Metallica Performs Longest Song in Their Discography for the First Time Live in Munich, Germany

Bay Area thrash metal legends Metallica are currently electrifying Europe with their M72 Tour. At a recent concert in Munich, Germany, the band debuted a song from their latest album, 72 Seasons, live for the first time. Alongside new material, they also revisited some of their classic hits.

“Inamorata,” the closing track on 72 Seasons, spans just over 11 minutes, making it the longest song in Metallica’s discography. The band had not performed it live until the May 26 show in Munich. Introducing the song, frontman James Hetfield remarked, “This next song, we have never ever played live before. In our band, we don’t recognize the word ‘mistake’ because there are no mistakes. There’s just unique moments that happen. That’s what we need to tell ourselves. This song is from 72 Seasons and it’s one of my favorites.”

During their set, Metallica also delighted long-time fans by performing “Һit the Lights” from their debut album Kιll ‘Em All and their cover of Budgie’s “Breadfan.”

James Hetfield on “Inamorata”

In a track-by-track breakdown of 72 Seasons, Hetfield delved into the significance of “Inamorata,” describing it as the band’s longest and most intricate song. “Inamorata. Having a love affair with misery. Just a long classic song that screamed out to end the album,” he explained. “Really, really cool riffs in it, really great groove. I love the way it rounds this thing out.”

The term inamorata refers to a man’s female lover. In the song, Hetfield personifies misery as his inamorata. He elaborated on this concept in an interview about the album, saying, “Misery as my mistress. Yeah. I’m trying to hide her. I enjoy her at certain times but I don’t want the world to know about her. I don’t want to introduce her to the world because it’s not ‘okay.’ So, misery as a mistress, but it does serve a purpose in my life. But I don’t want it to be my life and I’m tired of it running my life,” he added. “That pretty much sums up that track.”