VOTE: Better Late-Era Metallica Album - 'Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct' vs. '72 Seasons'

Which is the better late-era Metallica album — Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct or 72 Seasons? That is the question at the heart of this week's Chuck's Fight Club poll on the Loudwire Nights radio show. While it may always be difficult to match their '80s output, most Metallica fans have welcomed the two most recent albums as some of their best works since that era. Now we want you to help us pick which album to feature in a rock block this week.

Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct arrived in 2016 after an eight-year break between original studio albums. With a fierce intensity and a pessimistic bite, the album yielded such standout tracks as "Hardwired," "Moth Into Flame," "Atlas, Rise!," "Now That We're Dead" and "Spit Out the Bone." The album debuted at No. 1 and topped the charts in 57 countries and received a Best Rock Album nomination at the Grammys.

72 Seasons would arrived in 2023, mostly conceived during the pandemic, was one of their more collaborative efforts. The set featured four big singles — "Lux Aeterna," "Screaming Suicide," "If Darkness Had a Son" and "72 Seasons," while the epic album closer "Inamoranta" also earned a fair share of fans. The album debuted at No. 2 in the U.S., but did top the charts in 20 countries around the world. The band won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance and received three other Grammy nominations from the record.

As with all Chuck's Fight Club battles, Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong will introduce the matchup in the 8PM hour of Monday's show. Individual arguments will be made for both albums on Tuesday and Wednesday while you continue to rank each. On Friday, the votes will be tallied and the higher ranked album will be featured in a Loudwire Nights rock block during the 8PM hour.

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Just this reminder, Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.

See the favorite Metallica album of 33 rock and metal musicians in the gallery below the voting tool.