Ola also described the second “72 Seasons” single as “radio rock with metal production.”

Ola Englund commented on Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin’s recent comments about the chart success of Metallica’s “Lux Æterna”, agreeing with Larkin that the song probably wouldn’t have been as successful were it released by a less famous band.

We’re already two singles deep into Metallica’s eagerly-awaited follow-up to 2016’s “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct” and the hype only keeps getting bigger. The promotion cycle began with the surprise release of “Lux Æterna”, the lead single taken from the band’s upcoming 11th studio album, which nevertheless failed to overtake Godsmack’s “Surrender” at the top of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart, landing on No. 2 instead.

Recently, Godsmack’s Shannon Larkin politely argued that even though Metallica are “the rightful heirs to the No. 1 slot in hard rock”, the song may not have charted so high if it didn’t have the Metallica name pinned to it. “It might not even make the Top 40. Who knows? Even if it’s a great song”, the drummer said.

Larkin’s reasoning seems to have won over our favorite Swedish guitar YouTuber Ola Englund said in a new video (transcription via Ultimate Guitar):

“In reality, he poses a pretty good question. What if it wasn’t Metallica that released ‘Lux Æterna’, would it have been successful? Probably not. When they reached a certain point of success, it doesn’t really matter that much what they release. They will still get the radio time, they will get the air time, they will do the tours – all the promotion is basically the same. I mean, it wouldn’t get the same traction if, like, Devin Townsend would release the song.

“Maybe that’s a bad example, but you know what I’m saying? At some point, it doesn’t really matter what the artist is releasing, as long as they release [it], they keep the ball rolling. And, you know, a lot of people will listen to [it]. Of course ‘Lux Æterna’ will head up straight to the top of the radio hit list. You know, that’s just how it is.”

Ola also reacted to the second “72 Seasons” single that has been released in the meantime. Titled “Screaming Suicide”, the band described the song as follows:

“‘Screaming Suicide’ addresses the taboo word of suicide. The intention is to communicate about the darkness we feel inside. It’s ridiculous to think we should deny that we have these thoughts.

“At one point or another, I believe most people have thought about it. To face it is to speak the unspoken. If it’s a human experience, we should be able to talk about it. You are not alone.”

Commenting on the song in the latest episode of “SWOLA”, our favorite Swedish metal guitar YouTuber said:

“In terms of the lyrics, the song is okay. I think I much more preferred ‘Lux Æterna’. [‘Screaming Suicide’ is] like radio rock with metal production; I think that’s a good way of concluding this new song.”