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S&M
Metallica
1999
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Screams 1999 like the Godzilla soundtrack fucking Korn while taco bell dogs watches from the corner. Had to listen to seek & destroy to recover
Quite possibly the greatest live heavy metal album. Very well done all around: great symphony, great band, great crowd. Just a masterpiece of a live album.
Outstanding. I didn’t know this existed. Five star would have been achieved with only Ecstasy of Gold
I think this is probably one of my favorite live albums ever. Metallica is so orchestral, and the feel of this record was incredible.
Some incredible recontextualization of songs set to an orchestra, but it doesn't save how weak a lot of Load/Reload songs are. I almost rated it a 4 just on how good this version of Call of Ktulu is though.
Love it. Love Metallica, love the orchestral pieces. Overall just an amazing album, love when they mix and match different styles of music like this
I like Metallica. Not an uber fan by any stretch, but I like their stuff. This is great. And even better if you watch the live concert on Youtube.
Nearly perfect. It's not an album I listen to often, but it's always a treat when I do.
Absolutely legendary album. This is the album I give people when they say they "don't like metal". It's absolutely incredible no matter your musical tastes.
Not sure why this is on here but Ride the Lightning isn't. Not that symphonic music doesn't match with metal, on the contrary as I'm a huge Nighwish fan. That said, the mixing doesn't always mesh well, sometimes the symphony getting in Metallica's way or vice versa. Love the idea of this, but I can live without knowing this exists even as I'm a big Metallica fan.
It's just like a more expensive (and, to be fair, not quite as bad) version of doing an acoustic album. They can have two stars because many of the songs are good, but these are disappointing versions.
´ai de beaaux souvenirs avec cette album et je me suis prit a vraiment aimer ca. Comme si j’etais au show dan sle syteme de son. 5*
Tätä on kuunneltu ihan pirusti. Pari edeltävää levyä oli löysää menoa, mutta tässä saatiin jotain uutta kulmaa tekemiseen. Uudempi painos jäänyt puolestaan ihan muutamaan kuuntelukertaan, mutta tämän pariin palaa aina silloin tällöin. Jälleen puolikkaille olisi käyttöä, tällä kertaa pyöristyy ylöspäin.
Sinänsä hankala arvioitava. Biiseinä tuossa levyllä olisi useamman vitosen arvosta kappaleita, mutta oliko tämä sinfoniaorkesterin kanssa tehty live sitten parasta Metallicaa. Ei varmaankaan. Toisaalta ihokarvat nousi jo Ecstasy of Gold introssa ja siitä pian seurannut Master of Puppets keskeytti työnteon ja sai kääntämään volat kaakkoon. Eikä tuo jäänyt ainoaksi vastaavaksi biisiksi. Ehkä noiden reaktioiden on annettava 5.
Like a greatest hits collection from an all-time group, PLUS some songs are much better with orchestra. (Some aren’t helped at all, but that’s hardly a liability.) Ktulu, Fuel, Bleeding Me are FANTASTIC
I quickly gave up on talking about each song both because I enjoyed the album that much that I forgot and because I genuinely liked almost everything about each song. the orchestra instruments go great with the already existing instrumental of the songs elevating them and making them feel brand new. the violing, especially, sounded amazing. even though is don't particularly like to listen to live albums, this one is a definite exception.
Just when you think Metallica can’t get any better they go and pull something like this
No fue el primer disco con esta idea, pero sin duda es el mejor que ha salido hasta ahora (inclyendo la secuela que lanzaron en 2020) y todo es gracias a Maestro Michael Kamen at the helm, yeah! Para mí, este disco fue el que me pasó de ubicar un par de rolas de Metallica a ser el que me hizo fan y de ahí ponerme a escuchar toda su producción. Aunque el disco es largo (pasaditas las dos horas) casi no se siente gracias a una muy buena selección de temas y a los excelentes altibajos que tienen las canciones y sus arreglos. Además, me parece que la mezcla es impecable, porque no deja de ser un disco de metal, con guitarras machacantes y doble bombo, pero nunca le quita espacio a toda la orquesta: se pueden notar las secciones de vientos, de cuerdas, las arpas… vamos, hasta el triángulo se nota cuando es necesario. Y bueno, mi parte favorita son los arreglos de Kamen, porque, a diferencia de lo que se ha hecho en otros discos del estilo, que simplemente van "haciéndo colchón" con violines y trompetas a la banda, Kamen hizo un arreglo específico y a voces para cada rola, con melodías y detalles propios, hasta con contrapunto. Eso cambia todo.
Si Metallica era ya un consentido personal, este esfuerzo con la Sinfónica de San Francisco los puso en otro nivel. Los arreglos son excelentes, la selección de canciones es perfecta (aunque me faltara Fade to Black) y no tiene un solo minuto de desperdicio. Songs: No Leaf Clover, Of Wolf And Man, Bleeding Me, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam
Didn’t need to listen to this one to rate. I’ve heard it hundreds of times. Metallica is my favorite band. Songs added to playlist: No Leaf Clover, One
Um ao vivo incrível, com grandes clássicos da banda! Melhor música: Nothing else matters e One.
What a fucking masterpiece. It doesn't get more epic than this. I'm not a metal head but Metallica are gods. And you pair them with a fucking orchestra? My goodness. Special shoutout to No Leaf Clover which here is absolutely perfect.
Metallica ended up turning into pretty big douchebags, but this album was a real seminal moment for metal as a whole. 20+ years later, it still holds up as a great live album and a cool mashup of heavy metal with a symphony orchestra.
Really enjoyed the combo of Metallica and Symphony. And I am not a Metallica fan in general.
