"72 Seasons"
Single by Metallica
from the album 72 Seasons
ReleasedMarch 30, 2023
Genre
Length7:39
LabelBlackened
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Metallica singles chronology
"If Darkness Had a Son"
(2023) 		"72 Seasons"
(2023) 		"Too Far Gone?"
(2023)
Music video
"72 Seasons" on YouTube

"72 Seasons" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, it was released as the fourth single from the band's eleventh studio album 72 Seasons alongside a music video. The song was first teased a couple of days prior on March 27, 2023 as a 15‑second excerpt, where they continued to release longer clips each day until its release.[3] The music video features the band playing the song while being illuminated by lasers[4] in front of artwork by Canadian artist Kelly Richardson.[5] At the 66th Grammy Awards, "72 Seasons" won the award for Best Metal Performance.[6]

Background

According to James Hetfield, following the announcement of the album, the lyrics and song name mean:

"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."[7]

Reception

Writing for Audio Ink Radio, Anne Erickson described the track as "actually feeling like you are going through a roller-coaster of seasons", describing Kirk Hammett's guitar as "sharp", and overall calling the song "a musical journey" alternating [between] fast-thrash guitar solos and musical breakdowns.[8] Writing for Rolling Stone, Kory Grow also described it as being a journey of sorts, with "heavy-piston jugging riffs" and "a fiery, wah-wah inflected solo" by Hammett.[9] Jon Hadusek of Consequence Of Sound considered the song to be the "fastest" and "grooviest" of all of the singles released from the album. They thought the song to have a tensions-building instrumental with a quick tempo and a "soaring chorus hook".[4]

Personnel

Metallica

Production

Charts

References

  1. ^ Alderslade, Merlin (March 31, 2023). "Listen to the title track from new Metallica album 72 Seasons, alongside a brand new video". Louder Sound. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  2. ^ Carter, Emily (March 30, 2023). "Metallica have just released 72 Seasons' awesome title-track". Kerrang!. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Trapp, Philip (March 30, 2023). "Metallica Unleash Thematic '72 Seasons' Title Track - Listen Now". Loudwire. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Hadusek, Jon (March 30, 2023). "Metallica unleash title track from upcoming album 72 Seasons: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  5. ^ Goodyear, Sheena (April 10, 2023) [Originally published April 7, 2023]. "B.C. artist blown away to see her work featured in new Metallica video". CBC Radio. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  6. ^ https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list
  7. ^ "METALLICA Shares Lyric Videos For '72 Seasons' Title Track In Eight Different Languages". Blabbermouth.net. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  8. ^ Erickson, Anne (April 11, 2023). "Metallica, "72 Seasons" - Track-by-Track Review". Audio Ink Radio. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  9. ^ Grow, Kory (March 30, 2023). "Metallica Rage About the 'Wrath of Man' on '72 Seasons' Title Track". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  10. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 10 April 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1727. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 10, 2023. p. 9.
  11. ^ "Metallica Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Radio No9 Charts [Week 15/2023]". Radio-No9. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  13. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 16". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  16. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  17. ^ "Metallica Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  18. ^ "Metallica Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
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