We’re getting close to Metallica’s newest album 72 Seasons, as it’s set to drop this Friday, April 14.
In the lead-up to that, Metallica showed up on Jimmy Kimmel live to play the lead single off the album, “Lux Æterna.” We mean this in all sincerity in that it’s probably the best the band has sounded in any setting in a minute.
Whoever is behind the live production on Kimmel knows exactly what they’re doing, as everything about this performance elevates what we’ve heard up to this point from the album’s material. James Hetfield is at the top of his game both vocally and on guitar, as he jams through the track hard. Meanwhile, Kirk Hammett pulls out some solid riffage throughout the track, as they pound forward.
Lars Ulrich too, sounds excellent behind the kit here too. As many jokes have been cracked about his consistency, he remains on top of his game here, keeping a lightning-quick tempo and marching forward through the track.
This is the first song from what will be a residency the band is having on Jimmy Kimmel live. As part of that, the band joined Kimmel for an interview to talk the new record and more. They spoke about Stranger Things and how that helped to impact the band’s reception among teenagers.
“We wrote that song for Stranger Things in what, 1987? We knew it was going to happen,” Hetfield jokes. They then went onto talk about how much the band is into any opportunity afforded to them where they’re able to expose their music to a new generation of listeners. It’s a pretty fun interview, and nice to see the guys goofing around.
If this performance was anything to go by, it’s going to be a pretty damned good week to be a Metallica fan.
Check out the performance below.
Metallica Albums Ranked Worst To Best
The Best Heavy Metal Power Ballads About Death And Depression
