Napster Killer Lars Ulrich Surprised 72 Seasons Wasn’t Leaked
Yesterdays’ surprise announcement of 72 Seasons, Metallica‘s 12th studio release, was a rare and sudden surprise for metal world. Typically, we know about upcoming releases weeks, months, hell — even years before they arrive, but somehow the biggest fucking band in the world managed to keep details about the album and its first single “Lux Æterna” under wraps.
For drummer Lars Ulrich, who was speaking on SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show” to announce everything (transcribed by Blabbermouth), the fact that no one knew about the album even though the band had been working on it “for the last year, year and a half — our COVID lockdown record” was a shock.
“The one thing that we’ve done all through that is for the first time in our career, we never really talked about it. So, rather than, ‘Hey, there’s a new record’ and countdowns, and, ‘Guess what’s coming your way,’ and all that kind of shit, we’ve been tight-fucking-lipped about it. And this morning I wanna share a new song with the world and I wanna tell everybody about the new Metallica album. And we have a new tour, we have a song, we have a video — all the bells and whistles.
“We thought for sure this thing would leak. It hasn’t fucking leaked.”
I bet that felt incredibly good as an artist in 2022, not getting the surprise ruined by the internet.
For those that missed yesterday’s big announcement, 72 Seasons is coming out on April 14, 2023 via the band’s own label Blackened Recordings. It’s the band’s follow up to the 2016 release Hardwired… To Self-Destruct and apparently has over 77 minutes and 12 tracks.
Along with the new album, its cover art, track listing, and first single, the band announced a massive two-year world tour where they’ll play two dates at each city, with both nights featuring completely different setlists and different openers. According to Lars, you’ll buy one ticket and gain access to both shows, which is fucking wild.
For the European tour dates, the openers will be Architects and Mammoth WVH for night one and Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills for the second night. More interestingly, though, is the fact that the North American dates will have support from Pantera and Mammoth WVH the first night and Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills for the second night. That’s right. Metallica and Pantera on the same bill.
Presales will begin at 9 a.m. local time this Wednesday, November 30. Two-day tickets will be on sale to the general public Friday, December 2 at ticketmaster.com and will include the option of pre-ordering 72 Seasons vinyl and/or CD. Single day tickets will be available beginning January 20.
I don’t know about you guys, but this shit’s exciting as all hell. Can’t wait for Ticketmaster to buckle under the pressure of the world’s metalheads trying to get tickets at the same time. Hopefully Congress can do something about that…
Metallica, 72 Seasons
72 Seasons
Shadows Follow
Screaming Suicide
Sleepwalk My Life Away
You Must Burn!
Lux Æterna
Crown of Barbed Wire
Chasing Light
If Darkness Had a Son
Too Far Gone?
Room of Mirrors
Inamorata
METALLICA
M72 WORLD TOUR 2023-2024
Thursday, April 27 2023 – Amsterdam NL – Johan Cruijff Arena
Saturday, April 29 2023 – Amsterdam NL – Johan Cruijff Arena
Wednesday, May 17 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France*
Friday, May 19 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France
Friday, May 26 2023 – Hamburg DE – Volksparkstadion
Sunday, May 28 2023 – Hamburg DE – Volksparkstadion
Friday, June 16 2023 – Gothenburg SE – Ullevi Stadium**
Sunday, June 18 2023 – Gothenburg SE – Ullevi Stadium
Friday, August 4 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Sunday, August 6 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Friday, August 11 2023 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique
Sunday, August 13 2023 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique
Friday, August 18 2023 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
Sunday, August 20 2023 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
Friday, August 25 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium
Sunday, August 27 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium
Friday, September 1 2023 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium
Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium
Friday, November 3, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Sunday, November 5, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Friday, November 10, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
Sunday, November 12, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
Friday, May 24 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion
Sunday, May 26 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion
Friday, June 7 2024 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium
Sunday, June 9 2024 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium
Friday, June 14 2024 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium
Sunday, June 16 2024 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium
Friday, July 5 2024 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy
Sunday, July 7 2024 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy
Friday, July 12 2024 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
Sunday, July 14 2024 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
Friday, August 2 2024 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Sunday, August 4 2024 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Friday, August 9 2024 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Sunday, August 11 2024 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Friday, August 16 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
Sunday, August 18 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
Friday, August 23 2024 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium
Sunday, August 25 2024 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium
Friday, August 30 2024 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field
Sunday, September 1 2024 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field
Friday, September 20 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol***
Sunday, September 22 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol
Friday, September 27 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol***
Sunday, September 29 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol
Show 1 Support Europe: Architects & Mammoth WVH**
Show 2 Support Europe: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
*Five Finger Death Punch/Ice Nine Kills play show 1 in Paris, Architects & Mammoth WVH play show 2 in Paris
**Volbeat replaces Architects on show 1 in Gothenburg
Show 1 Support North America: Pantera & Mammoth WVH***
Show 2 Support North America: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
***Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on show 1 both weekends in Mexico City