Metallica by 1999 already had quite an extensive discography, and perhaps even experienced a bit of a revival in the mid-90s going into the 2000s. It would make sense to release a live album or some kind of compilation at this point. Having been a thrash metal mainstay in the 80s, they survived the emergence of grunge and alternative to remain part of the popular culture. Metallica very much continues the tradition of rock stars even at forty years in existence. That said, S&M is a different take on a live album, compilation or Greatest Hits offering. It is very rare that a band will rework previous releases in this manner that presumably sees the light of day. Joining forces with the SF Philharmonic and a renowned film score composer, Michael Kamen, we get what could possibly be one of the better live album recordings in history. Metallica is not toned down here as they might even sound heavier, the orchestra and their recording in a theater, adds a tonal clarity absent the lingering reverb/echo of a stadium recording. Crowd noise is minimal and plays as part of the show. Drums are full and can be felt in one's chest, electric guitars are discernible from the string accompaniments, winds providing a new background on each song's 'fullness'. In a way, this album makes Metallica sound heavier, or at the least more complete. Listening to "Wherever I May Roam" compared to this live version, while maintaining its soul, seems to have found a body to go with it. This is the general feeling of this album and its songs, and that makes for a great live recording. There is not really a criticism to be made here, Hetfield is Hetfield, his vocals as consistent as ever. Musically, one can hear the intention and professionalism and this is a good thing for something as lofty as this type of partnership achieves. It is difficult to give this album five stars because it is a live album, having taken some of the more recognizable songs and placing together on the same album. On the other hand, the live album is just so well done that it argues that it stands by itself even after having been propped up with help from established hits, accompanied by an orchestra/conductor of renown. In terms of originality, this album has no predecessor in terms of everything being recomposed for literally no reason other than they can, and they did. Understandably, the album might offend purists. There is a near religious adherence to metal being metal for metal's sake, and this crossover might feel like an unholy union of sorts. Thrash metal, especially one like Metallica, thrives on a certain aesthetic of graphic, that it is in its own way a form of beautiful expression. Coupling that darker imagery with the beauty of an orchestra is an oil and water mixture that should not work, and for the purist S&M could be downright offensive. However, that stark separation presented here in a wonderfully arranged unison is why this will get a disputed top rating.
S&M by Metallica (1999) I have long loved a couple of tracks from this album, but today is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to listen to it from start to finish. Wow. I’m generally not a fan of live albums, but this cooperative venture between Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen is a grand exception. The production is tremendous. The collaborative orchestral score is elaborate, commensurate, visionary, uninhibited, and enthusiastically disposed to transcend convention, far surpassing earlier attempts at this genre (such as the classic studio production Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues and the London Festival Orchestra [1967]). Orchestrations were done by a team of twelve guys who really knew what they were doing. It would have been nice to be a fly on the wall during their brainstorming sessions. From the horror of “Enter Sandman” to the delicacy of key sections of “Hero of the Day”, the orchestrations are finely tuned to the tenor of the original compositions. This really is the true genius of the album (even if does lapse at times into orchestral tropes from late 60s soul music). The symphonic atmosphere is stellar. Kamen’s conducting and musical direction are superb, as he harnesses the power of SFSO in perfect sync with a metal band that clearly knows where it’s going. But Kamen doesn’t merely follow Metallica. At times, we almost hear a duel between orchestra and metal band, or even a Texas chili cook-off where it ends in a draw. Engineering on this album meets the monumental challenge of bringing it all together, live, with only few slips, as when Kirk Hammett’s lead guitar riffs sometimes get lost in the mix. The serious listener is forced to do some selective ‘mixing in the hearing’ to compensate, but it’s worth the effort. The opening track is a special treat, a symphonic rendition of Ennio Morricone’s Ecstasy of Gold (from the score for Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, starring Clint Eastwood [1966]). For fans of all four artists Metallica, Morricone, Leone, and Eastwood (like me), this unexpected treat has the power to produce multiple sobs. I’m glad I was alone. The second track “The Call of Ktulu” is a wild, nine-plus-minute spectacle fully exploiting the capabilities of metal and symphonic collaboration. If you were to listen to only one track from this album, “The Call of Ktulu” should be it. Do it loud. Prepare to be floored. The song “Master of Puppets” is one of the very few instances in live recorded music where the audience makes a solid musical contribution to the performance, joining in (unbidden) as a choral counterpoint in the style of Greek drama. This is only possible because lead vocalist James Hetfield has a natural range that is within reach of most male (and not a few female) voices. And they duly join in with brawny vigor. This effect continues on several other tracks, where the Metallica-loving crowd clearly knows what part they are to play. On “The Memory Remains”, however, the choral cult fails to keep tempo with their handclaps (as per usual with this phenomenon), so it’s spoiled somewhat, but only briefly. Now, while “Nothing Else Matters” is a great song, anthemic even, its treatment on this record is (very) mildly disappointing, not quite rising to the level of the original studio recording, due to James Hetfield’s excessive live vocal stylings, likely affected due to his many concert performances of the song, where he struggled to keep the mood fresh. And also perhaps because of the fact that the original studio recording already had superb orchestral backing, which SFSO here fails to improve upon, obscuring the dynamism of its predecessor. Listen to them back to back and judge for yourself whether I’ve missed something. The penultimate track “Enter Sandman” features the SFSO as an additional member of the band in its own right, giving a fifth dimension to the sound for those already familiar with the superlative studio rendition. And on the closing cut “Battery”, orchestra and band are pushed to the limits of synchronic complexity, pounding out this most challenging piece in the concert, and certainly not what one would expect from an encore. This track was the one that fully persuaded me to take the time and put together a playlist of all these songs, first with the original studio recording immediately followed by the live symphonic version. S&M is the kind of album that you could listen to many times over the span of many years and always hear something new. Don’t miss out on this one. 5/5
I love this album and love Metallica so it's an easy five - orchestral is fun, and this era of Metallica where they changed tuning to better fit James' voice makes things sound a lot better. I wonder if other Band & Orchestral pair ups would be a better fit for this list? But I ain't complaining. || Loved learning that this was originally an idea Cliff Burton had, RIP.
Excelente combinación de heavy-rock con orquesta sinfónica. Buena combinación. energía por todos lados y muy buena selección de temas
Surprisingly sick. Didn’t like it at first but there’s actually a lot of energy. I think this is my favorite version of “fuel”
As much as I love Metallica (and this was one of my first Metallica albums I listened to from start to finish), S&M is just overloaded. A lot of the orchestra stuff does not fit, especially in the faster songs. Obviously, some of the ballads (Nothing Else Matters, One, ..) the orchestra is brilliant, but on a whole it's often more a distraction than an addition.
The first of this project that I own and already love. Not all of these songs work with the orchestra, but it is mostly successful. This album will always score highly with me merely for No Leaf Clover which is just majestic. Love it so much. Listening to this is making me nostalgically melancholy which is exactly what I need right now.
