Metallica - 72 Seasons
Heavy Metal – April 14, 2023 – 12 songs, 77 mins
ROZ
Well well well, we meet again, Metallica. Long gone are the days of my all black getups highlighted by baggy Metallica apparel; a walking billboard for Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning cover art designs. Heavy metal was one phase over a set of many, many phases - one that reminds me of underage drinking and edgy MSN messenger status updates. That is not to say that this genre is a byproduct of earlier times and isn’t alive and well all around the world, this is truly anecdotal and gives me a feeling of nostalgia in the best way. This week's band requires no introduction at all and their body of work and impact on their genre speaks for itself. Today we dive into Metallica's eleventh studio album: 72 Seasons.
Fast and hard hitting; 72 Seasons is everything you’d expect from the superpowers of the genre. Lead singer James Hetfield is damn near sixty years old but you would never tell, and I don’t mean that in a ‘production magic’ type of way; the dynamic range and vibrato he is able to hit at this stage in his long illustrious career is nothing short of a miracle. Lars Ulrich is as quick as he has ever been, seemingly not to have missed a step; a respect that can be similarly observed for lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo. Standouts include the titular 72 Seasons, Screaming Suicide, and If Darkness Had A Song; albums singles no less - they nailed those picks. Especially insane drum work and very insane James Hetfield throughout.
While overly digestible and for the most part enjoyable, the album definitely has its faults. The largest violator being its absurd track length; six of the songs on this twelve song record pass the six minute mark, two pass the seven minute mark and by God, one passes eleven minutes. The album is not attempting to push the boundaries of the genre by any means as the usual elements, arrangements and structures stay as true to the heavy metal sound as they could be. Many of these songs could be cut in half, sparing the repetition while keeping the substance of them intact. Let’s face it - a twelve track album made up of two-note power chords and zero slow burn ballads should not be almost an hour and a half in the year 2023. It just shouldn’t.
72 Seasons begs the question that has been asked time and time again throughout the history of Too Sweet Reviews; whether the band that has been around forever and has done everything is merely pumping out new content to attempt to have themselves a part of the modern age of music and seek some sort of pseudo-relevance. When it comes to this question I am typically of the opinion that music is like any other labor of love, and I truly feel that those who create it do it because they genuinely enjoy it - whether it’s the comradery of the studio, the thrill of the live show or simply the true passion for music on its own. In my opinion these people have a lot of money already, so I feel as though if neither of these cravings existed then they would have hung it up long, long ago.
With that being said - 72 Seasons failed to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200 for the first time in the last four decades, losing out to Morgan Wallen. Is this a sign? I don’t think that’s my place to say. What I will say is that this old band still sounds great - the album is fast and hard hitting, with no signs of slowing down from either member. An intense, non-stop action piece that just really could have used a few slower burns throughout its excessively long runtime.
Overall Rating: 7.0/10
Favourite Song: Screaming Suicide
REID
METALLICA! More genre switching as TSR continues exploring the vast spectrums of the music world with metal. These legends continue rolling along in the twilight of their careers with their eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons.
I was a huge fan in high school. Their discography was already amazing and digging through those classics was a rewarding exercise. I was pals with the jock crowd as a hockey player but head banging on the side with the fellas with long hair and black clothes. Another excellent ripple effect of music – the company you keep.
With all due respect to The White Stripes, Billy Talent, Our Lady Peace and Mile One Stadium in Newfoundland, Metallica were my first major concert experience in 2009. Butler, Jimmy, Wally and I saw them front row in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre. It was an incredible show and a notable evening for live music in my life. Check out this photo of Kirk Hammett I took with the most mediocre of digital cameras. Sick.
Metallica headlined Austin City Limits festival in 2018 and I was truly blown away how good they were. Other than that, the page has turned on my metal days so when 72 Seasons appeared on the upcoming album list, TSR was intrigued.
