Metallica

Well thanks to the unboxing we now know the song lengths:

  1. 72 Seasons (7:39)
  2. Shadows Follow (6:12)
  3. Screaming Suicide (5:30)
  4. Sleepwalk My Life Away (6:56)
  5. You Must Burn! (7:03)
  6. Lux Æterna (3:22)
  7. Crown of Barbed Wire (5:49)
  8. Chasing Light (6:45)
  9. If Darkness Had a Son (6:36)
  10. Too Far Gone? (4:34)
  11. Room of Mirrors (5:34)
  12. Inamorata (11:10)
Total: 77:10

Longest Metallica song yet, tucked away at the end… inch resting.
 

There is some truth to that. He praises Clive.
 
It is crazy how big is hype for next Metallica album. Not just paid adverts.also whole music community comments that.
 
The metal veterans will be performing live every night from Monday (April 10) to Thursday (13), ahead of the official release of their new album ’72 Seasons’.

“In a first for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, it’s ‘Metallica Week,’ as we will be the musical guest each night, beginning on Monday, April 10, through Thursday, April 13,” the group wrote.

“We’ll be playing live for all four shows, and you’ll also catch us on the couch, chatting with Jimmy one night. Keep your eyes peeled for other sightings during the broadcast, as we really don’t know what else Jimmy will get us involved in!”
 
Heard the record today, here are my thoughts on first listen. The four singles I've obviously had some time to process it.

72 Seasons - Still a big fan of this. Grand entrance, quick pace, great chorus. Definitely up there as one of the highlights of the Trujillo trio of albums still. 9/10

Shadows Follow -
Eh. It just feels like a track that's there on the record. The intro starts pretty neat and I would've preferred if it kept more with that start-stop feel through the song. The pre-chorus (or is it actually the chorus? The 'seething, breathing' bit) feels like it's about to build into something big, but it kind of deflates at the end of it. I'm a big fan of the bridge/harmonized guitars leading into the pre-solo riff. Some of the riffs leading into the verse feel a little fluffy as in it takes a bit too long to get into the track, but nothing feels wasted or shoehorned in post-solo though. Could've cut the last 40 seconds though. 6.5/10

Screaming Suicide -
Within the context of a full record, it fits better than just on its own as a single. With that, it bumps it up to a 6 rather than a 5 for me. 6/10

Sleepwalk My Life Away - Bit of a funk-infused intro with a good amount of groove in it through the song. It had my head unconsciously bobbing along through it. Solid song. "That was good, right?" Lars asks at the end of the track. Affirmative, Lars. 7/10

You Must Burn! -
Heard a lot of good things about this song in reviews leading up to release, so I was hoping to not build expectations too high so I don't let myself down. Lord, it's heavy and groovy. It's very Sad But True-ish without the late-20s attitude from the band and without Bob Rock's production. Second album in a row where Track #5 is a slower lumbering beast of a song, I prefer this one over Dream No More. The harmonized layered vocals (think Alice in Chains) in the bridge sets you up perfectly for a great melodic run by Kirk - it's very Maiden-y in that regard. Seriously, I had to go back and listen to that part again it was that damn cool. 8/10

Lux Aeterna -
Where Screaming Suicide sounds better in the context of an album, Lux sounds out of place sandwiched in the middle of the album. If I were producing/deciding the tracklist, I would've had Lux open and had 72 Seasons come in second. Still great and better than Hardwired in terms of the short three-minute punchy songs. Chorus is going to sound like a monster live. 8.5/10

Crown of Barbed Wire -
A lot of reviews I'd heard of the album going into this is it's got some qualities with Load/ReLoad where it's very groovy - minus the bluesiness. I suppose it's good to play to their own strengths like that now that they're entering their 60s. You can't go out there and do an album of 12 Batterys/Damage Incs at that age. This one - similar to most of the other tracks on the record - has that groove to it. A mostly forgettable track though, would've fit on the second disc on Hardwired. The final riff of the song had some potential to make a full song around it. I would've preferred to hear something based around that. 5/10

Chasing Light -
Probably one of the most vicious starts to any Met song I've heard before - just POW right out of the gate. The verses and riffs under them are similar to basically most of everything else you'd heard on this album so far, but finally a non-single that has a pre-chorus/chorus that just EXPLODES. I really hope they play this one live, but good luck getting James to not shred his voice doing it if it's a set staple. 9.5/10

If Darkness Had a Son -
What was my third favorite of the singles gets downgraded to one of the worst songs on the record here. Probably should have just been left it off the record altogether. 5/10

Too Far Gone?
- Think a thrashier Breadfan. Obviously not a cover, but it fits with a lot of Garage Inc. stuff vibe-wise. For those tired of the bloated arrangements, you'll probably like this one. Short and sweet, it's only four minutes and change and it serves as a nice break after several longer songs in a row. Solid song. 7/10

