Metallica. Photo by Tim Saccenti
Fresh off of a popular resurgence thanks to a needle drop in Stranger Things, Metallica have announced their upcoming album 72 Seasons along with its lead single “Lux Æterna” and a two-year-spanning tour.
The band’s 12th studio album, 72 Seasons is produced by Greg Fidelman with founding Metallica members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich co-producing and will be released on the band’s own label, Blackened Recordings. The lead single “Lux Æterna” hints at a back-to-basics approach for the band, with a sound that reflects the metal group’s thrashier origins. Watch the music video below.
In a press statement, Hetfield outlined the concept behind the upcoming LP: “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.”
The band’s ambitious and extensive world tour kicks off next spring. The group will play twice in every city they visit with different set lists and opening acts each time. Pantera, Greta Van Fleet, Architects, and Five Finger Death Punch are just a few of the acts tapped to open for the group at different points across the tour. Ticket presales for Citi Bank cardmembers begin Wednesday, November 30 at 2 p.m. local time.
View the M72 World Tour’s flyer and its full schedule below.
Metallica 2023-4 tour dates
April 27 2023 - Amsterdam NL - Johan Cruijff Arena @
April 29 2023 - Amsterdam NL - Johan Cruijff Arena $
May 17 2023 - Paris FR - Stade de France*
May 19 2023 - Paris FR - Stade de France $
May 26 2023 - Hamburg DE - Volksparkstadion @
May 28 2023 - Hamburg DE - Volksparkstadion $
June 16 2023 - Gothenburg SE - Ullevi Stadium**
June 18 2023 - Gothenburg SE - Ullevi Stadium $
August 4 2023 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium #
August 6 2023 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium %
August 11 2023 - Montreal, QC - Stade Olympique #
August 13 2023 - Montreal, QC - Stade Olympique %
August 18 2023 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium #
August 20 2023 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium %
August 25 2023 - Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium #
August 27 2023 - Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium %
September 1 2023 - Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium #
September 3, 2023 - Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium %
November 3, 2023 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center #
November 5, 2023 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center %
November 10, 2023 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field #
November 12, 2023 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field %
May 24 2024 - Munich DE - Olympiastadion @
May 26 2024 - Munich DE - Olympiastadion $
June 7 2024 - Helsinki FI - Olympic Stadium @
June 9 2024 - Helsinki FI - Olympic Stadium $
June 14 2024 - Copenhagen DK - Parken Stadium @
June 16 2024 - Copenhagen DK - Parken Stadium $
July 5 2024 - Warsaw PL - PGE Narodowy @
July 7 2024 - Warsaw PL - PGE Narodowy $
July 12 2024 - Madrid ES - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano @
July 14 2024 - Madrid ES - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano $
August 2 2024 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium #
August 4 2024 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium %
August 9 2024 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field #
August 11 2024 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field %
August 16 2024 - Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium #
August 18 2024 - Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium %
Friday, August 23 2024 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium #
August 25 2024 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium %
August 30 2024 - Seattle, WA - Lumen Field #
September 1 2024 - Seattle, WA - Lumen Field %
September 20 2024 - Mexico City MX - Foro Sol***
September 22 2024 - Mexico City MX - Foro Sol
September 27 2024 - Mexico City MX - Foro Sol***
September 29 2024 - Mexico City MX - Foro Sol
@ - support from Architects & Mammoth WVH**
$ - support from 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
# - support from Pantera & Mammoth WVH***
% - support from Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
***Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on show 1 both weekends in Mexico City
