They have done it again. Metallica comes out with a new album after seven years. The new album, “72 Seasons, ” is complete with 12 tracks of contemporary heavy metal for all of their fans to enjoy.

The lyrics outline James Hetfield’s growing pain of teenage years. The album in general refers to the first 18 years of life, how those years shape us, and how we carry those memories with us.

On March 3, before the album dropped, three singles were released; speedy heavy metal “LuxÆterna,” up-tempo rocker “Screaming Suicide,” and over-powering third single, “If Darkness Had a Son.”

Because of the heavy and relatable lyrics, this would be a new favorite album for many. The best song in the album is possibly “Screaming Suicide.”

The instrumental in the beginning has upbeat notes but really dark lyrics. It creates an image of someone who would be going through this and would be feeling like the lyrics on the inside but happy and upbeat on the outside. 

The 5-minute and 30-second song definitely shows a darker part of the teenage years that he experienced, and probably many other teenagers as well. But nothing compares to the song “If Darkness Had a Son” guitar solo, played by Kirk Hammett.

The guitarist really put his work into playing these notes as they get faster and faster with every second. The solo kept getting more and more emotional as he went on. 

It was great just listening to the lyrics they created, but there was not much progression throughout the album. The album was just about the teenage years of his life.

It would have been interesting if they had each song be a different period of life or a monumental event, showing how he overcame that to really give more details on what was going on during the 72 years of his life.

Other than that, the songs were definitely very personal in his own way, showing more of what he felt during his teenage years rather than situations that happened to him. But seriously, the guitar solos in every song were outstanding, and they really brought emotion to every song. 

Metallica will be in concert at Soldier Field, in Chicago on August 9 or August 11, 2024.