Metallica Are Headed To The Big Screen In 2023

This week Metallica announced plans for fans to participate in a listening party event for their highly anticipated 12th studio album, 72 Seasons (out April 14th). In partnering with theaters across the globe, Metallica will be showcasing their entire new album via a ‘World Wide Listening Party’ that the band has curated as a special experience for fans on April 13th — a day before 72 Seasons’ release. The band has stated that the event will not only showcase the album in a high fidelity environment, but additionally showcase interviews of the members dissecting each one of the new tracks along with a few unspecified surprises.

“72 Seasons – Global Premiere will feature exclusive interviews with Metallica, with the full band delving into the origins and stories behind the songs and accompanying music videos for every track on the album. The result will be a one-night-only opportunity for fans to experience 72 Seasons first and fully.

There will also be a few surprises on the night that you won’t want to miss! We look forward to welcoming you all to this historic night in cinemas around the world.”

For diehard Metallica fans this certainly seems like the proper way to get the most out of the band’s forthcoming record, especially as a first listen. It’s also important to note that the listening party event specifies there are “music videos for every track on the album,” which is pretty significant news and on par with what Metallica did for their previous record, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct. In fact, one of the most enjoyable parts about Metallica on their last record cycle was the art direction and visualizers they included for each song. Thus far 72 Seasons looks to be going in similar direction, as the first two singles have both offered very vibrant and a uniquely energized art direction, which is certainly a contrast from much of Metallica’s past accompanying visuals.

However, as a massive Metallica fan myself, I’d be more curious to hear how pristine the production quality of this record really is in a theater environment. While both the new singles “Lux Aeterna” and “Screaming Suicide” are suprisingly catchy but not anything groundbreaking for Metallica, the production quality of these songs is outstanding. Additionally James Hetfield’s lyrical direction is one of the more standout elements for this upcoming record, as he’s been very open about the themes and messaging surrounding each of the singles thus far. Hearing Hetfield and the rest of the band give an in-depth discussion on each track will certainly provide some necessary context on why Metallica chose this sonic/lyrical direction for their 12th studio album.