Even after four decades of blistering rock, Metallica show no sign of taking their fists off the throttle. On ‘72 Seasons’, their forthcoming eleventh studio album (April 14) and first since 2016, the heavy metal icons deliver the sort of driving riffs, machine-gun drums and angst-ridden lyricism that prove age has not wearied them. The title, as gravel-voiced frontman James Hetfield has explained, is a reference to the formative first 18 years of life. That doesn’t mean the veteran band spent too much time worrying about recapturing their adolescent energy.
“I don’t know if there was a purposeful chasing of the fountain of youth,” drummer Lars Ulrich tells NME with an impish laugh, speaking down the line from his home in San Francisco. “I can tell you I’m pretty comfortable with being 59 years old, and I don’t particularly feel a need to try to pretend either to myself, or to the Metallica fans out there, that I’m any different.”
So while there are nods on ‘72 Seasons’ to the band’s storied past – lead single ‘Lux Æterna’ includes the lyric “full speed or nothin’,” a line which also appeared on their 1983 debut ‘Kill ’Em All’ – in general Metallica seem intent to use the wisdom of age to find fresh perspective on the trials of youth. “I think certainly in James’s lyrics, and overall in this band right now, we’re quite comfortable with who we are, warts and all,” says Ulrich. “We’re putting things out there about our vulnerabilities and where we’re at because we’re still trying to figure all this shit out. If you think when you’re young that at some point later you’ll crack the code then I can say that, in my case, that’s definitely not what happens. You may end up with more questions as you get older!”
Certainly no topic seems off-limits for the band on a record that deals with depression, temptation and existential anguish. On one of the album’s stand-out tracks, ‘Screaming Suicide’, Hetfield grapples with the taboo topic of self-harm without sensationalising it. “It’s about a subject that I think is healthy to talk about, and it’s already encouraging fans to express how they’re feeling about their own mental health,” says Ulrich of the song. “The more these conversations can take place, the more people realise that they’re not alone and that there are countless others out there who are going through similar difficult times.”
‘72 Seasons’ first began to take shape early in 2020, when the band found themselves grounded from touring by the pandemic. From isolation at their respective homes, Ulrich, Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo swapped sketches of songs over regular Zoom calls. “Like everybody in the world, we were sitting around trying to figure out what’s going on and how we could make a difference in this totally unprecedented situation,” says Ulrich. “We gravitated towards the ideas that seemed more energetic and playful, rather than the sombre stuff. I can’t tell you if there’s a correlation between [the lockdown conditions] and the speed and relentlessness of the album, but it sure felt good to write and play these songs.”
It was only at the very tail end of 2020 that the band managed to get back together in their northern California studio to begin the recording process in person. Even then, strict pandemic restrictions remained in place. “At our studio we have cameras set up everywhere, and so when occasionally you see a clip it’s like: ‘Wow, oh yeah, we all had masks on!’” says Ulrich with a disbelieving chuckle. “For the first six months of making this record, we had masks on and we were all social distancing in each corner of the studio. In the wake of all that, I think we now have a new sense of appreciation for what we have. After the last couple of years I’m feeling pretty grateful about the fact we actually got a record out of it and got through it, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and playing shows.”
Even by Metallica’s own stadium-bothering standards, their upcoming tour in support of the new album will be a mammoth undertaking. The M72 World Tour begins later this month and will see the band visit 22 cities around the world, playing two completely different shows in each location. “It seemed like a really good idea in 27 email chains but now we’re four weeks away from from it, it’s like: ‘Whose idea was this?!’” jokes Ulrich, who is days away from the start of lengthy rehearsals. “It’s going around the world for two years and in most cities we’re playing on a Friday and a Sunday. Two completely different sets, no repeat songs. Two different sets of support acts. It’s basically like going to a festival.”
In June they’ll bring the same concept to Download Festival, where they’ll headline both the Thursday night and the Saturday night. “It’s been too long since we’ve been there last,” says Ulrich. “It’s an incredible festival on such a historic site up there at Donnington, so we thought we’d take this ‘no repeat’ concept and bring it into Download.”
One fan who may well be excited to learn about this innovative one-band double-bill format is folk rock legend Bob Dylan, who surprised some last December by revealing that he’s seen Metallica play not once but twice. “I saw that,” says Ulrich. “I don’t know if Bob reads the NME or not, but I have one thing to say to him: ‘Bob, you’re welcome at any Metallica show anywhere in the world at any time – but please come backstage and say hello. We’d love to meet you and pay our respects!’”
Whether or not Dylan makes it down, there are many thousands of fans around the world relishing their chance to see Metallica in the flesh this summer. As Ulrich points out, a lot of them may not have even reached the auspicious age of 72 seasons. “We see a lot of 13 to 14-year-olds coming for the first time,” he says. “There’s always been a coming-of-age element to our shows, and just look at the Stranger Things phenomena of last summer. That came out of nowhere and all of a sudden introduced Metallica to a whole other set of younger people.”
Given the band’s ability to keep connecting with new fans, I can’t help but wonder what a teenage Ulrich would have made of his new album. “I think 18-year-old Lars would appreciate the energy and spirit of ‘72 Seasons’,” he says after some thought. “I mean, he wouldn’t be able to wrap his head around the fact that Metallica would still be an entity 41 years later. The reason we got in a band and connected was because we were all misfits, outcasts and loners. We found each other and started playing music together. Nobody knew it would have this staying power, so I think 18-year-old Lars would be pleasantly surprised that Metallica is still putting out a record like this.”
Metallica release ‘72 Seasons’ on April 14. Their world tour begins in Amsterdam on April 27. Metallica: 72 Seasons – Global Premiere is coming to cinemas via Trafalgar Releasing on April 13. For more info, visit metallica.film