Room of Mirrors -
It gives off a bit of a false sense of security in a sense where you think you're just getting another mid-tempo groover, but then it launches into a fast-paced verse. The last two minutes of the song are absolutely unrelenting with a quicker-paced version of the chorus, double bass galore, and a monstrous harmonized guitar melody. Great stuff. 9/10

Inamorata -
I've always felt the problem with throwing a 10+ minute song on a record is that if it's anything less than 'great', it's going to just end up being a skippable/forgettable tune - see Lost in a Lost World (yeah, 9:31, I know) or Death of the Celts on Senjutsu. Luckily, this song is better than great. Not a monster of a thrasher like Spit Out the Bone on the last album, but very reminiscent of the Loads' 'epics' like Bleeding Me, Outlaw Torn and Fixxxer - just a tad quicker. Given that, it sounds rather uncharacteristic for modern Metallica and it's a refreshing way to end the record. One of the major problems Metallica has with their longer songs as of late has been the arrangements sometimes have sections in them that don't particularly add anything to the song. In Inamorata, every section belongs and doesn't sound out of place. That's a feat for an 11-minute song. This album thus far has been chocked full of guitar harmony runs and the one in Inamorata is perhaps one of the best that the band has ever put to record. What a way to cap the record. 10/10

====================

Final Rating = 7.54

Much more consistent record than Hardwired to Self Destruct and probably - based on songwriting alone - the best of the three Trujillo albums. Big problem with Hardwired is it started strong and started to weaken as it went on until you reached Spit Out the Bone. 72 Seasons is much better-paced and a better listen when you intend on sitting through and listening to it in one go. Besides being their third with Robert, it's also basically their third record with Greg Fidelman as producer (because, face it, Rick Rubin did fuck all on Death Magnetic.) Similar to how the sound on Senjutsu was tweaked a bit from previous records with Kevin Shirley, this one has some extra production (particularly the vocals, like Senjutsu) that sound better. Bass has volume to it and perhaps Lars's snare is a bit too prominent, but, it's Lars.

Bring on the tour. I don't know if any of these songs have 'live staple' written all over them beyond the M72 Tour, but, on record, they're overall quite enjoyable.
 
Heard the record today, here are my thoughts on first listen. The four singles I've obviously had some time to process it.

72 Seasons - Still a big fan of this. Grand entrance, quick pace, great chorus. Definitely up there as one of the highlights of the Trujillo trio of albums still. 9/10

Shadows Follow -
Eh. It just feels like a track that's there on the record. The intro starts pretty neat and I would've preferred if it kept more with that start-stop feel through the song. The pre-chorus (or is it actually the chorus? The 'seething, breathing' bit) feels like it's about to build into something big, but it kind of deflates at the end of it. I'm a big fan of the bridge/harmonized guitars leading into the pre-solo riff. Some of the riffs leading into the verse feel a little fluffy as in it takes a bit too long to get into the track, but nothing feels wasted or shoehorned in post-solo though. Could've cut the last 40 seconds though. 6.5/10

Screaming Suicide -
Within the context of a full record, it fits better than just on its own as a single. With that, it bumps it up to a 6 rather than a 5 for me. 6/10

Sleepwalk My Life Away - Bit of a funk-infused intro with a good amount of groove in it through the song. It had my head unconsciously bobbing along through it. Solid song. "That was good, right?" Lars asks at the end of the track. Affirmative, Lars. 7/10

You Must Burn! -
Heard a lot of good things about this song in reviews leading up to release, so I was hoping to not build expectations too high so I don't let myself down. Lord, it's heavy and groovy. It's very Sad But True-ish without the late-20s attitude from the band and without Bob Rock's production. Second album in a row where Track #5 is a slower lumbering beast of a song, I prefer this one over Dream No More. The harmonized layered vocals (think Alice in Chains) in the bridge sets you up perfectly for a great melodic run by Kirk - it's very Maiden-y in that regard. Seriously, I had to go back and listen to that part again it was that damn cool. 8/10

Lux Aeterna -
Where Screaming Suicide sounds better in the context of an album, Lux sounds out of place sandwiched in the middle of the album. If I were producing/deciding the tracklist, I would've had Lux open and had 72 Seasons come in second. Still great and better than Hardwired in terms of the short three-minute punchy songs. Chorus is going to sound like a monster live. 8.5/10

Crown of Barbed Wire -
A lot of reviews I'd heard of the album going into this is it's got some qualities with Load/ReLoad where it's very groovy - minus the bluesiness. I suppose it's good to play to their own strengths like that now that they're entering their 60s. You can't go out there and do an album of 12 Batterys/Damage Incs at that age. This one - similar to most of the other tracks on the record - has that groove to it. A mostly forgettable track though, would've fit on the second disc on Hardwired. The final riff of the song had some potential to make a full song around it. I would've preferred to hear something based around that. 5/10

