By Brandon Smith
Metallica’s 11th studio album “72 Seasons” was released earlier this month. With 12 new tracks in a 77-minute runtime, this marks their first release in seven years.
The band is best known for songs like “Enter Sandman,” “Master of Puppets,” and “Nothing Else Matters.” Metallica’s most popular songs are almost three decades old at this point. Now, so long after their peak, it’s not inaccurate to call them a “legacy band.”
The term “legacy band” has different meanings. In this case, Metallica’s original five albums spearheaded the greatest years of American heavy metal, and there’s no going back to that time no matter what they put out now.
With all that in mind, is 72 Seasons a good Metallica album? Does it provide something exciting for casual listeners and impress hardcore ‘Tallica fans? For this review, we’re going to go through each song on the tracklist and evaluate them. How does modern Metallica compare with the classics?
“72 Seasons”
Starting with the title track, the song begins with a powerful, chugging bass line with guitars steadily creeping in, the perfect intro for a song structured like an epic. The lyrics tackle the idea that the first 72 seasons of someone’s life, the first 18 years, define who they become. It may be almost eight minutes long, but the song has enough variation between riff changes and choruses to keep the listener engaged the whole time.
However, Hammett’s guitar solos feel like they weren’t living up to their potential. Hammett still plays with legendary speed, but there isn’t a lot in the solo that sticks with you. There’s a spot near the end where he’s playing over the riff and it sounds like he’s building to something incredible, but then the solo just ends and the song continues on.
Still, as an album opener, “72 Seasons” proves that the Metallica boys aren’t just resting on their laurels. They intend to pack as much of a punch as they always have.
“Shadows Follow”
The second track starts with a one-two punch rhythm that builds into a twisted main riff. The riff is pretty good, but it all starts to blend together after a few minutes. That said, the way that the chorus builds up before exploding like a firework and diving right back into the main guitar line is pretty exciting to listen to.
The lyrics address the feeling of being chased by depression and past traumas. The idea of trying to move forward but feeling stalked by your “shadows” is a dark one, but one that is intensely relatable.
The bridge in the middle might be what saves the song. The solo seamlessly intertwines to a full band jam session before the next chorus hits. All-in-all, this one is a solid song, but it’s missing something to set it apart. I think more variation in the verses would have elevated this one more.
“Screaming Suicide”
“Screaming Suicide” addresses the fear around a taboo topic and how it makes people internalize their emotions. Hetfield’s chorus is haunting with lines like “Don’t ever speak my name/Remember you’re to blame/Keep me inside.” This is a deeply personal song, and it resonates well with anyone who has been in a dark state of mind.
The main riff, especially when accented by Hammett’s leads, has a groove to it that makes it easy to bop to. The guitar solo spirals downward, leading to the darkest point of the song. Here, Hetfield’s voice is no more than a growl.
Despite the dark subject matter, it does feel good to know that you’re not alone. “Screaming Suicide” might be a weaker track, but it’s still cathartic to listen to.
“Sleepwalk My Life Away”
I was excited for this one because it’s one of the few songs that bass player Rob Trujillo has a writing credit on. Since Trujillo joined the band in 2003, he has played on three studio albums including “72 Seasons.” Sure enough, “Sleepwalk My Life Away” starts with a hammering bass riff while the guitars steadily creep in.
Hetfield’s vocal delivery is again the star of the show. I appreciate how he doesn’t settle into just one way of singing, and instead he experiments with his range throughout “72 Seasons.” The lyrics feel like someone screaming at the mundane routine that they’ve allowed their life to settle into, something that anyone who feels like a prisoner to their job or school could relate to.
“You Must Burn!”
This one is another Trujillo-credited track, and he even sings during the bridge. Gotta give this one a few extra points for Trujillo.
This one slows things down for a heavier song. Each drum beat punctuates through the guitars, giving the song a very powerful sound. I especially like the drum line just before the haunting bridge where Hetfield and Trujillo chant like cultists in a choir.
This song doesn’t feel overburdened with trying to wrap the song around verses and choruses, but instead lets the band just play for a while. The music ebbs and flows instead of following one solid riff, which some may find distracting, but others will enjoy rocking out to it.
“Lux Æterna”
Straight from the beginning, this song makes itself known. Ulrich’s drumming is the star of the show here. “Lux” feels inspired by bands like Diamond Head. The riff is brimming with energy. It’s a shocking contrast from the darker sound of “You Must Burn!” when listening to the album straight through.
Lyrics like “Full speed or nothing” gives this one a youthful charm, making it a fun song to put on and jam to. The solo comes and goes rather quickly, but Hammett manages to make the most of his brief time.
All-in-all, this one is a satisfying, quick song that the album could have used more of. A perfect finale to the first half of the album.
“Crown of Barbed Wire”
I like the way that the main riff kind of “unravels” during the opening. Lyrically, this song gets very repetitive. It would have gotten repetitive musically too, if not for a middle section that begins with guitars striking down like lightning bolts.
