Metallica’s 72 Seasons was the most anticipated album of the year, finally arriving in April, seven years after its predecessor, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct. Full-speed-or-nothing single Lux Æterna may have called back to the band’s early days, but 72 Seasons itself was an epic trawl through singer James Hetfield’s psyche, recorded against the backdrop of the pandemic.
Then the band embarked on the equally ambitious M72 World Tour, which saw them playing two shows in each destination, with a different setlist each night. It also found the quartet bringing their in-the-round stage to stadiums for the first time, complete with Snake Pit in the centre. And it’s not done yet – the run extends towards the end of 2024.