Chasing Light -
Probably one of the most vicious starts to any Met song I've heard before - just POW right out of the gate. The verses and riffs under them are similar to basically most of everything else you'd heard on this album so far, but finally a non-single that has a pre-chorus/chorus that just EXPLODES. I really hope they play this one live, but good luck getting James to not shred his voice doing it if it's a set staple. 9.5/10

If Darkness Had a Son -
What was my third favorite of the singles gets downgraded to one of the worst songs on the record here. Probably should have just been left it off the record altogether. 5/10

Too Far Gone?
- Think a thrashier Breadfan. Obviously not a cover, but it fits with a lot of Garage Inc. stuff vibe-wise. For those tired of the bloated arrangements, you'll probably like this one. Short and sweet, it's only four minutes and change and it serves as a nice break after several longer songs in a row. Solid song. 7/10

Room of Mirrors -
It gives off a bit of a false sense of security in a sense where you think you're just getting another mid-tempo groover, but then it launches into a fast-paced verse. The last two minutes of the song are absolutely unrelenting with a quicker-paced version of the chorus, double bass galore, and a monstrous harmonized guitar melody. Great stuff. 9/10

Inamorata -
I've always felt the problem with throwing a 10+ minute song on a record is that if it's anything less than 'great', it's going to just end up being a skippable/forgettable tune - see Lost in a Lost World (yeah, 9:31, I know) or Death of the Celts on Senjutsu. Luckily, this song is better than great. Not a monster of a thrasher like Spit Out the Bone on the last album, but very reminiscent of the Loads' 'epics' like Bleeding Me, Outlaw Torn and Fixxxer - just a tad quicker. Given that, it sounds rather uncharacteristic for modern Metallica and it's a refreshing way to end the record. One of the major problems Metallica has with their longer songs as of late has been the arrangements sometimes have sections in them that don't particularly add anything to the song. In Inamorata, every section belongs and doesn't sound out of place. That's a feat for an 11-minute song. This album thus far has been chocked full of guitar harmony runs and the one in Inamorata is perhaps one of the best that the band has ever put to record. What a way to cap the record. 10/10

====================

Final Rating = 7.54

Much more consistent record than Hardwired to Self Destruct and probably - based on songwriting alone - the best of the three Trujillo albums. Big problem with Hardwired is it started strong and started to weaken as it went on until you reached Spit Out the Bone. 72 Seasons is much better-paced and a better listen when you intend on sitting through and listening to it in one go. Besides being their third with Robert, it's also basically their third record with Greg Fidelman as producer (because, face it, Rick Rubin did fuck all on Death Magnetic.) Similar to how the sound on Senjutsu was tweaked a bit from previous records with Kevin Shirley, this one has some extra production (particularly the vocals, like Senjutsu) that sound better. Bass has volume to it and perhaps Lars's snare is a bit too prominent, but, it's Lars.

Bring on the tour. I don't know if any of these songs have 'live staple' written all over them beyond the M72 Tour, but, on record, they're overall quite enjoyable.
I will take a listen this weekend. Thanks for the review!
 
Good album. I think it's better than Hardwired. Lux aeterna and Inamorata the best. I didn't like Screaming Suicide and Chasing Light, but they're not as bad as some songs from Hardwired.
Hetfield MVP.
And guys, what is wrong with Kirk? He played the same, bad solo over the whole album.
 
After a few listens, I can say that the album is good and I like it better than Hardwired.

As we can expect, the album is full of great riffs and after a samey first half, the later half (the last 5/4 songs) makes up for it. James vocals are great. The solos? I like some. The production is the same as for the previous album and it suits them. I enjoy more than half of the album.
Some things I don't like - most of the songs start with similar intros, some songs are a bit too long (the long songs are not for everyone), the drumming is not that varied and they could easily have cutted some songs. I also hoped for one pure thrash metal song. The mid-tempo dominates the album.

The album deserved a better cover. Why isn't the album name on it?

Best songs: title track, ''Lux Æterna'', ''Room Of Mirrors'', ''Inamorata''
My favorite songs: ''Room Of Mirrors'' and ''Inamorata''

Review:
72 Seasons - great intro, chorus and riffs.

Shadows Follow - nice intro, but it's too long after the opener. The chorus is not bad (Load vibe), the verses too. The riff before the solo is killer and it's the best part of the song. The heavy riffs somewhat saves it.

Screaming - I like it more in the context of the album. Decent song with good verses, pre-chorus and riffs.

Sleepwalk My Life Away - I don't like it. Average song.