Hammett is the star of the show here, injecting renewed vigor into an otherwise monotonous track. This song is definitely more heavy than melodic, but something I like about Metallica is their ability to balance both. “Crown of Barbed Wire” is a good listen, but it is a little disappointing as a second half opening.
One problem with Metallica’s previous studio album, 2016’s “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct,” was that the album had a lot of filler. Metallica has a problem with bloated songs that are much longer than they need to be. Through the first half, “72 Seasons” mostly avoids that problem, but this song left me worried that we would get another half album of filler tracks.
“Chasing Light”
“Chasing Light” has some impressive range from Hetfield’s vocals. In fact, the song starts out with Hetfield’s growls, a rare thing for a Metallica song. The main riff balances slow, heavy beats with fast, thrashy guitars.
The lyrics invoke the image of losing one’s childhood innocence and desperately trying to reclaim it. It pushes the message that the world is full of darkness, but “without darkness, there’s no light”.
I think that “Chasing Light” doesn’t have as strong of a main riff as some of the other songs. Some of the riff changes don’t fit well together, like a jigsaw puzzle with two wrong pieces forcefully stuck together. Having said that, I think that “Chasing Light” will grow on me over time.
“If Darkness Had a Son”
Beginning with a striking drum line, “If Darkness Had a Son” is an elaborate jam that takes a few listens to fully appreciate. The riff is like a snake coiled up. Hetfield’s eerie cries of “Temptation!” sets the tone for this song right away.
The lyrics are pretty cheesy. “If darkness had a son, here I am/Temptation is his father” repeats a few times throughout the chorus. I believe that this song was written to address some darker emotions, like self-blame and guilt. This might be the closest to an “Unforgiven IV” that Metallica fans will get.
The solo’s speed initially clashes with the slower, heavier main riff, but it soon sinks down under the surface in ways that compliment it nicely. That said, the complexity of the riff and dark lyrics remind me of Metallica’s fourth studio album, “…And Justice For All.” This one has a few good things to offer for heavy metal fans, but less so for more casual listeners.
“Too Far Gone?”
This song has a great intro. The main riff is fairly basic, but it’s still super catchy and easy to headbang to. “Too Far Gone?” balances high energy instrumentals with Hetfield’s powerful vocal delivery. This one manages to recapture some of their classic energy. It feels like every part of the song is firing at full power, from Ulrich’s drumming to Hetfield’s melodic delivery of “Am I too far gone?” to Hammett’s quick guitar solos between choruses (something that I wish he did more of).
There’s no big bridge that stops the song, and as a result it feels like it ends too soon. After a few repetitive songs, this one was a breath of fresh air. In my opinion, “72 Seasons” could have used more songs with the fat trimmed off like this one and “Lux Æterna.”
“Room of Mirrors”
“Room of Mirrors” starts strong, especially following “Too Far Gone?.” With an unrelenting main riff, this one is a solid song to headbang to.
The lyrics get repetitive, but they’re saved by Hetfield’s delivery. The subject matter deals with how others perceive you with lines like “Strip away the phantom fame/Exposing all sides to see/The good and bad in me.” I think anyone can relate to feeling like they have to pretend to be someone else because they’re afraid nobody will like who they really are.
Near the end, the way that the guitars ring out over the chugging bass and drums perfectly balances heavy and melodic. The one-two punch of “Too Far Gone?” and “Room of Mirrors” shows clear passion in the second half of the album. As “Room of Mirrors” came to a close, I found myself on the edge of my seat for the grand finale.
“Inamorata”
This is the song that I was most looking forward to. Metallica has always excelled with songs that build up from a simple riff into a more complex one, songs with powerful choruses that descend into a melodic middle section. These are their songs like “Master of Puppets,” “Ride the Lightning,” or “Creeping Death.” During the pre-release interviews, the band hyped this song as another masterpiece.
At over 11-minutes long, this is Metallica’s longest original recorded song. The song starts slow, with power chords that steadily build up into the main riff. Hetfield’s lyrics creep in over grooving guitars to carry the song forward. The song takes its time, but never feels repetitive or bland.
About halfway through, the guitars fade away, leaving Trujillo playing over Ulrich’s cymbals. As the bass line continues, the guitars steadily join back in. The bridge is quintessential Metallica: smooth, melodic guitars jamming over a pulsing bass line and striking drums.
“Inamorata” is a song filled with emotions. Good memories, harsh resentment, heartfelt longing, and calm acceptance. All of it shines through this song, which serves as the perfect ending to “72 Seasons.”
Final Thoughts:
Ultimately, I think that “72 Seasons” proves that Metallica is more than just a legacy band. There are a few bland songs in the bunch, but overall this album contributes a few bangers to an already-legendary catalog for the band. I think any heavy metal fan can enjoy a few songs from it, and even casual listeners can find something to like. Even after 40 years, the fact that this band is still putting out quality music and not just relying on their accolades is inspiring.
While the ‘80s are over and Metallica’s golden years are long behind them, “72 Seasons” shows that they still have the passion to write a great song. I look forward to listening to it again and again, and I would definitely recommend it to my fellow metalheads.
