Six years after releasing their last studio album, heavy metal giants Metallica have finally picked up from where they left off.

As part of a surprise notice that took the world by storm, the band announced a new album titled 72 Seasons and released one of the included songs.

Titled 'Lux Æterna', the new track clocks in at only three and a half minutes, a noticeable deviation from their conventionally longer pieces. It's absolutely perfect though because a quick-strike, brutal, thrash metal song is everything fans needed after six years without new music.

The song is oddly reminiscent of the band's debut, genre-defining album, Kill 'Em All. Not only does it carry a raw, thrash vibe, but it also has a melodic undertone that can be associated with some of their earlier songs.

Additionally, the song's central riff screams old-school fire that soared Metallica through the popularity charts during the early '80s. James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett pave the path for Lars Ulrich to add his signature rock n' roll flavour in the form of unmistakable snare fills and pristine double-kick drum accelerations.

Hetfield's vocals, however, put the cherry on top, because his vintage gritty undertone is enough to get everyone fired up. It also makes you appreciate how finely Papa Het has aged since his style only seems to get better over the years. The high notes on the chorus, sung with a little bit of distortion, make the band sound like they're in their prime again.

The song's title carries sentimental significance as well, as Lux Æterna can be translated from Latin to the phrase 'eternal light'. With all the members approaching their 60s, fans can only wonder how much fuel the band has left in the tank. But the release of the leading single from the upcoming album seems to be a message that Metallica isn't going away any time soon.

As for the album itself, the band has revealed the names of all 12 tracks that total to about 77 minutes. It is set to release globally on April 14, 2023.

Hetfield, the band's vocalist and lyricist, took a deep dive to explore the album's somewhat allegorical name. He explained that "72 Seasons" refers to the first 18 years of their lives, a time when a big part of their personalities was defined by the people around them. As a result, their adulthood seems to revolve around chasing those childhood experiences to break free from the baggage they carry.

The continued study of these transitional periods will likely be a core motif throughout the album.

Anyone familiar with Hetfield's troubled upbringing in a staunchly religious family knows how much it influenced many of the band's songs and lyrics. Now that the album promises to explore similar territory, you cannot help but feel intrigued by what is to come.

The release of 'Lux Æterna' and 72 Seasons is a wake-up call to metal fans around the world. The song has its roots firmly in the past, while also blazing a trail for what is to come in the album moving forward.

Reference

Metallica (Nov 28, 2022). New Album... 72 Seasons!

Ayaan dreams of attending a Metallica concert one day. Send him fake hope at ayaan.shams@gmail.com