The campaign for 72 Seasons, the eleventh studio album by Metallica, carries on apace with the launch of a new podcast series.
The first episode of the self-explanatory The Metallica Report went live on 2nd August and is described by the band as “a quick, weekly hit, including news, updates, exclusive features, and surprises from HQ and beyond”. New episodes will go live every Wednesday, with the first one running to just over 14 minutes and giving a clear indication of what will follow.
The two hosts are Steffan Chirazi, the journalist who edits their So What! online magazine, and Renée Richardson, director of philanthropy at the band’s All Within My Hands charity.
The podcast is heavily tied around the band’s world tour that is scheduled to run until September 2024 at least.
The first episode has a message from Lars Ulrich, “your friendly neighbourhood Danish drummer”, who explains how the podcast is “fully supported by the band” and says it will come with “lots of tall tales and shenanigans provided by everyone, including the band members, to the best of their ability”.
There are promises of on-the-road reports as well as weekly updates on what the band are doing. Alongside appearances from band members, there will also be interviews with people in their wider orbit – including road crew and poster/T-shirt artists – as well as the fans. The band and the presenters will answer fan-submitted questions and the podcast will also include stories sent in from fans.
Metallica have long been pushing the idea that they are at the centre of a wider community – meaning the people who work with them as much as the audience – and the podcast is intended as a way to get everyone in that world involved.
It is a major commitment to make this a weekly undertaking for at least the next year, ensuring that the band members contribute and there is enough content and news to fill the weekly episodes.
Of course, being endorsed by the band, it is going to be effusive and highly favourable, but the involvement of insiders is what will serve as the hook for the audience. It might draw in new fans, but really this is going to be deep in esoterica and nuance, aimed at the superfan. And if there is one major act to look to for tips on how to nurture and reward superfans, it is Metallica.
The campaign for the 72 Seasons has involved a multitude of activations and is certainly one of the most comprehensive campaigns of the year. (We spoke to the team at Q Prime, the band’s management company, about it all and it will be our Behind The Campaign feature in September.)