The album starts off on a high with the titular track and best one on there, for my money. The theme focuses on the first eighteen years of your life and how they’re the building blocks for your future. Pretty compelling stuff. As we progress track by track, it’s crystal clear the band are still operating at or near the top of their game with hard hitting riffs, deadly pace, sweet guitar solos and James nailing every note. But as twenty minutes go by, the repetition creeps in. It’s full throttle over and over again or as James says himself ‘Full speed or nothing’ (Lux Æterna). There’s no Nothing Else Matters or Orion to break the monotony and it shows. Mid way through I’m already checked out and there’s still a half hour left.
Metallica are a great case study for the age old TSR discussion - album length. Let’s check the data.
Kill ‘Em All (1983) - 10 songs, 51 minutes
Ride the Lightning (1984) - 8 songs, 47 minutes
Master of Puppets (1986) - 8 songs, 55 minutes
…And Justice For All (1988) - 9 songs, 65 minutes
Metallica (1991) - 12 songs, 63 minutes
Load (1996) - 14 songs, 79 minutes
Reload (1997)- 13 songs, 76 minutes
St. Anger (2003) – 11 songs, 75 minutes
Death Magnetic (2008) – 10 songs, 75 minutes
Hardwired... To Self Destruct (2016) – 12 songs, 78 minutes
Okay now refer to this trend chart of album length vs. fan choice/critical acclaim... I kid. But seriously. The first five albums are widely known as their best and surprise surprise, they’re the shortest. Somewhere along the way they decided longer was better and the quality has suffered. Now before old fans jump all over me, length is not the only variable here as the band’s sound has evolved. Take the data for what it is, one piece of the pie.
72 Seasons proves Metallica can still pump out the tunes with the best of them with several excellent additions to that awesome setlist. Unfortunately, the full body of work is too long and redundant. The listening experience suffers and the 72 feels more like 96.
Overall Rating: 6.4/10
Favourite Song: 72 Seasons
LUNDI
Plug the amp in and crank this one to 10. 2000 onward hasn’t exactly been kind to this week’s heavy metal veterans but they still remain one of the most respected bands in musical history. After a 7 year break from the recording studio, Metallica return with their eleventh studio album 72 Seasons. Let’s max out the energy and see what the hall of famers have to offer.
72 Seasons certainly shows off the long known musical mastery at the controls of Metallica. As the band holds steady with three core members still intact over 40 years later, so does their savvy and historically great musicianship. Metallica have been heavily influential since day one in the artistry of thrash metal injecting a speed and volume that only few can match which holds true for 72 Seasons. Even on album 11 James Hetfield sounds ageless on vocal and rhythm guitar while Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich still push the pace on lead guitar and the drum kit respectively. 72 Seasons ultimately lays down one specific thought: the musical prowess in Metallica is impeccable.
But sorry, laying down one thought over and over for 77 minutes isn’t even remotely enjoyable. Fans of the genre will no doubt love this effort, but this is a painfully repetitive album. The band never give time to breathe which is perplexing given their discography has many slower songs that are fan and critical favourites. It’s high energy from note 1 and it drags with repetition. 72 Seasons is exhausting and by the midway point the joy that’s involved in listening to the musical trail blazers is fully sucked dry. Despite all the skill in the world and more, the albums creative direction and length never give it a chance to succeed.
This isn’t the first time TSR has dealt with album length and it sure won’t be the last but there’s a reoccurring theme with these damn 80/90’s bands. News flash fellas you’re no longer selling bang for buck hour plus albums off the superstore shelves. This is the streaming industry and concision is your best friend. The average attention span is low and you’re not gaining any support with these short film length records. I know in the good old days this is what you’re supposed to do, and maybe this is just fan service, but damn anything over an hour just wears the listener down. Maybe they don’t need the money, maybe they don’t want the new fans, but definitely I won’t listen to this album again.
Leave it to Metallica to not understand we live in a digital streaming age. 72 Seasons is a repetitive 77 minute slog that cannot be saved by the bands Hall of fame musicianship.
Overall Rating: 5.9/10
Favourite Song: Screaming Suicide