Billboard is reporting that a California judge says Metallica’s insurance company doesn’t need to pay for six South American concerts that were canceled when COVID-19 struck, thanks to an exclusion in the policy for “communicable diseases.”

The band earlier sued a unit of Lloyd’s Of London after it refused to cover their losses stemming from a South American tour, which had been set to kick off on April 15, 2020, but was postponed when the governments of Argentina, Chile and Brazil imposed strict restrictions amid the worsening pandemic.

Though Metallica’s insurance policy expressly excluded any coverage for events canceled by “communicable diseases,” Metallica’s lawyers argued that COVID-19 itself wasn’t clearly the most direct cause of the tour cancellation.

But in a decision on November 30 obtained by Billboard, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly J. Fujie said she didn’t buy it.

“The travel restrictions which caused the concert cancellations were a direct response to the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic,” the judge wrote. “The evidence … demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the travel restrictions to South America and restrictions on public gatherings. The COVID-19 pandemic was therefore the efficient proximate cause of the concerts’ cancellations.”

Metallica’s lawyers had also argued that the “diseases” exclusion didn’t apply at all, since the exact wording of the policy said Lloyd’s wouldn’t pay coverage stemming from a disease “or fear or threat thereof.” Citing that language, the band said “none of its bandmembers felt threatened or fearful.”

Read more at Billboard.

"Lux Aeterna" is the first single from Metallica's upcoming 72 Seasons album. Go behind the scenes below, as Tim Saccenti directs the video:

Watch the official “Lux Æterna” video:

About the upcoming 72 Seasons, out on April 14, Metallica previously stated: "Yes, you read that correctly... we have completed recording at HQ, and our 12th studio album is coming your way! It’s been six years since Hardwired…To Self Destruct, so we think it’s about time for some new music. With 12 tracks totaling over 77 minutes, 72 Seasons hits all the places you can consume music on Friday, April 14, 2023.

"Produced by Greg Fidelman, along with James and Lars, 72 Seasons is available for pre-order now on CD, 2LP 140g black vinyl, two different colored vinyl variations, and digitally in the Met Store. Every pre-order will receive a digital instant grat track of the first song we are releasing, “Lux Æterna,” and you can check out the brand new video, one of the coolest we’ve ever made, on our YouTube channel. Directed by Tim Saccenti, we recently traveled to Los Angeles to capture our performance using some crazy cutting-edge technology.

"The album package was once again conceived and art directed by our good friend, acclaimed designer David Turner, and his team. David, who won a Grammy for his work on Death Magnetic, is the man behind the look and feel of all of our recent releases, including Through The Never, S&M2, and Hardwired.”

Pre-order the new album here.

72 Seasons tracklisting:

"72 Seasons"
"Shadows Follow"
"Screaming Suicide"
"Sleepwalk My Life Away"
"You Must Burn!"
"Lux Æterna"
"Crown Of Barbed Wire"
"Chasing Light"
"If Darkness Had A Son"
"Too Far Gone?"
"Room Of Mirrors"
"Inamorata"

"Lux Æterna" multiple language lyric videos:

Upcoming Metallica tour dates are listed below. M72 World Tour Enhanced Experience Package details via the following links:

Enhanced Experiences
I Disappear Tickets
Enhanced Experience FAQs

April
27 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena
29 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena

May
17 - Paris, France - Stade de France*
19 - Paris, France - Stade de France
6 - Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion
28 - Hambur, Germany - Volksparkstadion

June
16 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium**
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium

August
4 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
6 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
11 - Montreal, QC - Stade Olympique
13 - Montreal, QC - Stade Olympique
8 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium
20 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium
25 - Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium
27 - Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium

September
1 - Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium
3 - Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium

November
3 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center
5 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center
10 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field
12 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field

May
24 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion
26 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion

June
7 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken Stadium
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken Stadium

July
5 - Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy
7 - Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy
12 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
14 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano

August
2 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium
4 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium
9 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
11 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
16 - Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium
18 - Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium
23 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium
25 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium
30 - Seattle, WA - Lumen Field

September
1 - Seattle, WA - Lumen Field
20 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol***
22 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol
27 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol***
29 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol

Show 1 Support Europe: Architects & Mammoth WVH**
Show 2 Support Europe: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
* Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills play Show 1 in Paris, Architects & Mammoth WVH play Show 2 in Paris
** Volbeat replaces Architects on Show 1 in Gothenburg

Show 1 Support North America: Pantera & Mammoth WVH***
Show 2 Support North America: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
*** Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on show 1 both weekends in Mexico City

(Photo - Tim Saccenti)