Song of the Week delves into the new songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more in our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Metallica treats us to the amazing title track of their upcoming album, 72 seasons.
As for the title track of their upcoming eleventh studio album, 72 seasons, Metallica is putting its foot on the gas again. Atop a relentless groove spanning nearly eight minutes, legendary metal props push and pull with subtle contemplation – each member of the quartet finds plenty of time to shine, while never being afraid of the inevitable double beat switch or staccato chord change.
Oh, and it’s catchy as hell: vocalist James Hetfield sounds as lively as ever on “72 Seasons,” soaring through the full-throttle chorus and making great use of his gritty high register and anthems. former 72 seasons Sure, the singles “If Darkness Had a Son” and “Screaming Suicide” were standout offerings from Metallica, but the title track feels like a more appropriate thesis to this era of their career. They know their abilities, they know all the different musical paths they can go down, and yet, they can’t help but go back to a seven-and-a-half-minute journey hitter like “72 Seasons.”
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Within the track, there are dozens of stunning moments—even the band’s pre-bridge, where a silent palm shriek is performed twice in such frenzy that every full hit of the band feels like a lucky surprise. Seven minutes is a lot of time to fill, but on the track you can hear songwriting moments like that riff before the bridge designed to help the band keep its momentum. Lars Ulrich is certainly a major figure in “72 Seasons,” as always, but there is perhaps no catchier musical moment than Kirk Hammett’s silly guitar solo after the bridge: performed at high tempo, with multiple chord changes, and absolutely tearing down.
“72 Seasons” may not have as many noticeable sonic risks as the new album’s previous singles, but it serves as one of Metallica’s most accessible tracks from their recent output. There is such a flow of energy and momentum buzzing with every note; So much so that you can’t help but hit the head as the band races toward the catharsis. Indeed, “72 Seasons” isn’t just a great single, it’s a great excuse to fantasize about the live energy Metallica brings, and how cool it would be to witness a song like this in person.
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They may have been playing together for over 40 years, but Metallica makes “72 Seasons” sound like a band that never left their prime.
Paolo Ragusa
Associate Editor
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