ARTIST: METALLICA
ALBUM: 72 SEASONS
RELEASE DATE: APRIL 14TH 2023
LABEL: BLACKENED RECORDINGS

REVIEWER: ANDREW TREADWELL

The best way to start this review is with full disclosure. I am not a die hard Metallica Fan. I got into them through The Black Album. I was more a hair metal guy, which is pretty much everything Metallica was against. I did not appreciate the pre Black Album material until much later, and I always loved the against the norm stuff the band did. I am probably only one of a selected few that loved most of St. Anger, though the rubbish bin snare sound will never ever be great, sorry Lars. So when I heard the first singles from 72 Seasons, I thought this was heading back to more of the older school early ‘Tallica Sound, but there is far more to this album than that, so the purists might take a while to embrace, but those looking for nothing more than new tunes from a great band will really dig into this, as I feel the album is a giant melting pot of all the different sound and song elements the band has explored in their 40+ year career.

When I first saw the cover the “Concept Album” alarm bells went off in my head. Album 11 from the band came with a press prelude from James Hetfield, “72 Seasons came out of a book I was reading about childhood, basically, and sorting out childhood as an adult. And 72 seasons is basically the first 18 years of your life. How do you evolve and grow and mature and develop your own ideas and identity of self after those first 72 seasons?”

‘If Darkness Had A Son,’ is a straight up ripping old school track and along with ‘Lux Æterna’ and ‘Room Of Mirrors’ and ‘Screaming Suicide’,will give the Kill Em / Ride / Puppets fans the medicine of the past they need

“Too Far Gone?” has a catchy chorus but then takes a quick turn, “Chasing Light” has that gang chorus vibe and “You Must Burn!” has tinges of the AIC grunge vibe, all 3 have memories of 1991 – 1993 for sure

Robert Trujillo shines on this album, especially with his backing vocals and harmonies, not saying he is no slouch in the bass playing department as we all know he isn’t, but this album really brings him to the forefront of the bands sound Kirk Hammett’s solos are tasteful and not over done. Some songs have a less is more approach and some songs he just lets fly. Honestly my favorite playing of his on a Metallica Album. Lars Ulrich seems to have found a groove on this album, where he is laying back in a lot of the tracks and not trying to stray from the path of the song, which keeps a really solid foundation. James Hetfield seems to have poured even more emotions into this album than ever before and his rhythm playing is outstanding as usual.

72 Seasons is the bastard child of The Black Album. The sonics and sounds are firmly there mixed with the passion and hunger of pre And Justice Metallica, and for good measure it’s like Metallica and Black Sabbath had a baby. Moments that harken back to that 80s thrash Metallica, but for me this album is Heavier than anything they have done for a while, for me Heavy means pulled back, deeper, slower, moodier sounds. It will be one that grows for sure, I personally think it’s one of my favorite Metallica albums and a great listen

72 Seasons

Shadows Follow

Screaming Suicide

Sleepwalk My Life Away

You Must Burn!

Lux Æterna

Crown Of Barbed Wire

Chasing Light

If Darkness Had A Son

Too Far Gone?

Room Of Mirrors

Inamorata