Papa Het talking about the new album and the concept behind the name 72 Seasons, which refers to the first 18 years of life, and how one defines himself afterwards. I believe there's a little more to the concept though. As much as Hetfield was inspired by the impact this book had on his personal life, there's no doubt that this was also viewed through the lens of the band, Metallica.
With their first gig being in 1982, the first 18 years of Metallica takes them right to 2000. That was Jason Newsted's last performance with them. No doubt, the end of an era. After that, Metallica's path has been filled with redefining themselves, experimental projects, finding their place in a vastly different music industry. You might even say "growing up as a band." As they approach their 60s, I think they're confident in their ability to have remained relevant, powerful and poignant.
Metallica mirrors James Hetfield. He has referred to the band as "Some Kind of Monster" that is along with him in his life. So to me, while the title 72 Seasons does mean a lot to Hetfield's personal journey as he shares in this video, the album title is also heavily relevant to the Metallica journey.