Metallica playing with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra really accentuated the theatricality of their songs. I don't think I'd listen to it every day, but it's a good intro to Metallica.
Regardless on you personal feelings about Metallica, this is a very good collaboration. Kamen shows great enthusiasm for metal and Metallica shows great respect for classical. There are a few duds from the Load/Reload era but the the highs from the 80s and early 90s are VERY high, and the original song No Leaf Clover is the best new song they would put out for a decade. Oh and the opening song The Ecstasy of Gold is perfection.
I saved the album to my library in Spotify because I want to listen again. Good musicianship and I love the hard rock with a symphonic backdrop
Metallica for a quiet-ish night. The whole orchestra thing gives the album a theatricality that's really appealing. I do expect however there's a regular Metallica album in the list; this is hardly their best one.
Aika tuhti pakettihan tämä on, tuttu levy jo aiemmin. Kyllähän tämä levy kannattaa kuunnella, kai tää oli tämän sinfoniaorkesteri+bändi -konseptin uranuurtaja. Heinolassakin oli muutamaa vuotta myöhemmin Apulannan ja Heinola sinfoniettan yhteiskeikka (ja myös T. Rautiainen + sinfonietta). S&M2 -levyllä on kyllä parempi sovitus No Leaf Cloverista, vaikka on se tämän alkuperäisen levynkin helmiäisiä.
Metallica. Live ei tuo mukanaan lisäarvoa, mutta sinfoniaorkesteri on ajoittain ihan mielenkiintoinen lisä. Pyöristän tän livesyistä neloseen, että jää vielä tilaa yläpäähän.
Great live album. Love this band, love James Hetfield, love the orchestra. Interesting listen, wish I’d have been there to see it.
A truly unique experience and an audacious effort. Metallica spent time rearranging their music to flow with a symphony and the result is a triumph of what two musical styles can be.
Да это же великий эксперимент, дамы и господа! А что бу-удет, если одна из тяжелейших в мейнстриме групп даст концерт на запись? А? А? А? А? Не, на само деле против концепции ничего не имею. Тут определённые вопросы к реализации. У дефолтной группы инструментов 4, у оркестра – десятки. Всяко заготовленных партий не хватит, для новых инструментов нужно добавлять новых. И вот к ним сильные вопросы. Они звучат порой так, как будто оркестру сказали: «Не, ну вы там по ходу подыграйте что-нибудь». И мало того, что это часто звучит неорганично, так к тому же эти инородные партии часто на передний план выводятся. И вот это уже немного в ступор вводит. При этом некоторым инструментам вроде бы удаётся интересно дополнить, вроде ксилофона в Master of Puppets (он там на пару секунд и сведён сомнительно). Подбор композиций тоже сомнительный. Of Wolf and Man в оригинальном то альбоме была проходным треком довольно, но создавала некоторое настроение из-за своей лаконичности и хорошего звука. Тут же это просто рассыпающееся претенциозное месиво. Помню, Ларс вроде по приколу назвал эту версию «Of Wolfgang And Man», возможно, ради этого и добавлялось. А если эксперимента ради – то, собсна, почему с первого альбома ничего не завезли? В The Thing That Should Not Be (к слову, трек – репетативное душилово) интересный переход в Fuel. У которого снова сведение ебанутое. На переднем плане в инструментале – разрозненные куски оркестровых партий, которые вроде как должны дополнять, а не акцент перетягивать. Или наоборот на оркестр нужно было бы вешать ключевые партии, пусть даже дублирующие. Как в последующей The Memory Remains, например. К слову, туда могли бы и вокалистку затащить какую-нибудь интересную. Вместо неё тихо-тихо пел зал с подыгрыванием оркестра. Вообще в рамках данного альбома часть партий (с ключевыми хуками порой) отводить залу считаю преступлением. No Leaf Clover звучит шедеврально, без пизды. Каждый раз вспоминаю, как первый раз её услышал, до сих пор порой мурашки завозят. Возможно, из-за того, что в неоркестровом исполнении её просто нет, а что первым услышал – то обычно и нравится больше. Но если анализировать, то с ней всё в порядке: все партии на своих местах, инструменты разнообразные и лишних при этом нет, Хэтфилд партии вокальные исполняет довольно чисто, ещё и эффект на припеве уместный вроде. А ещё по громкости всё выровнено грамотно. Это во многом характерно и для Human, только вот сама композиция слабее. При этом более поздние композиции, из Load/Reload звучат в совокупности с оркестром более гармонично. Возможно, потому что медленнее и спокойнее сами по себе, что располагает. А возможно потому, что более соответствовали настроению группы в те годы. С первыми альбомами некоторая рассинхронизация произошла, те альбомы писали уже совсем другие люди, поэтому и звучат ранние треки порой искусственно, вымучено, как каверы в качестве дани уважения. На самом деле рекомендовать альбом незнакомому с Metallica человеку я бы ни в коем случае не стал. Как минимум полностью, та же No Leaf Clover могла бы зацепить, в принципе. Помню, у отца Карлина в архиве музыки среди всех треков группы были лишь те самые No Leaf Clover и Human. Но, с учётом наличия студийных записей этот альбом как целое – лишь для фанатов. И всё же то, что порой альбом работает так, как задумывалось и то, что он содержит пару интересных оригинальных треков, не даёт мне поставить оценку ниже 4. 6 по 10-баллльной это вроде всё ещё 4, значит 6 из 10.
Metallica is a great band, and this is a fantastic album. I love hearing genres come together, and although blending rock and symphony is not at all new, this is a great example of how good it can sound.
The blend of metal and orchestral is pretty epic. I wonder how the classical musical community felt about this?
Great fun, but a bit long and samey for listening without access to a mosh pit... Also, not a real album.
Fakking vet. Goede opbouw. Jammer dat de nadruk in het orkest altijd ligt op strijkers en koper. Was hooked bij track 2.
Great stuff. Feel like being live made the recording a bit muddled. Will need to relisten.
Quite an ambitious record. Metal and classical music are similar in a lot of ways so there's no surprise this works so well.
