72 Seasons is an interestingly specific name for an album, but now we've got a deeper explanation for it. In a recent behind-the-scenes interview, James Hetfield explains why Metallica chose 72 Seasons as the name for the new record.
As he's previously pointed out, the title deals with childhood and how people deal with it as adults. Hetfield's childhood was certainly not easy either as we've learned from his role in the documentary Absent about missing father figures, to the death of his mother due to cancer and her beliefs in Christian Science (which was detailed in Metallica's "The God That Failed").
"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?
"Some things are more difficult than others — you know, some things you can't unsee and they're with you for the rest of your life, and other things you're able to rewind the tape and make a new tape in your life. So that's the real interesting part for me, is how you're able to address those situations as an adult and mature."
Hetfield also touches on the fact that 72 Seasons is a hopeful record, as is the new single "Lux Æterna," in that it takes the perspective of "Without darkness, there is no light." Which is a really nice way to look at some of the tragedies in life, and be able to move on from them in a healthier way.
"There's been a lot of darkness in my life and in our career and things that have happened with us, but always having a sense of hope, always having the light that is in that darkness… Without darkness, there is no light, and being able to focus a little more on the light in life instead of all of the… how it used to be and how horrible it is… There's a lot of good things going on in life — focusing on that instead, and it helps to balance out my life.
"And there's no one meaning to it — everyone has some sense of hope or light in their life, and, obviously, music is mine. And the song specifically talks about gathering of people at a concert and [being] able to see the joy and the life and the love that comes out of music and the family and the kinship in that, and just a sense of uplifting."
Metallica will release 72 Seasons on April 14. The album is 12 tracks and 77-minutes (so no more double albums from Metallica at the moment), and is available for pre-order here. Metallica will also hit the road throughout 2023 and 2024 at one of the many dates below.
Show No. 1 opened each night by Architects & Mammoth WVH, Show No. 2 by Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
4/27/23 – Amsterdam NL – Johan Cruijff Arena
4/29/23 – Amsterdam NL – Johan Cruijff Arena
5/17/23 – Paris FR – Stade de France (w/ Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills)
5/19/23 – Paris FR – Stade de France (w/ Architects & Mammoth WVH)
5/26/23 – Hamburg DE – Volksparkstadion
5/28/23 – Hamburg DE – Volksparkstadion
6/16/23 – Gothenburg SE – Ullevi Stadium (w/ Volbeat in place of Architects)
6/18/23 – Gothenburg SE – Ullevi Stadium
Show No. 1 opened each night by Pantera & Mammoth WVH, Show No. 2 by Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
8/4/23 – East Rutherford NJ – MetLife Stadium [Tickets]
8/6/23 – East Rutherford NJ – MetLife Stadium [Tickets]
8/11/23 – Montreal QC – Stade Olympique [Tickets]
8/13/23 – Montreal QC – Stade Olympique [Tickets]
8/18/23 – Arlington TX – AT&T Stadium [Tickets]
8/20/23 – Arlington TX – AT&T Stadium [Tickets]
8/25/23 – Inglewood CA – SoFi Stadium [Tickets]
8/27/23 – Inglewood CA – SoFi Stadium [Tickets]
9/1/23 – Glendale AZ – State Farm Stadium [Tickets]
9/3/23 – Glendale AZ – State Farm Stadium [Tickets]
10/3/23 – St. Louis MO – The Dome at America’s Center [Tickets]
10/5/23 – St. Louis MO – The Dome at America’s Center [Tickets]
10/10/23 – Detroit MI – Ford Field [Tickets]
10/12/23 – Detroit MI – Ford Field [Tickets]
5/24/24 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion
5/26/24 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion
6/7/24 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium
6/9/24 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium
6/14/24 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium
6/16/24 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium
7/5/24 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy
7/7/24 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy
7/12/24 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
7/14/24 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
8/2/24 – Foxborough MA – Gillette Stadium [Tickets]
8/4/24 – Foxborough MA – Gillette Stadium [Tickets]
8/9/24 – Chicago IL – Soldier Field [Tickets]
8/11/24 – Chicago IL – Soldier Field [Tickets]
8/16/24 – Minneapolis MN – US Bank Stadium [Tickets]
8/18/24 – Minneapolis MN – US Bank Stadium [Tickets]
8/23/24 – Edmonton AB – Commonwealth Stadium
8/25/24 – Edmonton AB – Commonwealth Stadium
8/30/24 – Seattle WA – Lumen Field [Tickets]
9/1/24 – Seattle WA – Lumen Field [Tickets]
9/20/24 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol (w/ Greta Van Fleet, no Pantera)
9/22/24 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol
9/27/24 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol (w/ Greta Van Fleet, no Pantera)
9/29/24 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol
