72 Seasons

Album review

In 2023, expressing an opinion about a new Metallica album, whatever it may be, would mean being scorned by 50% of metal fans. In 1986, when the whole planet fell on its knees before Master of Puppets, who would have believed that the San Francisco quartet would become so divisive almost forty years later? However, since Load (1996), and Reload (1997) even more so, all the combo’s productions contain so many pretexts for rhetorical disputes, it must be recognised that the Four Horsemen have moved forward without shying away from paths fraught with the potential danger of controversy. This is how they have become the band they are today: the four members of the biggest heavy metal band on the planet. It is only by writing this down that we can better imagine the pressure that they must have encountered.

72 Seasons will not please those Metallica fans who have remained stuck on their pre-1990 productions. Either way, it doesn't matter: these fans had their opinions formed long before this album was even being written. On the other hand, these disappointed "moderates", those whose blinkers are removable, will certainly have a better understanding of the music the group has now been trying (somewhat clumsily) to convince us of for more than twenty years. Drummer, Lars Ulrich, himself admits: nowadays, rather than experimenting, Metallica prefers to focus on what it does best. And we’re obviously no longer talking about thrash à la Ride The Lightning (1984), nor about progressive inclinations à la …And Justice For All (1988). Of course, there are still some traces of the group’s original DNA: the rhythmic thrash of Lux Aeterna, the Inamorata drawer structure (the longest title ever written by the group, which lasts for more than 11 minutes), or even the succinct performance of Too Far Gone?. But a major part of the project is indeed based on heavy metal tinged with perfectly integrated rock influences, which, for the first time, even manages to make up for the recurring faults of the two previous albums: titles that are too long and bloated with repetitive riffs. It's still the case here, don't kid yourself, but Metallica seems to have worn us down and, on Death Magnetic, it's certainly meshing much better than it did fifteen years ago. It’s as if the band were telling us: "Guys, you'll have to get used to it", and triumphed. Thus, the famous extended Inamorata is varied enough to seem shorter than some other tracks on the album. The riffs are certainly quite simple (even predictable on Sleepwalk My Life Away, which is dangerously close to Enter Sandman), but work perfectly. Kirk Hammett is still hanging on tight to his wah-wah pedal, and James Hetfield is more and more comfortable in his role as a singer, despite having been a vocalist for years. Lars Ulrich is not making a big deal out of it either, and that's a good thing, since all this will have to be performed on stage pretty soon. The big winner on stage is bassist Robert Trujillo, underused for twenty years (already!), now getting some spotlight shine thanks to a benevolent mix that gives his instrument a little extra oomph. Textually, it seems obvious that 72 Seasons serves as Hetfield's morale diary. Almost the entire album revolves around the themes of doubt, depression, and the pain of living, but it fortunately ends on a somewhat optimistic note and an open gateway to resilience (Inamorata once more!). A real character from the novel – Le James: the famous hero with a secret wound.

It is sometimes said that friendship is knowing someone's faults and loving them despite everything. In the 80s, we fell in love with Metallica at first sight. A few years later, we admittedly felt a little let down by them, and were on somewhat bad terms. Today, the band is 42 years’ old. Its scars are testament to everything it has endured, but it has always managed to get back on its feet. It has flaws and always will have but, let’s face it, who doesn't? One thing is sure; the band always gives its absolute best. Whether you’d always dreamed of becoming an astrophysical researcher but became a mechanic holds no relevance today. The band is the best mechanic on the planet. And ultimately..... it’s our friend. © Charlélie Arnaud/Qobuz