Metallica has dropped a ton of incredible news on their legions of fans in the form of a new single, a new studio album and new tour dates.
First, the band has unleashed “Lux Æterna,” their first piece of new music since 2016. A video for the blistering, energetic track can be viewed below.
Second, Metallica unveiled they’ll be releasing 72 Seasons, their 12th studio album, on April 14, 2023. The LP will contain 12 tracks and comes in at over 77 minutes. So, despite “Lux Æterna” clocking at 3:30, there are going to be some lengthy bangers here. A full tracklisting is below.
In a statement on the album’s title, James Hetfield said, “72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.
72 Seasons is available for pre-save here, while physical copies are available for pre-order at Metallica.com.
Metallica – 72 Seasons – Tracklist
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
Last, but certainly not least: Metallica has unveiled a number of tour dates for 2023 and 2024. (North American dates are below.) This time around, the band will perform two shows in each city on the tour. Each show will feature completely different setlists and will feature different support acts. Among the acts joining Metallica on the road are the reunited Pantera, Mammoth WVH, Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills and Greta Van Fleet.
Per a press release, “The M72 tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed Metallica Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the I Disappear full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.”
Two-day tickets go on sale on Friday, December 2 via Ticketmaster.com. For those interested in just a single show ticket, those go on sale on January 20, 2023. Complete ticket and tour details can be found at Metallica.com/M72-info.
Metallica – M72 World Tour – North American Tour Dates
2023 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
Aug 4 & 6 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Aug 11 & 13 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique
Aug 18 & 20 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
Aug 25 & 27 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium
Sept 1 & 3 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium
Nov 3 & 5 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Nov 10 & 12 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
2024 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
Aug 2 & 4 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Aug 9 & 11 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Aug 16 & 18 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
Aug 23 & 25 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium
Aug 30 & Sept 1 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field
Sept 20, 22, 27, 29 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Sol
Show 1 support: Pantera & Mammoth WVH
Show 2 support: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
Mexico City: Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on Show 1 of both weekends