Better than expected. I’m not the biggest fan of metal, but hearing it with the symphony brings out those classically influenced qualities
Actually pretty good. Live albums can be way more hit and miss but really liked this one. Never listened to metallica before but might give them more of a go.
por norma desgosto de álbuns ao vivo. A escolha das músicas pareceu me deixar um bocado a desejar. Algumas músicas ficaram melhores com a orquestra, como o Call of Ktulu que ficou com uma outra profundidade, por outro lado o one ficou pior entre outras. O No leaf clover foi uma boa adição. No geral para amantes de Metallica um excelente álbum, para o meu gosto é um 7. Nota: 7/10
Excellent context. Very long and I think an audio only experience let’s this down. I think I need to watch the live performance to get a full experience from this album.
An amazing, crushingly intense album. I can't quite give it 5 stars as in quite a few songs it doesn't work, with the orchestra not really adding anything, and sometimes detracting from the songs. But where it works it really works.
41. S&M - Metallica 21 tracks. This is absolutely mind-blowing. Metallica should only exist in this form. They have taken something that almost makes my eyes bleed and turned it into something that I want to listen to never mind about hear. Symphony meets metal. 4/5
You know what, my heart sank when it was Metallica but actually surprisingly quite enjoyed it. I think it was the orchestra that added to it, and imaging it live and all taking place must have been epic (even though I'm not a fan of the genre).
Ok, so I knew about this album because it's one of my brothers favorite albums. I like Metallica but I just never gave it a listen. It's not bad, it was enjoyable. I probably wouldn't ever listen to it again though.
A match made in heaven — or hell. Metallica's overblown songs meet Kamen's OTT orchestration. Ridiculous fun and hugely impressive technically and logistically, hits its grunty nadir with "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
Boy, I sure wouldn't open my album with Ennio Morricone. That's a tough act to follow... This version of Fuel(gimmefuegimmefahgimmedabajabaza) is great because it sounds like Jrpg battle music
Pretty good. I would like to watch a documentary on this from the perspective of people in the orchestra
Actually surprised how good this is- pretty sure this was recorded around the same time they made the Some Kind of Monster which is literally the cringiest shit I’ve ever seen. Metallica with a symphony. Pretty damn good.
I was a big Metallica fan back in the day, but I guess had started to drift away by the time this was released so hadn't heard it before. It's got a lot of the songs I loved, but the addition of orchestra definitely doesn't work on all of them, but when it does work, it's great! This is also not a five star vocal performance from Hetfield, is it? I see that in the year of our lord 2022 there can still be no discussion of Metallica without a bunch of absolute weeners protesting that they don't like Load/Reload. 😂 Seriously, just absolute pissbabies... Fave track - "No Leaf Clover" - hadn't heard that before, and it worked with the orchestra really well, what with being composed specifically for the event...
I love listening to music performed live. I hate listening to recordings of it. So it's going to take a lot for a live album to knock my socks off. Mixing rock and symphony has potential. The first song with both the orchestra and Metallica (the Call of Ktulu) was pretty f'n cool. Really well fused pops and rock. But after that, most songs felt like rock with a symphonic backdrop. Still cool but left me wanting more. A couple of exceptions were Hero of the Day (symphony was a great add during the slow buildup) and Devil's Dance (the string section was so prominent and awesome...should've done a violin solo). The symphony was kinda cool on One and Enter Sandman. All in all, pretty cool but missed an opportunity to be epic.
I'm not sure why this is the Metallica album we had to hear. The orchestra really adds a lot to the songs that I was lukewarm to. The songs I really like or love of Metallica's... eh. It didn't make me hate the arrangements, it just didn't add a new layer. For example, I'm going to say it: "The Call of Ktulu" is a boring song. So the orchestra really does add a lot to it. But most of those other 80s classics, not so much. And wow, two new songs! No Leaf Clover and um... that other one! Yeah! There are other orchestral albums I've heard that have done good jobs with rock artists. I guess because of it closing a huge chapter of the band, as Newsted's last album. Still, there is a lot to like, but not a lot to love.
Decided to watch the videos for this one. James sounds excellent, as does the rest of the band. The 'classical' approach isn't an extremely interesting take, but definitely worth checking out.
TLDL Too Long Didn’t Listen (to all of it) Struggling between a 3 and a 4. Rounding up for the classical angle. So sad for me…
I always misunderstood the 'S&M' title to indicate Symphony and Metallica, and I was close. Turns out the ‘S’ is simply a backwards treble clef which, when turned back around, resembles more of a ‘G,’ even resting on the G note above middle C on a piano. I’m guessing, though, that Metallica’s title had further ribald implications than a simple lesson in musical theory. You can take the Metal out of the boy, but not the boy out of the Metal. It’s a musical genre (mostly) of males (and mostly young, or certainly young of heart), by males, from males, to males… oh, and wolves, too… and outlaws, of course… and plenty of monsters. All very male images. And set to a very male sound, loud, fast and aggressive. Even the accompanying San Francisco Symphony are playing with heightened levels of testosterone. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the cellist smashed his instrument into the timpanis at the end of the performance. Then again, when’s the last time you attended a live concert of classical music and heard expletives shouted from the stage (what is Latin for ‘motherfucker,’ I wonder?) while the assembled crowd periodically engaged in raucous Metal chants of ‘Aye, aye, aye, aye…’ There is something quite different going on here than, for example, The Moody Blues’ 'Days of Future Passed,' where the London Festival Orchestra accompanies the band. 'S&M' is more of a competition, friendly, but physical. When this sparring is over, both conductor Michael Kamen and Metallica emerge victorious, wearing big grins. But I wouldn’t advise just anyone jumping into this ring. These are professionals, playing hard. You should probably just save your inner Metal for the Karaoke bar on Thursday night where no one will get hurt. There’s something here for all Metallica fans- pre and post Cliff. While I favor earlier Metallica- 'Ride the Lightening,' 'Master of Puppets,' '…And Justice for All,' I enjoyed the symphonic pairing of their later work on 'Metallica' and both 'Load' and 'Reload' more. These later songs tend to be more melodic, for one thing. The earlier ones, like ‘One’ and ‘Battery’ are almost too metal for much collaboration. The sheer force of ‘Battery’ would send the triangle flying from the delicate hands of the orchestral percussionist. Mostly, though, things worked out well. Metal is, after all, an extension of classical music. It’s a solid LP, majestic in sound and scope, and lots of fun. And hey, if your Grandad happens to be a classical music fan, sit him down with a tumbler of whiskey and a good cigar, and turn him on to some 'S&M.'
