Metallica 72 Seasons The Rue Morgue Records Review

Shot down, traumaticTime haunted by the past

When your back catalogue of music contains arguably the greatest Metal album of all time, is it any wonder that everything you do will always be judged (harshly) against that. And that is disappointing because since said greatest Metal album, 1986’s Master Of Puppets, that vast majority of what Metallica has released has been quality. Of course, we won’t include St Anger and Lulu within that descriptor but every artist is allowed a hiccup or two within their career. All the greats have!

Late last year the Metal world was abuzz with news of a new Metallica release. This was quite a surprise but the band kept the Metallica machinations in full swing during the Pandemic years the world endured. It kinda felt like it was the right time for a new release from the band as the Hard Drive To Self Destruct era was coming to a close.

Long gone, dogmaticAlthough the die is cast

But when you are a legendary band as Metallica is, some may argue they are the biggest band in the world, the divisive nature of the fanbase can and will be strong. The band released Lux Æterna as the first single from the album they named 72 Seasons along with the release announcement. Personally, I don’t like listening to singles before an album release as I like to keep the surprise of an entire album as a complete and whole experience. These days, most bands release 4-5 songs as singles and by the time the album hits, they become the first songs one tires too. So when Lux Æterna landed, I gave it a quick listen and then moved on. Like I said, I wanted to digest the album as a whole rather than feast on little tasty bites along the journey till release day. It’s a Thrashy little ditty with Lars’ double kicks driving it through. It isn’t my fave track from the album but I can’t stop singing the damn thing in my head every so often. Yeah, it is pretty damn catchy and sounds like it would have fit nicely on the band’s Kill Em All debut!

The band released 4 singles by the time the album dropped… Lux Æterna (Nov 28 2022), Screaming Suicide (Jan 19 2023), If Darkness Had A Son (March 1, 2023) and 72 Seasons (March 30, 2023)

Shot down, volcanicBut what is done is done and done

Out of the 4 singles released before the album landed, I only really gave If Darkness Had A Son a serious work over. Goddamn that one goes off! An absolute headbanger and one I hoped that the rest of the album sounded like! Phwoar! Just killer! TEMPTATION!!!!!

And so it came to pass, the album was finally released. You could literally feel the buzz from all corners of the world as review after review started coming in like a rabid out of control fire. Of course the reviews were mixed. It’s always the case with the big bands – those who have the balls to even bother to work on new music these days rather than rest on past glory laurels. And that is one thing you can never accuse Metallica of even if their past glory has resulted in some of the greatest albums in the Metal/Hard Rock genre.

72 Seasons is an album that one will need to spend some time with. It is not an instant gratifying experience. I can fully understand some of the negativity the record has received, but the more you listen to it, the more does it reveal its plentiful secrets and surprises. The album oozes in groove with solid-as-hell drumming throughout. Lars gives each and every song exactly what it needs. Hey, some of the playing might be ‘stock’ but it is perfect for the songs on offer here.

Look back, psychotic
No chance before this life began

Album opener, the title track, hits you nice and fast like a Motorhead tune from the late seventies. Out of the gate nice and fast it then drops down a gear with some brilliant staccato drumming, guitars and Hetfield vocals… “feeding on the wrath of man…”

A brilliant vocal adorns the next track Shadows Follow and that for me saves the track. It’s a bit of a plodder but the aforementioned vocal and some great chug-chug guitars do it for yours truly!

I’m not gonna do a track by track review here, that’s been covered plentifully elsewhere. Having said that, unlike so many reviews out there, we are not gonna look for areas to be critical like the Uber-cool out there. It is not a perfect release, but it is a helluva lot better than some of the histrionics out there.

Some of the record’s finer moments, If Darkness Had A Son and album closer Inamorata are just insanely awesome!

Shoot back, erratic
Mad seasons take their toll

When the album first landed I had it cranked in my bedroom’s system where I have two speakers on either side of the bed just feeding what is a very large room with sound. Laying back on that first listen, when Inamorata first came on, I stood to immediate attention and played said song over and over. Easily one of the best Metallica songs I have ever heard. It reminded me of classic Black Sabbath and it reminded me of classic Thin Lizzy and it reminded me again and again and again, just how brilliant these guys I have grown up with since that hallowed demo tape of the early eighties!

The plodding You Must Burn bounces along with a sexy riff and groove and a killer debut vocal from Trujillo! Love the guitars in this especially that little riff just before the song kicks into the lead break. There is no denying the crunch of those guitars. Superb rhythm guitars permeate the entire opus from start to finish.

72 Seasons is a long listen. It demands your attention from start to finish and even in those moments where you wish the song was shorter they feed you another lyric or another melody or another riff that slaps you back into attention. Those moments come along like a cold, hard slap in the face and remind you exactly why the songs are long and so full of depth and scope.

Give it time. Give it a few listens. For the love of everything that should not be… give it a fucking go!