Metallica – "It just punches you in the face!"

A deep dive into Metallica's 72 Seasons with Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo. Fast stuff, bouncy stuff, thrashing riffs, evil tones, power grooves and 'total noise' solos included!

- By Jenna Scaramanga. Photo Tim Saccenti

01 – 72 SEASONS

Blasting out of the gate, the album’s title track is a statement of intent, proving that Metallica are still capable of impressive ferocity. The double-time blasts feel like 320bpm, and Kirk cleverly highlights accents from the main riff with a lead line packed with doublestops. The wah-drenched solo is packed with Hammett trademarks and comes out into a melodic lead guitar hook.

Kirk Hammett: It has all the elements – fast stuff, bouncy stuff, [a] super strong melody. It’s designed to just suck you into the album. We all agree that the middle part of 72 Seasons is one of the most difficult Metallica riffs we have ever played. It’s not the choice of notes or how the notes are played; it’s all in the timing and the phrasing. You have to use your head; you can’t just punt it. It shifts and it has weird counts.

Robert Trujillo: 72 Seasons has all the perfect ingredients of an opening track on a Metallica album. I love when it gets chuggy and falls into half-time. It strips down to just the guitar and the hi-hat, but the energy is still pulsing through with the guitar double-picking. Then we all come back in and it blasts into the lead section, like ‘Hey Kirk, come on in – let’s party!’

02 – SHADOWS FOLLOW

There’s a distinctly old-school Metallica vibe in Shadows Follow, with a riff that emphasises that most metal of intervals, the