I am normally a real sucker for rock bands that team up with orchestras to perform their music. Was really hoping this one hit the mark, but for me it came up a bit short. Loved hearing so many of Metallica's hits, but the orchestra delivery seemed weak somehow. All of that sounds so negative; I really did enjoy it. Just was not the home run I was expecting. B-
An absolute beast of a live album. It's a really effective if unlikely marriage of sounds, and provides a new epic dimension to some already classic songs. It's just a shame that this came out in the middle of the otherwise least inspiring era of Metallica's career, as the tracklist isn't always too consistent. Cut maybe half an hour of the Load/Reload material and this couldn't be much better
A few things keep this from being way more awesome than it is: a) I feel like Metallica kept all of their songs as close to the same as possible, which just makes this Metallica with a symphony layered over it. b) Hetfield's voice is clearly doctored up a little. c) It's pretty chaotic at points, which works for some songs, but not so much for others. Either way, pretty awesome and must have been absolutely nuts live. Gives a new meaning to the "symphonic metal" genre. Favorite tracks: "One", "Devil's Dance"
Ups and downs. Master of Puppets - vocals were shit and the audience sang 50% of the lyrics. Some great parts with the orchestra, cool, but not a homerun.
I got turned off when I saw Metallica but then I noted the fine print....it's with an orchestra! That made it better for me. But still not my cup of tea.
sure. why not. was this groundbreaking in 1999? i'm not sure. the juxtaposition wasn't actually all that interesting, which is too bad, because this should have been a mind-blowing album.
Live album with an orchestra backing them up. They sound pretty good but some of the songs of the album (if not all) are from other albums so it's not a new song album. 6/10.
Not a huge Metallica fan but the orchestral addition really made this album fun and easy to listen to 3.5
mix tussen metal en klassieke muziek. Leuk geprobeerd maar het is niet zo leuk om te luisteren
Vaikea arvosteltava. Kappaleet toki niminä kovaa kamaa. Livelevyt ei oikein tahdo upota. Oishan tässä ollut potentiaalia kovaankin suoritukseen ja muutamasta onnistumisesta huolimatta. Jotenkin tuo sinfoniaorkesterin antamat mahdollisuudet jäi käyttämättä. Tulin siihen tulokseen, että melkein kaikki kappaleet olisin ennenmmin kuunnellut alkuperäisenä studioversiona.
Pitikö tän olla livelevy.... kait tää taustamusana menee muttei herätä suuria settejä; enpä tosin oo oikein koskaan metallicaa kuunnellut :/
Sounds pretty damn good for a live album. Like the classical/metal combination, much more than I thought I would. Way too long an album for any sort of regular listening and I had to skip around a good bit, but I couldn't let that bring this down too much
An experiment that I’ve no doubt was amazing live - doesn’t hold up as well on record despite some amazing moments
Great stuff for the most part only struggl8ng with the load/reload songs which are mostly beyond saving
Ура, симфоник метал, мой любимый блять жанр! по сути первый мой полноценно послушанный альбом металлики. к сожалению или счастью, это онда из тех групп, на которые стоит приседать по совсем ещё юности, а я их в своей юности сторонился, поэтому за все эти ваши мётлы, радиохэды и пласибы вообще не ебу. Ну и в очередной раз доказано, что сейчас начинать уже поздно. Пять часов в общем счете пытал себя этим лайвом... ну то есть понятно, что лайв альбомам не ровня и по нему судить нечего. Но уж что подкинули, извините. Песни вроде те же, можно даже сказать что «бэст оф», поэтому должно, по идее, впечатление произвести. Но не производит. Большинство песен тупо одинаковыми кажутся, пиздатых мелодий минимум, все как будто в одной тональности и на одном и том же натужном вокале. Вот вокал, кста, ну просто хуета, мне вообще не зашло. Особенно когда Хэтфилд в балладах блеять начинает — это вообще потеха. Из того что я в записях слышал, энтер сендмен там, мастер оф папетс — ну ещё куда ни шло, но здесь тупо заёбывает за 2,5 часа. Песни сами по себе, как уже сказал, мне лично не интересные. Особенно из раннего, то что потрешовее и имеет эти ебучие, сука, внезапные замедления и смены темпа без какой-либо причины вообще. Да че все металюги так дрочат на эту фишку, я хз. А в остальном — ну какой-то довольно стандартный перегруженный ритм и погнали. Даже припевы, которые вроде как цеплять должны, кажутся унылыми и однообразными. Из понравившегося: The Memory Remains, Devil's Dance (атмосферная хуйня, и довольно хитрая композиционно, хотя и цирком чутка отдаёт), Until It Sleeps более-менее, хотя не хватило как будто завершения какого-то, For Whom the Bell Tolls припев запоминается, ну и там Enter Sandman ебучий, который и так хит очевидный. Остальное ну калом назвать язык, конечно не повернется, тем более что сыграно все очень хорошо, плотно и профессионально. Но просто неинтересный метал. Слишком маскулинный, тонущий в своей раздутой эпичности, немного ватный по звуку (оркестр этот я вообще без понятия, зачем тут. ну эксперимент, ок, но по мне так без него хоть какая-то трушечка бы оставалась, а так вообще уберпафос выходит). Хз, ну это 3/5 для меня. Можно, наверное, послушать под зигаметное настроение, но эстетического удовольствия минимум. Мб там когда нормальная какая-то тема с внятными мелодиями будем, типа черного альбома — поставлю и 4 и все 5, но пока что meh
Some of it works brilliantly, some of it doesn’t work at all. An interesting project/experiment which was brave at the time. But as a massive Metallica fan even I wouldn’t have had it on this list.
Some classic tracks and some slightly deeper cuts, it’s about 70/30 on what works and what doesn’t, Metallica aren’t necessarily a band who need to improve songs by using orchestral bombast but as an experiment it’s mainly successful. The arrangements on No Leaf Clover & Outlaw Torn are worthy of praise.
First time giving this a listen through and found it pretty enjoyable, although as a not-huge Metallica fan I don't recognise many of the songs in the first place. Master of Puppets is really well done, and some other interesting arrangements in there.
