The wait is over — as Metallica releases the band's 11th studio album, titled 72 Seasons today (April 14th). The set marks Metallica's first studio collection since 2016's Hardwired… to Self-Destruct.
Upon announcing the set, James Hetfield said in a statement, "72 seasons — the first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told 'who we are' by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is a reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry."
Headed to cinemas worldwide on Friday, August 18th and Sunday, August 20th is Metallica's latest concert film, Metallica: M72 World Tour Live From Arlington, TX.
According to the official press release:
This unprecedented global theatrical event will see the band playing two nights with two completely different setlists, with songs spanning the group’s 40-plus year career, from 1983’s classic Kill ‘Em All to 2023’s long-awaited 72 Seasons. The band won’t play a single song twice, making for a total of more than 30 songs across both nights.
The M72 tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed Metallica Snake Pit to center stage, while giving fans a complete 360-degree view from every seat in the house. With a state-of-the-art multi-camera set up, fans will be right in the middle of the action, no matter where they are in the world. For more information, visit Metallica.film.
During their recent appearance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were asked about how they felt about the inclusion of their classic track, "Master Of Puppets" in the Netflix series, Stranger Things: ["(James Hetfield): No one was against it for sure. Anything that's gonna get us out there — especially older music. It still blows my mind that people like that song, (laughs) first of all. . . (Jimmy Kimmel): Yeah? (James Hetfield): (Laughs): Yeah, and the younger generation are. . . (Lars Ulrich): It's, like, a nine-minute heavy metal song from 1986, that probably pre-dates most of these people by 25 or 30 years (laughter). It's just insane. Who would've thought, right?"] SOUNDCUE (:23 OC: . . . would've thought right)
Metallica kicks off their upcoming tour on April 27th and 29th at Amsterdam's Johan Cruijff Arena.