Metallica’s Kirk Hammett Explains How M72 Feels Fresh: “Things Are Just Getting Bigger and Bigger”

August 14, 2024, 10:21am

While formed back in 1981 by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, Metallica eventually expanded to welcome musicians like Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett. Throughout the band’s history, the group sold over 125 million albums. Rolling Stone even placed them on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Having released eleven studio albums, Metallica currently helms the M72 tour, which accompanies their recent album 72 Seasons. With over forty years worth of shows and albums, Hammett discussed how the band keeps touring fresh.

Although Hammett has spent decades with Metallica, he admitted they don’t play as many shows as they used to. Speaking with the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X, the musician explained, “It still feels fresh because we only play so many shows a year. So, I mean, we haven’t really been out long enough for any sort of burnout factor to come up. And a lot of times, sometimes it’s like four or five months in between times we’re on that stage. And so every time we come up to it, I always get a sense of familiarity…”

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The Massive Size Of A Metallica Tour According To Kirk Hammett

Having performed in Minnesota before, Hammett promised with age comes experience. Knowing how to entertain a crowd, Metallica looked to offer a new look to a classic band. “In typical Metallica fashion, things are just getting bigger and bigger. And so this is definitely the largest production we’ve ever brought out. I mean, the stage is in the middle of a stadium and it’s enormous. What can I say? There’s four drum kits on it. There’s a huge snake pit. It’s a completely different vibe from the last two times that we were here.”

Performing alongside Metallica throughout the tour included Five Finger Death Punch, Pantera, Ice Nine Kills, and Mammoth MVH. Metallica will end their tour with a string of shows in Mexico in September. With such a massive tour, reports suggested that Metallica needed nearly 90 trucks to transport the band and equipment. Launched in April 2023, Metallica’s M72 Tour is slowly coming to an end.

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM)