(c) Tim Saccenti
The first 18 years – or 72 seasons – of life lay the foundation for the future. Take this formative time Metallica on their eleventh studio album. Due to a lack of touring opportunities, the thrash forefathers went much faster than expected (in relation; “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct” is six and a half years old), Kirk Hammett probably discovered the cloud for himself and Rob Trujillo is as prominent as never represented. But can the (soon-)60s come along „72 Seasons“ actually set fresh accents?
Of course, miracles should not be expected. First of all: The new album is (again) much too long, it probably wouldn’t have needed 77 minutes. In addition, the drums like to lag behind. Lars Ulrich introduces little rhythmic variety, the repetitive clattering in the high-frequency range gets to the substance, and the red pencil wouldn’t have hurt one or the other (excessively long) track. And yet “72 Seasons” has a damn lot of strong qualities, as the opening title track impressively shows. Somewhat surprisingly, Trujillo’s scrubbing bass denies the beginning, then a monstrosity of the quality of a “Spit Out The Bone” rears up. Decent speed, crisp riffing and a few minor twists drive this infernal bastard that will definitely smash live.
Often, however, the mid-tempo rules, which can sometimes weigh on the mind. There are some really good songs here, like “If Darkness Had A Son”, whose oppressive groove can’t get out of your head, or the refreshing “Shadows Follow”, which sounds very familiar, but is really muscular. Whether it would have needed the “Crown Of Barbed Wire” with its subtle “Reload” charm or the “Sad But True” rehash “You Must Burn!” is anyone’s guess. After all, both songs grow over time and know how to entertain at least at times. “Sleepwalk Your Life Away” also has to find itself first. From the small bass solo at the beginning to the dark mania, however, there is a small sleeper hit.
In addition to the opener, however, three tracks deserve special mention. On the one hand there is “Room Of Mirrors”, which exceptionally increases the tempo and on the other hand surprises with two-part guitars in the second half. This little cross-reference to Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy comes in handy, especially as the track takes on additional twists and turns. The first harbinger “Lux Æterna” on the other hand is a wonderful, short and sweet tribute to the early days with a powerful NWOBHM impact – simple but damn effective. The concluding “Inamorata” is not easy, because with an impressive eleven minutes, Metallica dare to go over-excess length. Yes, one of the lead riffs is strongly reminiscent of “Are You Gonna Go My Way”, but the dense and yet sprawling expansion with its tightly woven melodic textures and the mighty loops of the final minutes works fantastic.
While Trujillo is more present than ever, Hammett throws in some strong solos and Ulrich is at least somewhat useful, James Hetfield outshines them all. He digs deeper than ever into the trauma of his childhood and youth (some passages of the text are reminiscent of scenes from “Some Kind Of Monster”, when he was working on the first vocal tracks before his rehab), and the voice is as fresh and powerful as ever. The sound is also much better than on the predecessors. Yes, “72 Seasons” is way too long, could easily have used two fewer songs as well as a few other cuts, but Metallica remain in strong form. Barring a few blemishes, there’s some mighty numbers and upcoming live favorites, as well as the odd grower, on an entertaining, expected, yet often exciting record. That’s all it takes for great metal happiness.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 04/14/2023
Available through: Blackened Recordings (Universal Music)
Website: www.metallica.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Metallica
Slider-Pic (c) Tim Saccenti
Category: Magazin, Reviews