I really enjoyed the metal/symphony mashup of sounds and it’s music I could see myself working out to. My main issue was how long the album was. After the first hour I felt like I had a good listening experience, but I wasn’t even halfway done. Due to this I’d probably listen to a few songs again, but not the whole album.
I don't usually listen to Metallica. The album made me curious about the original songs. So I have no comparison. (6/10) Favorite Songs: No Leaf Clover, Nothing else Matters, Master of Puppets
huh. its recorded live i suppose. kept trying to find a recording without these stupid fucking screaming fans but alas. idk man it sounds good i suppose but im wayy too lazy to listen to a 2 hour album where the first 3 songs sound so similar and they were a combined 21 minutes.
Definitely an ambitious project, which I always admire and give points for. I enjoy some of the more nuanced parts of this album, but not so much the heavy stomping, growling parts (which is most of it). At its worst this feels like a Spinal Tap concert. I'll give it 3 stars for effort.
Adding an orchestra to a rock band is cool, but this isn’t my favorite example of it. Some orchestral parts felt overdone and others felt lacking, definitely a cool concept, but didn’t do anything to impress me beyond what I know about metallica
When I was in college I read a book, Running with the Devil, that made an excellent case that metal as a genre is built on classical musical principles. I couldn't help but think of that book while listening to this album because Metallica sounds just fantastic with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. To boot, this is a live album, but doesn't necessarily feel like one musically. The collaboration really elevates the band's songs, creating a monumental sound that must have blown the doors off the house while they were making it. My one critique would be that the band and orchestra don't always mesh together as well as I would like. Sometimes it's almost like they are playing two separate concerts and just lay one on top of the other. But when the two click, they're on fire. Second half of the album is much better than the first, so stick with it. Fave Songs: No Leaf Clover, Bleeding Me, Wherever I May Roam, Until It Sleeps, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Livealbum med de största hitsen. Riktigt bra live-versioner! Kanske under deras peak. Låter rejält tight. Framförallt Master of Puppets, Enter Sandman och One.
It’s nice, but pretty much a live best of with strings. Smooths out Metallica’s rough edges making more like a soundtrack to’ Metallica the Ride’. Nothing wrong with it for me the orchestra took more than they added.
Do I want to spend two hours of my life listening to effing Metallica? Not really, but I did it anyway. I feel like I'd rather listen to a shorter version of this, say one hour, than the full two-hour show. Or maybe just a Metallica album. The other thing, with every song there is the question "Is this a better rock/orchestral experience than "Live and Let Die"?" and the answer is only yes to about half the tracks. It helps when you know the Metallica back catalogue and so get why the audience goes nuts when the opening riff of "Enter Sandman" kicks in. I also feel like this album might have made the list because of its influence in sparking off other rock/orchestral collabs, but tbh I don't necessarily think that's a great heritage.
S&M is a live album from 1999 containing the collaboration of Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Metal backed by an orchestra is quite the sound, and this performance must have been magical to watch live. Metallica played many of their greatest hits during this live album, with background musical assistance coming from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra that pushed the experience over the top. I highly recommend everyone to listen to this album at least once, but it's more of a one time event, rather than individual songs that can go on the regular playlist.
For all the slack Lars gets for being a mediocre drummer, James gets overlooked for what a horrible singer he is live. And I'm a Metallica fan. On paper, this is a brilliant concept. Executed? meh. I will say S&M 2 is better. Heck, there's a number of orchestral / rock collabs that belong on the list in lieu of this - The Rolling Stones/London Phil, Led Zeps MTV Unplugged, etc. I love Metallica's constant trying of different things, but 3 stars from a Metallica fan is tough to give.
Weird choice to represent Metallica. It's actually better than I expected but exhausting at the length.. The orchestrated instrumental sections all sound like extended Bond film themes playing over the end credits. Latter Metallica is always hampered by its own self-importance and this is canonical in that regard.
Wow that was quite the slog. Not usually my kind of thing but I was able to appreciate how good it is and it's always nice hearing a live show and people having a jolly good time.
Haven't heard this in a very long time. It's a mixed bag to be honest. It felt gimmicky at the time and it still does.
I like Metallica, but I don't think I like Metallica + an orchestra. It's okay, but I'd rather listen to these songs with just the band
Actually a pretty great live record, but I kind of object to live albums being on this list in principle.
A live album with Metallica and a symphony orchestra? Is this a joke? Heavy metal with symphonic orchestration sounds crazy, but actually it's not bad and even with my distaste in Metallica I listened to the whole (a bit too long) concert. The music from the San Francisco Symphony sounds like a James Bond soundtrack, which isn't a bad thing.
A live album for the fans. Very symphonic, cinematic feel. Excellent lineup, covering songs from both periods of their discography. However, too extensive for anyone who doesn't already know most of their songs. This is meant for someone who's listened to all their albums several times each. And for that purpose, it's a great experience. It sounds amazing, with each song getting its shine, a fair distribution among the album selections, the tracks travel seamlessly from one to another, and it goes on long enough to satisfy fans for hours. There's even some nice audience participation you can kinda hear. For anyone else, however, it's a dragged-on effort. I have a hard time believing many, even among fans, would listen to the whole album. And if so, it would just be playing in the background, most of the songs just not registering at all unless the audience is familiar with them. For anyone looking for highlights, of course listen to the songs we all know, like "Call of Ktulu", "Master of Puppets", "Nothing Else Matters", "One", and "Enter Sandman," but there are also some standout tracks that come out of nowhere. "No Leaf Clover" is certainly the black sheep of the bunch, the song was made for the blend of symphony and metal and gets you a better appreciation of the album as a whole. Vocals sounded a bit off here and there but otherwise color me impressed.
Final Fantasy final boss sounding ass. Only some songs work like this (No Leaf Clover, Ecstasy of Gold, Master of Puppets...), other ones sound like Metallica trying to play with a rampant orchestral goblin on the stage floor (Fuel sounds like a terrible Youtube remix). Disc 2 was generally better than disc 1, but at that point I was hoping it would just finally end since this is over 2 hours long.
I had some dissonance appreciating the ability of Metallica to play tight, skilled metal and cringing at the over-the-top feel of including a full-blown orchestra. In places it does work, but I skew more towards the "garage days revisited" end of the spectrum.
Have not listened to this album. I have heard a few tracks by Metallica but they are not really my type of music to listen to.