You Must Burn! - it's like ''Halo On Fire'', better 2nd half of the song, but this time the 1st half is much weaker. The instrumental section is great, that melodic riff. Slow beast, the heavy riffs are brutal. Black Sabbath vibes. The duet in the middle kind of fits, but it's not necessary imo.

Lux Æterna - the album needs such a short rocker. The main riff is great and I like the wild solo, it fits. Metallica from 1983!

Crown Of Barbed Wire - weak song, filler. Promising intro, but only the riff is nice.

Chasing Light - part of the better songs in the album. It contains one of the best riffs in it. Priest vibe to some of them. Great chorus. The intro is cool. That's it. The other parts are not that different or good. Btw, probably because of this song's title, the lead single was not named ''The Eternal Light''.

Darkness - still the best intro in the album, great riff, memorable chorus, good solo. Moody and very good song.

Too Far Gone - the intro is not needed, especially after the previous song. A welcomed (and needed) another short rocker with great melodic classic riffs, nice verses, but unfortunately the chorus is weak.

Room Of Mirrors - I just knew from the title alone that this will be one of the best songs in the album. Fast-paced modern Metallica at its best. I'm a big fan of the verses and the melodic NWOBHM riff in between. Great pre-chorus and typical chorus for the band. The 2 solos are nothing special, but they keep the energy, the early 80's energy. The melody after them is superb. The drumming fits just great.

Inamorata
- what a nice surprise! Huge kudos. I didn't have big expectations for this song, but it turned out to be one of their best songs imo. A future classic. It's this album's Hell On Earth (both have some similarities). The title sounds kind of cool. The mood is everything for this song! Cool main riff, the best chorus in the album, the slow solo fits, the calm middle part is a perfect idea for the song and the jewel is the Maiden-esque guitar harmony after it(!). The different chorus before the outro is also fitting. I like that the song ends with a long solo, which is not bad. 90's Metallica vibe. I doubt they will play it live because it's a very long song.
 
Much more consistent record than Hardwired to Self Destruct and probably - based on songwriting alone - the best of the three Trujillo albums. Big problem with Hardwired is it started strong and started to weaken as it went on until you reached Spit Out the Bone. 72 Seasons is much better-paced and a better listen when you intend on sitting through and listening to it in one go.

Bring on the tour. I don't know if any of these songs have 'live staple' written all over them beyond the M72 Tour, but, on record, they're overall quite enjoyable.
I agree and think this is really important. I would even say that this is their best album as a whole piece in a VERY long time. Almost every song should sound good live, methinks.

Which song will be ''Spit Out The Bone'' for this album in terms of popularity? I would say ''Room Of Mirrors'', ''Chasing Light'' or the title track. In reality this should be the closing song, but maybe it will be too long for some fans?
 
Only one listen through, but I actually liked the first half more. Tracks 7-9 didn't really have me. It's good though, and definitely surpassed my expectations.

I also listened to Purify, because I still think the hi-hat in Lux Æterna is atrocious and wanted to compare to the snare from St. Anger. Wow I didn't remember it that bad :lol:
 
Last edited:
You can't go out there and do an album of 12 Batterys/Damage Incs at that age.
Of course, and it wouldn't be interesting. Some fans complain about the lack of more fast songs and James vocals, but for me the speed is not everything, the mood/groove/different parts is more important. That's something really important for Maiden. And it's no like the songs are only slow. I think James is a more characteristic vocalist nowadays. The vocals on this album are not thrash metal style.
 
Of course, and it wouldn't be interesting. Some fans complain about the lack of more fast songs and James vocals, but for me the speed is not everything, the mood/groove/different parts is more important. That's something really important for Maiden. And it's no like the songs are only slow. I think James is a more characteristic vocalist nowadays. The vocals on this album are not thrash metal style.
Screw faster songs, I just want some clean sections and dynamics. This whole album is just chunk chunk chunk chhhh chhhh chhhh chhhh *pentatonic turnaround* at full distortion for 80 fucking minutes.
 
So, it's only been 1 listen for me so far, but this album is just...there. The riffs are all the same, the compositions are bloated and poorly constructed, James sounds great but there are virtually no melodic hooks on the entire thing...

IDK. I'm disappointed.

The last two songs are the most interesting. Lux is still the catchiest (and truly the only straightforwardly catchy song on the whole thing).

Lars' hi-hat counting is fucking infuriating. Almost as bad as the St. Anger snare.

This feels like Death Magnetic at the tempo of Load/ReLoad - riff salad, no real songwriting, just vocals thrown on top of open E (Eb/D) riffs with the same progression, and, of course, shit fucking guitar solos. Hardwired, for all of its bloat, was far superior in that the songs felt like songs.

Someone please hire a fucking real producer.
 
Back
Top