Listen to the title track from new Metallica album 72 Seasons, alongside a brand new video

Photo of Metallica
(Image credit: Press)

Metallica have unveiled the latest cut from their brand new studio album, 72 Seasons. The song - the title track from the record - follows in the footsteps of previous new singles Lux Æterna, Screaming Suicide and If Darkness Had A Son, and comes accompanied by a brand new video directed by Tim Saccenti, who had previously collaborated with Metallica on their other new videos from the new album.

The song is another imperious slice of heavy metal thunder, with frontman James Hetfield on particularly chest-beating form. "Shot down!" he bellows. "Volcanic! But what is done is done and done. Look back. Psychotic. No chance before this life began."

It seems safe to say that Papa Het is baring some demons on this record, and he's doing it loudly.

Watch the video for 72 Seasons below.

The band's first album of all new material since 2016's Hardwired...To Self-Destruct, 72 Seasons looks set to be a conceptually loaded affair analysing some of our formative years as human beings.

Says frontman James Hetfield of the album: “72 seasons… The concept that we were told 'who we are' by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.”

The album arrives on April 14 via Metallica's own Blackened label. The band head out on tour later this year.


Metallica 72 Seasons tracklist

1. 72 Seasons
2. Shadows Follow
3. Screaming Suicide
4. Sleepwalk My Life Away
5. You Must Burn!
6. Lux Æterna
7. Crown of Barbed Wire
8. Chasing Light
9. If Darkness Had a Son
10. Too Far Gone?
11. Room of Mirrors
12. Inamorata


Metallica 2023/2024 world tour dates

Apr 27, 2023: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, HOL
Apr 29, 2023: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, HOL

May 17, 2023 - Paris FR - Stade de France, FRA
May 19, 2023 - Paris FR - Stade de France, FRA

May 26, 2023: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, GER
May 28, 2023: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, GER

Jun 08, 2023: Download Festival, UK
Jun 10, 2023: Download Festival, UK

Jun 16, 2023: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, SWE
Jun 18 2023: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, SWE

Aug 04, 2023: East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium, USA
Aug 06, 2023: East Rutherford NJ MetLife Stadium, NJ, USA

Aug 11, 2023: Montreal Stade Olympique, CAN
Aug 13, 2023: Montreal Stade Olympique, CAN

Aug 18, 2023: Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium, USA
Aug 20, 2023: Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium, USA

Aug 25, 2023: Inglewood, CA SoFi Stadium, USA
Aug 27, 2023: Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium, USA

Sep 01, 2023: Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium, USA
Sep 03, 2023: Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium, USA

Nov 03, 2023: St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center, USA
Nov 05, 2023 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center

Nov 10, 2023: Detroit, MI Ford Field, USA
Nov 12, 2023: Detroit, MI Ford Field, USA

May 24, 2024: Munich Olympiastadion, GER
May 26, 2024 - Munich DE - Olympiastadion, GER

Jun 7, 2024: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, FIN
Jun 9, 2024: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, FIN

Jun 14, 2024: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, DEN
Jun 16, 2024: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, DEN

Jul 05 2024: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, POL
Jul 07 2024: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, POL

Jul 12, 2024: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, SPA
Jul 14 2024: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, SPA

Aug 02, 2024: Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium, USA
Aug 04, 2024: Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium, USA

Aug 09, 2024: Chicago, IL Soldier Field, USA
Aug 11, 2024: Chicago, IL Soldier Field, USA

Aug 16, 2024: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, USA
Aug 18, 2024: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, USA

Aug 23. 2024: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, CAN
Aug 25, 2024: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, CAN

Aug 30, 2024: Seattle, WA Lumen Field, USA
Sep 01, 2024: Seattle, WA Lumen Field, USA

Sep 20, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 22, 2024 - Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX

Sep 27, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 29, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX

Merlin Alderslade
Executive Editor, Louder

Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He is also probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.