Utterly ludicrous metal classical pomposity. The quality of the playing is incredible and some of the tracks sound amazing. But you have to really be committed to want two hours of this.
It was fine, but I expected it to be more than the sum of its parts - I sometimes felt that the band and/or the orchestra were drowning each other out or that the two were clashing.
I don’t Metallica, but 2.5 hours of past-prime Metallica with a bunch of strings thrown in drags a bit.
Strings make it sound like a regular Coheed album. Usually think that kind of thing is tacky, but the first two tracks hooked me in. Couldn’t hang for 2 hours.
I initially thought I wouldn’t like it, given it’s Metal but through the album there were some slower, ballad like songs and it was unexpectedly alright. Didn’t get to listen to the entire album might check out again later.
There are moments when the band and the orchestra really gel and create something pretty cool, but they are few and far between. In fact, there are more moments where it's clear that they must have only rehearsed together once or twice. This must have been a really fun concert, but did it need to be immortalized? It's a glorified remix album. Best track: No Leaf Clover
I’m not really a fan of thrash metal but I could appreciate the work and talent that went into this - 6/10 it’s pretty cool hearing metal mix with an orchestral symphony, even if I don’t really like Metallica
Hahah didn't expect to see "The Ecstasy Of Gold" here. I fucking love that piece. Ok this rocks hahah.
I enjoyed this but it was too long. It's probably great if you like Metallica. I love symphonic metal but feel that the vocals can't compete. Would be 4 stars but too long
En ole erityinen livelevyjen tai varsinkaan äijärockin ystävä. Tämä ei muuttanut mielipidettä kummastakaan.
Lo mismo para sus fans tiene algún valor, pero a mí no me ha interesado casi nada. No digo que esté mal, solo que no me interesa este refrito filarmónico.
2.8 - Ponderous, plodding and overdone. A classic case of virtuosity with no taste. The strings add a maximalist, over-the-top element to songs that already lack subtlety. God, and this album is so fucking long!
Good as far as it goes, if one were a Metallica fan. I'm not, so it didn't hold a lot of interest for me. I expect I like this version better than I would like the original tunes.
I like Metallica a lot but this is very pretentious. The orchestral element doesn’t add anything to the songs, quite the opposite. Several times I thought it sounded like the songs had been adapted for a movie soundtrack. A real shame.
Not the worst. I think the DVD would be more interesting as a spectacle, and I quite enjoyed the songs I knew better from the original (Master of Puppets, One etc)
I like classical music. I like some Metallica. I like the concept of mixing the two. It is a live album so the songs are elongated with crowd cheering etc. I am not a fan of live albums. This is album was over two hours and just ugh.
It's a live metal concert. Definitely not my cup of tea but probably not bad if that's what you're into
Imagine giving someone the opportunity to listen to a live album that is over 2 hours long, who thinks Enter Sandman sounds cringeworthy and Nothing Else Matters sounds like a poor man's Stairway to Heaven. I won't fool anyone, after 30 minutes I had enough. Won't give this a 1/5, because I do understand why most music listeners appreciate this. 2/5.
Part of me hoped that the symphonic element would add something to the table on this live album. Unfortunately, its pretty forgettable. Although, its still not awful to listen to, I feel like other Metallica albums would fit this list better.
I've never really been a Metallica fan... I gave them their time of day when I was a teenager, but I soured on them awfully fast. There's a weird sneer to Hetfield's vocals, and they always seemed too well off for their heaviness to be grounded in anything. There was too much pageantry to it. Not always, I guess. ....And Justice for All was stripped down to the point of sounding amateurish. But S&M is super representative of that pageantry problem - if anything, it's the worst offender. It feels less like a concert album and more like a ride at Universal or Disney World. I feel like my chair should be vibrating and I should be wearing some special eyewear. None of this feels like what I want from heavy metal. It's too rehearsed for there to be any danger, any improvisation. There is no audience participation. I doubt beer was served at this concert. It's all of the big and stupid and none of the human.
So hard for me to rate as there are such classics on here (Nothing Else Matters) but while I like metal, I dont like all of Metallica I couldn't sit through the whole album in one go so has to be a 2, even though some amazing songs
S&M is never boring, but it does blur at times and plod at others. And that's a shame, because I root for symphonic metal whenever it crosses my radar. Here, the only symphonic effect is that of a middling film score, and no visuals to accompany it for its two hours. The band does drive on a few tracks - One and Battery stuck out. Metallica's lyrics are certainly not the highlight, but they're at their best when Hetfield's vocals are present in the texture. I also learned from his stage banter that I share some speaking tics. This sounds like it would have been a fun live concert, but a great live recording it is not.
Hey guys feel like doing a live album with a symphony orchestra? It'll be real classy. Sure. My mum said all her friends who only listen to Mozart will buy the album if there's a symphony orchestra on it. Double bubble! Really though. Not an album anyone could describe as essential. Some good songs, but they gain nothing much by this.
Symphonic performance of Metallica songs, accompanied by Metallica. Clunky at best. If it were the orchestra on it's own, it would've made more sense because they can take creative liberties with how it would performed. Instead, you get Metallica playing their usual songs live being back by an entire orchestra, creating a sound that is so cluttered that it's hard to justify. It's like the orchestra is window dressing for the band instead of the focal point, ultimately serving as an ego boost for the biggest metal band on the planet. It's also over two hours long, though split by two CDs. I think this can be forgiven since it's meant to be a grand live performance that seizes a lot of opportunity to utilize the orchestra, but it's still quite a bit overly long for me. Ultimately, I think this set up works well for Metallica's more thematic songs. The heavier picks like Fuel and Nothing Else Matters kinda get the wind sucked out of them by the orchestra, whereas songs like One and The Call of the Ktulu are natural fits for this sort of synergy.
No. No. No. I get the idea, I do. But it just doesn't work that well. The early Metallica stuff isn't made better by the orchestra and the newer stuff becomes cream on cheese, as the material is already cheesy stadium hard rock. And then it's two hours with hetfield on vocals. There are some moments of goodness sprinkled around that saves the project from the lowest score.
Not quite as bad as I'd expected. The first track functions really well as a soundtrack to a modern action film. Went downhill pretty soon after that though. Also, it was interminable.
