Metallica Release Their Best Single Yet With Pummeling Thrash Epic, ‘72 Season’

Earlier this week Metallica had teased the title track for their upcoming eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons, which offered heavy hints of ‘thrash’ metal as the main course. Today marks the release of the near eight minute long title-track and it’s safe to say it’s Metallica’s best new single yet. “72 Seasons” takes listeners through a barrage of old school ‘heavy metal’ riffage combined with what feels like a reinvigorated adoration for old school thrash metal.

Each member of Metallica is given the spotlight throughout “72 Seasons,” with bassist Robert Trujillo receiving a well deserved boost in the production mix and James Hetfield offering some of his best vocal deliveries yet. This new track also boasts the most unique arrangement from any of the singles released thus far, with it’s climactic solo break actually landing quite smoothly as Kirk Hammett’s shredding pentatonic licks fit the more thrash-like nature of the track.

Unlike many of the previous singles however, “72 Seasons” doesn’t let listeners get too comfortable before shrugging them into a new pummeling groove or blistering fast verse. And to that end, it’s remarkable how often shade is thrown at Metallica’s own Lars Ulrich, as his drumming is astoundingly good on here and on most the singles released so far for 72 Seasons. Often fans and critiques alike forget just how long Metallica have been around the block for and despite that fact the band should be commended for maintaining the high level of technical tenacity that’s required to play heavy metal music, more specifically thrash metal.

Hopefully a majority of the new Metallica record offers songs with differing arrangements similar to “72 Seasons.” For one, Metallica often hit their stride best on the more ‘epic’ lengthier tracks like “Master of Puppets,” “One,” “Creeping Death,” etc. It’s also especially interesting that Metallica has chosen to stick with heavy and more rock sensible songs for their single rollouts — the band is no stranger to writing a great ballad and they’ve done so on nearly every record since Ride The Lightening (1984). It’s unclear whether “72 Seasons” is the last single before the album’s release date which by now is less than three weeks away (April 14th). Whatever the case is, Metallica has given fans a plethora of awesome riffs and catchy melodies to chew on while we eagerly await their 11th studio album.