(LOOTPRESS) – San Francisco metal veterans Metallica thrilled fans with the release of a new single on Monday, “Lux Æterna,” with an announcement of a brand new album and world tour to follow.
The single harkens back to Metallica’s glory days as thrash kings with simplistic riffing and plenty of double bass to go around.
Driven by drummer Lars Ulrich’s propulsive 8th note kicks and adorned with winding, fluid guitar solo sections from Kirk Hammett, it could be argued that the track exhibits a distinct Motörhead influence in its execution – not the worst thing in the world at this juncture in Metallica’s journey.
In fact, the band sounds legitimately engaged with “Lux Æterna,” and perhaps it’s because it doesn’t feel like the stakes are so high here. Metallica’s legend is solidified, and no matter how critical listeners are regarding post-peak output such as St. Anger, Lulu, or even Load and Reload, no one can ever take Ride the Lightning, …And Justice For All, and similarly sea changing work from the band, and they know it.
“Lux Æterna” clocks in at just under three and a half minutes, and the high-energy minimalism on display endows the track with a punk sensibility perhaps in spite of the prog-leaning conceptual themes around which it’s parent album was purportedly conceived.
Indeed, along with a new single and accompanying music video came the announcement of a new album from Metallica, the band’s 12th, which will reportedly be titled 72 Seasons and will explore the concept of “the first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves,” explains Metallica frontman James Hetfield.
“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,” the singer continues.
“Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.”
72 Seasons will mark Metallica’s first full-length offering since 2016’s Hardwired…To Self Destruct for which the band worked with returning producer Greg Fidelman. Notably, for 72 Seasons primary songwriters Hetfield and Ulrich are also credited as producers.
The full tracklist for 72 Seasons is as follows,
“72 Seasons”
“Shadows Follow”
“Screaming Suicide”
“Sleepwalk My Life Away”
“You Must Burn!”
“Lux Æterna”
“Crown of Barbed Wire”
“Chasing Light”
“If Darkness Had a Son”
“Too Far Gone?”
“Room of Mirrors”
“Inamorata”
Metallica has also indicated an upcoming 46-show tour which will comprise “two full years worth of shows,” according to a statement from the band.
The world tour, christened the M72 World Tour, will see the band visiting 22 different cities worldwide and playing two nights in each city.
Each show in what the band are calling a “No Repeat Weekend” will purportedly be totally unique.
“Two totally different set lists with two different bands opening the show each night,” says the band of the shows. “Purchase a two-day ticket, and you won’t see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs spanning our 40+ years of being lucky enough to make music.”
The run of shows will take the band everywhere from Amsterdam, France, Sweden, and Germany to Mexico, Canada, Seattle, and Detroit.
Opening acts for the tour will include Architects, Mammoth WVH, Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills, Pantera, Volbeat, and Greta Van Fleet.
72 Seasons is available for pre-order now and pre-sale for the M72 World Tour will begin on Wednesday, November 30. Additional information can be found at the Metallica website.
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Metallica release raging new single, announce new album and world tour