What the fuck is this shit? After all of the stellar work Metallica did in the 80s, and all of the completely forgettable work that they did afterwards, it's kind of surprising to see an album on here from the very tail end of the millennium. I like the idea of mixing classical and heavy metal music together, since I think the genres have more in common than they are generally given credit for. This album feels mostly like a Metallica concert with a symphony mixed under it. The band's instruments aren't so much integrated into the symphony as they are yelling over it like a drunk guy at a party. James Hetfield's voice has lost a lot of its power, which is unfortunate because it is front and center when it could be strengthened by instruments that compliment his sound. It's hard to tell if this album is just poorly executed or a cynical attempt to make Metallica relevant again after their many poor decisions in the 90s. There's nothing that frustrates me more than a good idea that fails because of laziness on the part of content creators. Even the fucking name of the album is lazy. I'm on the third song and I already want this to be over so badly. There are 17 more songs on this fucking album. I honestly think it would work better to play a Slayer album at the same time as a Beethoven symphony. At least that way when it didn't work I could comfort myself with the fact that it was never intended to 2/5
I don't enjoy Metallica but I do enjoy symphonies. This was a mess where it sounds like Metalliac had a keyboard that would play a symphony only to be drowned out by their instruments. I found the symphony didn't add to the sounds of the song. 1.5/2
Not my era or style of music. Can't give it more than a 2 I'm afraid. Best Track Enter Sandman.
Definitely better than I expected. Still not my cuppa tho, did not make it through the 2 hours shamefully
I've never been a fan of Metallica and didn't know any of their songs. This was a bit more commercial and smoother than I was expecting, after listening to Megadeath yesterday. Of course, having a symphony orchestra back-up can do that, not to mention the fact that they had been kickin' around for 20 years at the time of this release, well into their U2 phase. Overall I don't mind this LP, though I find the occasional 'scary laughs" by the singer annoying. I prefer Megadeath's full frontal guitar assault.
Overly self indulgent - some good moments from their back catalogue but wholly unnecessary. It REALY sags in the middle - not to mention it never ends.
Not a fan of Metallica anyway, and the addition of an orchestra and crowd noises only makes it more unbearable. Orchestra sounds forced and out of place. >2 hours way to long, skipped most, came back for hits at the end and guitars on 'One' sound atrocious. Surely any of their studio albums would have been a better pick?
Unterhaltsam ist das schon, wenn man einen Soft Spot für Albernheit und Hybris hat. Aus meiner Sicht auch grandios gescheiterter Hybris. Aber für mich ist die Platte nicht gemacht, sondern für Metalfans mit Zweitleidenschaft für Musical, und die füllen viele Stadien, und Elvis Costello wahrscheinlich nichtmal den Platz vom SC Südlohn 28. Also ok: 1 Punkt geschenkt für albernen Quatsch, einer abgezogen für die Idee dass ich mir das anhören sollte. (Ach so, und das mit den Streichern haben Massive Attack auch besser raus.)
Ganz schön fettes Brett und für Die-Hard-Fans der Ritterschlag der Ernsthaftigkeit, wo sich Gegenkultur der Hochkultur bemächtigt. Und genau hier liegt das Problem: Stadion Atmo, weil es einfach so groß ist, so massentauglich und doch so unpassend, weil es des „kleinen Mannes“ Vorstellung von Größe entspricht und dadurch ein klebriges Luxus Cliché zusammenkleistert.
Not great, honestly feel like the orchestra is a major distraction to the songs here and really brings down the entire show. I'm not sure I found a single moment I even thought was on par with the studio recordings of these songs. Poor decision, overly extravagant, not very metal at all.
A decent orchestral album absolutely ruined by letting Metallica play on it. Metallica ruin everything, the big wankers.
Just not my thing at all - confirmed my view that Metallica take themselves far too seriously and way more than their teenage-grade ooooh-so-scary lyrics can sustain. The opening instrumental is like one of those ‘The London Philharmonic Plays Rock Classics’ compilations you used to see advertised on tv in the 80s.
Two hours of slow, boring riffs and James Hetfield strained vocals. All those songs sound the same.
Mammoth journey home so listened to a glut of great music. Sour, Parrallel Lines, Nevermind, Marshall Mathers LP II, 1992 Deluxe. Put them all together and maybe they're as long as this Metallica slog.
Doing a protest review: I have not listened to this. I don’t believe live albums should have ANY PART OF THIS LIST. Especially not live albums that break the TWO HOUR BARRIER. It’s too much. It’s too too much. Please, think of the children. Have mercy.
Not for me. My brain would not forget that it was metallica. Just not my genre. It did not sound very orchestral, i'm sure there was a lot of electric guitar in there. Where was the woodwind and acoustic strings?
This gimmick feels like a money grab before Metallica had the audacity to release true dog shit (St. Anger). S&M has more Reload tracks than Ride the Lightning tracks which feels like a sick joke. These were dark days for Metallica.
This album should not be on this list. I mean, I guess hardcore Metallica fans might find something to like from a different spin on some of their favourite tracks. I'm hard pressed to support any live album inclusion, let alone something like this, which feels like somehow the worst of both classical and metal worlds? Orchestral embellishments really can work with different genres of popular music, but the symphony and the band generally seem more like they're fighting each other than working together. Hard to get through this half-baked exercise. Certainly makes me feel like Metallica's reputation for pretentiousness is well-earned.
Painful, and worse because it is live! I'll rate it a 1 for the decent work by the orchestra.
I liked the album, but I will keep the consistency with my other ratings... Live albums and greatest hits collections should not be a part of this list...
I can't believe some humans can endure such a level of musical saturation for more than 2 hours long. Wah-wah guitar solos supported by timpani and brass punches, while the strings get excited sprinkled with "YEAAAAHAHHH" by James. All guided by a clumsy drum. And don't get me wrong, I love Metallica and I'm a fan of their oldschool thrash metal era, but this thing is not listenable. Sorry.
Personally I don't like anything fusion. I hate fusion food and fusion music is the same. In many cases 1+1 equals less than 2. I do like symphonic music and I think Metallica is one of the better metal bands out there but combining these two was a pretentious marketing gimmick gone awry. There are a lot of 1 star ratings here that I agree with so I won't re-hash them, but I agree with all the harsh ratings, this is an over-bloated, over-long money-grabbing mess.