Metallica - Lux Æterna - Guitar Tab

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Metallica - Lux Æterna - Guitar Tab

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Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
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72 Seasons album cover
72 Seasons
2023 3:26
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

Lux Æterna


"Lux Æterna" is a thrash metal track by Metallica, released as the lead single from their eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons (2023). Drawing on the energy of the new wave of British heavy metal, the song explores Metallica's relationship with their fanbase, with the Latin title meaning "eternal light." For electric guitarists, it offers a sharp, fast-paced riff workout rooted in classic thrash technique, making it an excellent study in the genre's foundational rhythm playing and aggressive picking style.

  • James Hetfield described the track's sound as influenced by the new wave of British heavy metal, a key genre for rhythm guitar development.
  • "Lux Æterna" was surprise-released on November 28, 2022, ahead of the full 72 Seasons album, alongside an official music video.
  • The title translates to "eternal light" in Latin, reflecting the song's theme of the enduring bond between Metallica and their fans.
Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Kirk Hammett's vintage 1959 'Greeny' Les Paul Standard delivers warmer, more dynamic PAF-style tones that contrast his EMG-equipped ESP guitars, adding organic sustain to his lead work. This guitar's traditional construction gives his solos a thicker, less compressed character than his signature models.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While not Hammett's primary choice, the Les Paul Custom shares the Les Paul's warm PAF pickup character and thick body resonance, offering heavier players an alternative to Strat-style designs for achieving Metallica's crushing rhythm tones.

Gibson Explorer
Guitar

Gibson Explorer

James Hetfield's early Gibson Explorer established his signature angular shape and thick body tone, delivering the aggressive midrange attack essential to Metallica's crushing rhythm style before his ESP signature models became his primary tool.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Kirk Hammett's Dual Rectifier heads provide the high-gain, midrange-forward aggression that lets his solos cut through Hetfield's scooped rhythm tone, creating definition and clarity in Metallica's dense wall of distortion.

EMG 81
Pickup

EMG 81

Hetfield's bridge EMG 81 delivers the hot, compressed output with tight low-end that defines Metallica's palm-muted riffs, the ceramic magnet and active preamp cutting through heavy arrangements with focused, aggressive attack.

EMG 60
Pickup

EMG 60

Both guitarists use the neck EMG 60 for warmer, more articulate rhythm tones and smoother lead voicings, balancing the 81's aggression with clearer note definition across Metallica's dense arrangements.