solos after putting it away for 25 years, too. Though long, this is a promising opener. It’s not “Battery” or “Blackened,” but what is?
2. “Shadows Follow” (6:12)
A straight-forward rocker, similar to the opener. Hetfield rhymes his lyrics in the verses a bit too much, like he’s competing against B-Rabbit. Heavy riffing and another excellent Kirk solo. A bit forgettable.
3. “Screaming Suicide” (5:30)
A catchy, almost country sounding riff accented by Kirk’s wah-wah filled leads makes for an interesting instrumental background for the track. Hetfield’s lyrics have a darker and gloomier side to them on the first three tracks of the album, but these are not his best – “keep me inside, my name is suicide” seems to be trying too hard. The theme of this album is emerging, both lyrically and critically – while the music is excellent, the lyrics seems thin and predictable.
4. “Sleepwalk My Life Away” (6:56)
A rare song that starts with a Trujillo bass introduction. I saw some people reviewing the album compare this song to “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The only thing the two songs have in common is that they start with a bass riff and that Metallica wrote them both – that’s where the similarities end. This song does not need to be nearly 7 minutes long. Nothing really notable here.
5. “You Must Burn!” (7:03)
The opening riff is one of the best on the album – evil and demonic, even. The heavy, plodding main riff that durates for most of the song is equally excellent. Hetfield uses witches burning at a stake as a device to explain his teenage introspection, which for this album, is as close as we get to inspired lyrical work. A great song, if not a little lyrically weak.
6. "Lux Æterna" (3:22)
The first single for the album, and the shortest track on the album by at least a full minute. A straight forward ripper that reminds me a bit of a combination of “Fuel” and “Hit the Lights,” which is an odd mixture. Hetfield wails, “Full speed or nothing!” in between rhyming words that end in “-tion.” The chorus is merely him shouting the song’s title. One of the better songs on the album, if not somewhat flawed.
7. “Crown of Barbed Wire” (5:49)
Taking the crown of thorns one step further, “Crown of Barbed Wire” and it’s bass laden slow riff could have been on Load – which means I sneaky love it. The chorus is merely Hetfield repeating “so tight – this crown – of barbed wire,” which leaves something to be desired, especially because his vocals on the chorus are uncharacteristically melodic and soulful. Kirk gives a pretty good wah-wah solo that gives off heavy Load vibes, too. One of the more unique and better songs on the album.
8. “Chasing Light” (6:45)
While I can’t place the exact song, this song features some familiar riffing, possibly from Metallica instrumentals of the past – but it works. Maybe a little bit of “Spanish Castle Magic,” too. While the music is good, the lyrics are not. “Endless destroy, he’s just a boy” makes it sound like Papa Het is doing his best Slingblade impression. Entirely too long and unnecessary.
9. “If Darkness Had a Son” (6:36)
Did Chip Chipperson come up with the title for this one? It would have made for a good Burnin’ Embers song. The music is well and good but the lyrics are as trite as you’d imagine – “if darkness had a son, here I am, temptation is the father.” Woof.
10. “Too Far Gone?” (4:33)
I’m not sure why Metallica in recent years has felt the need to add punctuation to their song titles but they have more question marks and exclamation points in their songs over the last 3 albums than in their entire career. This one sounds like a sequel to “Through the Never” through the verses and features some fun leads by Kirk, as well as some of the fastest paced riffing on the album. Short, sweet, but lacking lyrically – James starts rhyming “-tion” words again during the bridge and I checked out.
11. “Room of Mirrors” (5:34)
Rather than chopping your breakfast on them, I guess we’re using these mirrors for self-reflection. It’s more of the same at this point of the album. James switches from rhyming words that end in “-tion” to words that end in “-ize” instead. It’s a song, but I’m not sure what other purpose it serves beyond filling 5 minutes and 34 seconds.
12. “Inamorata” (11:10)
One of the most hyped songs on the albums in early reviews, due to it being a long closer like Metallica has traditionally done on albums in the past. It opens with slow, heavy riff that sounds like it belongs on a doom metal album and picks up a bit with a heavy groove leading to the first verse. Lyrically written as a love letter to misery, the chorus is very catchy, especially when Hetfield swoons that “he needs her more,” but seems to fall back on the same clichés that haunt this album during the verses. There is, of course, a small mellow breakdown in the middle of this magnum opus that tapers off with James softly repeating the chorus – a missed opportunity for something better. Kirk gives us a few solos while the chorus repeats and we fade out on 72 Seasons. It’s an ambitious closer, and a new sound for Metallica, but it’s far from the best final song Metallica have written. I’d take both “Fixxxer” and “Outlaw Torn” over this one, even if it does sound like the opening riff was written by The Sword.
More than 40 years into their career, Metallica have somehow found a way to develop their sound even further, with impressive results. Musically, 72 Seasons is an album that where the band has seemingly evolved to incorporate all the best elements of their previous records into a unique, different sound that will please their longtime and new fans. The darker, heavier, even slower approach that they used for this album offers the listener a new side of Metallica, pushing the boundaries from the straight forward thrash of the past two albums to a newer, different sound.
Where this album falls tragically short, however, is lyrically. Hetfield’s vocals, as stated, are as good as they’ve ever been, which is no small task for a lead singer pushing 60. Over the years, it seems as if Metallica’s lyrics have become dumbed down, trite, and cliché, especially since Death Magnetic. Combine that with putting yourself into a box with the theme of the album, and it’s a little bit of a recipe for disaster for the lyrical content of this project. I know the leitmotif was childhood, but that doesn’t mean the lyrics need to seem like a kid wrote them. It seems as if ever since the abomination that was St. Anger, the band dedicated themselves to writing straight ahead, bland thrash metal songs in an effort to recapture their old audience. It’ll work because that’s what their fans want – but the worst part of this album for me is the lyrics and the feeling of what could have been if they were willing to take some chances.
72 Seasons may well be their best album of the Trujillo years – I’m still partial to Death Magnetic, though it has aged rather poorly. It’s certainly not their best album since Justice. The Black Album wipes the floor with it. I’d even say half of Load and Reload do, too. But musically, 72 Seasons shows Metallica being adventurous with their writing, taking it into uncharted and fun territory. If they can get the lyrics to follow that same trend, then you can talk to me about an album that rivals the classics. Until then, I’ll be trying to get James back into reading H.P. Lovecraft novels.
My parting thought for you is this: If Metallica never wrote this album, would it even matter?
Album Score: 5/10 broken cribs
Standout Tracks: “You Must Burn!,” “Lux Æterna,” “Inamorata,” “Crown of Barbed Wire”
Advice: Go listen to Ride the Lightning and remember the good times.
