In a behind-the-scenes video documenting the shoot for Metallica's "Lux Æterna," bassist Robert Trujillo seems to be still learning the song. In "Metallica: Lux Æterna (Behind the Video,)" the keeper of Metallica's low end says (referring to the song playback), "It tricked me."
The making-of-type video begins with "before" shots of the studio where Metallica is shooting the video. The stage is surrounded by video screens in a polygonal pattern, there is a crew member tuning a guitar, one is shining the hi-hat on Lars' drum kit. James Hetfield walks in with the rest of the band, and he greets the director, Tim Saccenti, seemingly for the first time. Hetfield gives him a handshake, a "Nice meeting you buddy!," and quick hug.
The video moves quickly to preparations and practice for the shoot itself. Kirk Hammett scrawls "X"'s on a guitar for "texture." Saccenti, who previously directed the video for Korn's "Start the Healing," tells Hetfield to take an exaggerated guitar stance cause it's going to be "a wide shot." There is a funny moment when a tech informs Hetfield that he got too close to some of the cone-like-lasers he's playing inside of, and Hetfield says thats "(he's) already had Lasik (eye surgery) and (doesn't) want to get it again."
Lars and the director talk about what his close ups are gonna look like. Saccenti says, "Theres a lotta shit going on here." Lars really likes that, says it's the quote of the day. We see Kirk Hammett watching playback of himself playing guitar with the laser effects behind him and says, "Whoa, man! It's great! It looks like (we're) playing inside a friggin' volcano."
When the video goes behind the scenes with Trujillo, he makes an admission. Trujillo says, "The arrangement's (for 'Lux Aeterna') are different than it were three months ago... It tricked me." Rob explains, "When it does the climb... (then he mimes picking his bass in the air,) that, and then the end (are different.)" That's apparently the part that Trujillo was having trouble with.
What can we take away from this? Sounds like the bass tracks from the lead single from Metallica's new album, 72 Seasons, went through some development from when Trujillo first started working on the song. Considering the album must be already finished, with a locked in arrival date of Apr. 14, 2023, and has 12 full tracks, one might assume "Lux Aeterna" was one of the last songs to get worked on for the new record.
The video is pretty rad and gives us a glimpse into what a video shoot for a high-profile band is like. Metallica all seem like they are in a good mood and happy with the results. Check it out below along with the final cut for "Lux Æterna," which is enjoying some success on the Billboard Rock Charts right now.
"Metallica: 'Lux Æterna' (Behind the Video)"
Metallica's "Lux Æterna"
