Released on April 14, 2023, 72 Seasons is the eleventh studio album from Metallica, arriving seven years after their previous full-length effort, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct.
Given their legacy as one of metal’s most influential and enduring acts, any new release from Metallica generates major anticipation. But where earlier works broke ground and redefined genres, 72 Seasons finds the band treading familiar territory with diminishing results.
Clocking in at over 77 minutes, the album is both ambitious in scope and surprisingly static in execution. It offers a sprawling collection of 12 songs that often blur together in structure, tone, and pacing. While the album’s central theme—the long-lasting emotional impact of one’s formative years—has potential for depth and introspection, 72 Seasons struggles to translate that concept into consistently engaging music.
A Familiar Yet Fatiguing Sound
The opening title track, “72 Seasons,” starts the album with urgency—a barrage of tightly wound riffs and a driving tempo that initially promises energy and purpose. But at nearly eight minutes long, the song soon falls victim to the very pattern that plagues much of the record: ideas stretched far beyond their natural lifespan. What begins as a promising introduction quickly becomes a repetitive cycle of verse-chorus riffing with little development or surprise.
This issue repeats throughout the album. Tracks like “Shadows Follow” and “You Must Burn!” lean heavily on mid-tempo chugging and standard thrash progressions but rarely deliver the intensity or inventiveness fans might expect. Many songs hover around the six- to eight-minute mark, yet few justify their length. Extended intros, predictable transitions, and repeated refrains cause the momentum to sag across much of the tracklist.
Even the more aggressive moments, such as “Lux Æterna,” feel like echoes of past glories. While that particular song does benefit from a shorter runtime and tighter composition, it also feels derivative—a distant cousin of the band’s Kill 'Em All-era material, updated with cleaner production but not much else.
Themes of Reflection, Delivered Without Impact
Conceptually, 72 Seasons is rooted in personal reflection. James Hetfield has described the album as an exploration of the first 18 years of life—the “seasons” that shape who we become. It’s a thoughtful premise, and Hetfield’s vocals do at times convey the weight of experience and emotional struggle. But lyrically, the album often settles for generalities, leaning on vague metaphors and repeated phrases that lack nuance or emotional specificity.
“If Darkness Had a Son” touches on themes of temptation and inner conflict, but does so in broad strokes. “Room of Mirrors” aims to explore identity and self-perception, yet its lyrical content never quite breaks through the surface. There’s a recurring sense that the band is aiming for emotional gravity but lacking the lyrical sharpness or creative delivery to fully achieve it.
“Inamorata,” the final and longest track on the album, is perhaps the most ambitious piece on 72 Seasons. Clocking in at over 11 minutes, it attempts to weave in moments of introspection and musical variation. Yet even this closing statement feels undercooked—another track that hints at emotional depth without fully reaching it. Its length and pacing may leave many listeners disengaged by the halfway mark.
Proficient Musicianship with Minimal Evolution
Metallica’s instrumental performances remain technically solid. Hetfield’s rhythm guitar playing is still tight and aggressive, and Lars Ulrich delivers his usual mix of straightforward drumming and occasional bursts of energy. Robert Trujillo’s bass work is a highlight in a few places—most notably “Sleepwalk My Life Away”—but too often feels buried or underutilized.
Kirk Hammett’s guitar solos, once a dynamic and integral part of the band’s identity, have become more formulaic in recent years, and 72 Seasons continues that trend. Many of his leads are drenched in wah pedal and follow familiar patterns that don’t offer much variation or memorable phrasing. While none of the performances are technically lacking, there’s a noticeable absence of urgency or experimentation across the board.
It’s clear the band is playing within their comfort zone—relying on the structures, tones, and tropes that have defined their sound for decades. For some fans, this sense of consistency might be enough. But for others hoping to hear something daring or evolved, 72 Seasons may come across as overly cautious or even stagnant.
An Overlong Effort That Struggles to Engage
The most persistent criticism of 72 Seasons lies in its pacing and length. The album, which is more than an hour and fifteen minutes long, is demanding but provides little reward. Few songs are particularly noteworthy as must-listens, and when taken in its entirety, the whole experience may become boring. Metallica has always embraced long compositions, but their previous albums counterbalanced those goals with more incisive songwriting and dynamic variation.
All too frequently, it seems as though the music is stuck in the same tempo, tonal palette, and structural patterns.
Rather than pushing into new territory or reimagining their sound, 72 Seasons feels like a retread of past styles, delivered with less immediacy and far more repetition. The themes may be personal, but the execution rarely feels inspired.
Final Verdict: 5.5/10
Standout Tracks:
- Sleepwalk My Life Away
- Lux Æterna
- Inamorata
72 Seasons is a lengthy and often repetitive chapter in Metallica’s late-career discography. While the band’s musicianship remains intact and the production is clean, the album struggles to offer fresh ideas or consistently engaging songwriting.
Its themes of introspection are worthy, but the delivery lacks the emotional and musical impact to match.
For longtime fans, it may serve as a familiar, if unremarkable, listen. For others, it may raise the question of whether Metallica’s creative spark has dimmed more than the band is willing to admit.
Until next time, play it loud, friends!
