Metallica’s 72 Seasons album has some hidden connections to teenagers, such as changes, growing and developing, that most people would not expect.
In this day and age, it seems teens are always looking for purpose, connection or relatability, and where to look for that isn’t always obvious. One would not expect the greatest heavy metal band in the world to relate to what a teen is going through because when people think metal they think loud and heavy, not relatable. in their life, but somehow, there are some connections that can be drawn.
“72 Seasons is basically the first 18 years of your life…” said the lead singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield in the 72 Seasons So What! interview. Hetfield said, “How do you evolve and grow and mature and develop your own ideas and identity of self…” A lot of that growth happens during high school, and many Broncos, if not all, can definitely relate to this.
“I agree, I’ve definitely changed the most in my life over my high school years…” said Ryan Van Dongen ’26, a Metallica fan. Van Dongen said, “I’ve become much more understanding of other people and more patient with others, I’d also say I’m more open to trying new things…” He believes that his friends that he’s made at Brophy have definitely helped shape this part of his 72 Seasons, the bulk of the changes happening in high school.
Regarding the album itself, right off the bat, the album cover image itself has some obvious allusions to childhood and adolescence such as a set of weights, a broken guitar, a teddy bear, a tricycle, headphones and more. The actual song 72 Seasons itself has some lyrics in it such as: “New mask, chaotic”; “new mask” perhaps referencing the part of our lives where we try to be someone we’re not to seem cool or for another reason and “chaotic” could simply refer to how the first 18 years of life can be chaotic. Also, “72 Seasons gone!” can reference how quickly the first 18 years of life go by, in the greater scheme of things.
“I’m all about freedom,” Hetfield said in an interview on the Howard Stern Show. Everyone could interpret the 12 tracks on this album in their own way, but there are a few that stick out more than others as far as teen relatability goes. Firstly, ‘Shadows Follow’ is about how no matter what you do in life, your past or “shadows” can still haunt you, teens can definitely relate to this perhaps because of past regrettable decisions or bad things that have happened to them.
Another song that is worth acknowledging in this regard is ‘Lux AEterna’ which translates to “new light” in Latin. It is about finding the light in darkness which is definitely something that teens and people in general can do to make things better.
The last song worth mentioning that relates to teens is ‘Inamorata’, an 11-minute emotional experience of a song about Hetfield’s divorce with his wife of 20 years. Though divorce is a little beyond teens, they can view it as a song that helps them get over a breakup with a romantic partner, because breakups are a big part of adolescence and a big part of being a teen, in general.
