The highly anticipated 11 will be released on April 14.e album studio de Metallica, 72 Seasons. The newspaper had the opportunity to hear it premiered last week at the Montreal offices of Warner Music. A very secure session in a room where the journalist was only allowed a pad of paper and a pen. No cell phones in the pockets in case the album leaks, as was the case in 2016 with Hardwired… to Self-Destruct. What to think of this new offering from James Hetfield’s band? We give you here our first impressions following a single listening.
• Read also: Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo spoke regarding ’72 Seasons’ with Le Journal
An exclusive listening at the cinema
On the evening of April 13, a few hours before the album is launched worldwide, Metallica fans will be able to listen to the new album for the first time in several cinemas around the world. In Quebec, no less than 12 establishments will present Metallica 72 Seasons Global Premiere. For $16.95 plus taxes, you can listen to the album with state-of-the-art speakers. metallica.film.
Photo provided by Tim Saccenti
Musicians in great shape
The four members of Metallica are all aged between 58 and 60 and it seems like they wanted to show us that they still had the energy of their twenties on this record. And it works, because the group seems to us to be in full cohesion. Of the lot, it’s still guitarist Kirk Hammett who steals the show with some frenzied solos, especially on You Must Burn!, Too Far Gone? et Room of Mirrors.
Available in different formats
Metallica does not do things by halves for the release of 72 Seasons. Collectors will be served with releases in colored double vinyl, CD, cassette and digital download format. The album is produced by Greg Fidelman, in collaboration with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Fidelman has worked with Metallica in the past on S&M2, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, Lulu (with Lou Reed) and Death Magnetic.
Two evenings per city
Two weeks following the release of 72 Seasons, on April 27 in Amsterdam, Metallica will begin their world tour. The group will give two completely different concerts in each of the cities on the itinerary, including August 11 and 13 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. He will perform on a central circular stage. Some lucky spectators, who will have paid the big price, will even be able to attend the concert in the famous “Metallica Snake Pit”, in the center of the stage, a few feet from the musicians.
On the same mold
Our first observation while listening 72 Seasons ? The vast majority of songs were conceived on the same mold. There is often a long instrumental introduction of more than a minute and another instrumental portion in the middle of the piece. The plays almost all last more than five minutes. In 2016, Harwired… to Self-Destruct was 77 minutes long and included 12 songs. 72 Seasons lasts 77 minutes and includes… 12 songs.
Little varied lexical field
During the secure listening, we were given the right to consult on the spot the lyrics of the 12 pieces of 72 Seasons. What we noticed is that several words come up regularly in different songs, like burn (burns)kill (tue)death (mort)pain (pain)darkness (darkness) et nightmare (nightmare). The band has been around for over 40 years and their favorite subjects don’t seem to have changed.
We are looking for the melodies
Metallica rose to fame with its first five albums, including the mega-popular ‘Album Noir’ in 1991, which featured melodic hard rock tracks like Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Sad But True and the ballad Nothing Else Matters. On 72 Seasonsit seems that the musicians wanted to play the pedal to the floor as much as possible (“full speed or nothing”, sings even Hetfield on Eternal Light). We are thus left with 12 very intense tracks but which have only a few catchy melodies on first listening.
Photo provided by Tim Saccenti
