Metallica will use movie theaters to host a “worldwide” listening party for 72 Seasons

Metallica have announced plans for a global premiere of their forthcoming album 72 Seasons that will see the band hosting surround sound listening parties in movie theaters on April 13 – the night before its release.

Every track on the album is set to be accompanied by its own video, and the playback will also be intercut with commentary from the band around the songs and the making of the album. 

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The band announced the plan in a clip released on their social media, with Lars Ulrich tagging it “the world's largest cinema listening party”. Robert Trujillo also says that fans can expect “a few surprises”, though – unsurprisingly – they don’t elaborate on what they might be.

While we’ve already had the singles Lux Æterna (which accompanied the 72 Seasons album announcement) and, more recently, the wah fury of Screaming Suicide, the April 13 event will be the first opportunity for fans to hear the album in full. 

The night is being hosted with cinema distributor and music content specialist Trafalgar Releasing, and tickets will go on sale from March 2 via the purpose-built site Metallica.film. The site is up and running already – there's not much to whet your appetite, but you can sign-up for updates and save the date to your calendar, should you desire.

72 Seasons will be the metal legend's 12th studio album and was unveiled in a surprise announcement at the end of November. The title refers to the disproportionate impact of a person’s first 72 Seasons (18 years) when it comes to shaping their world view.  

Fans have since enjoyed picking apart the clues of the album’s artwork, including what looks very much like the remains of a charred Fernandes guitar – a brand that was an early favorite of Kirk Hammett.

Elsewhere on the electric guitar front, Metallica have also announced a competition to win a custom Metallica ‘Flying M’ guitar built by Highline Guitars’ Chris Monck and the team at Inventables.