What James Hetfield Really Wanted to Name New Metallica Album

While there’s a unique meaning behind the name of Metallica‘s upcoming new album 72 Seasons, James Hetfield has admitted that he didn’t actually want that to be the title. He had another idea in mind, but was outvoted on it.

The title 72 Seasons is a reference to the first 18 years of an individual’s life and all that they endure throughout that timeframe. During an interview with So What!, Hetfield explained that he had a vision for the album’s theme, which is why the album artwork is yellow. He sees the color yellow as a “source of goodness,” and likes the way that black contrasts with it. But there’s another song he wanted the record to be named after, instead of “72 Seasons.”

“My vision was I wanted this album [to be] called Lux Æterna because that summed up all the songs for me, kind of an eternal light that was always inside of us that maybe is just now coming out,” the frontman said. “And I was outvoted, which is great. 72 Seasons is definitely more chewable. You get to figure out what it is. You get to dig into it and chew on it a little more. But that color came out of Lux Aeterna.”

“Lux Aeterna” was our first taste of 72 Seasons, as the band released the song back in late November, when they announced the record. Since then, we’ve also heard “Screaming Suicide,” “If Darkness Had a Son” and the title track.

READ MORE: 10 Things We Love About Metallica’s New Album, ’72 Seasons’

The album will be out this Friday, April 14 and can be pre-ordered here. Their massive tour in support of it will kick off later this month in Europe, and then their North American run will begin in early August. See all of the dates and get tickets here.

12 Stories Behind the People on Iconic Rock + Metal Album Covers