NEW YORK, April 14. /TASS/. Legendary American rock band Metallica has released its first new album in seven years under the title "72 Seasons." The band announced the release on its Twitter page with a link to various music platforms, including Youtube, where fans can listen to it.

The album contains 12 tracks with a total length of more than 77 minutes. The group’s previous studio album - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct came out in 2016.

Earlier, Metallica frontman James Hetfield explained that 72 seasons refers to "basically the first 18 years of your life," when a person finds one’s own identity.

Following the release of the new album, the band will go on a tour that will span 2023 and 2024.

Metallica was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich and has been based in San Francisco for most of its existence. Apart from Helfield and Ulrich, the band’s current quartet includes Kirk Hammett on lead guitar and Robert Trujillo on bass. In its history, the group has released 10 studio albums and four live recordings, as well as 12 video albums, a cover album and two EPs.