Reviews (page 3 of 10)
OMG the beginning of Human and Wherever I roam are perfection. I will listen to this album over and over again
If there's one thing I love in music it's when metal is done a little different. Unplug it, or you know, add a symphony.
sonzeira diferenciada em uma nova proposta
Fantastic. Some songs don't need the symphonic backup, but altogether the experience is fantastic. Some songs are amazing.
Exceptional!
It's just so soaring and majestic.
Yes, Metallica, we're all very impressed with how you gamed the system by using an orchestra to win me over into actually liking this. Take your stupid five stars and go home.
great album
Only had time for half the album but it was brilliant. The resonance echos works well with all the layers of instruments.
Er zijn 2 albums die ik de afgelopen jaren veelvuldig heb gehoord als ik op het werk arriveer in de vroege ochtend. De eerste is een liveconcert van Volbeat en de ander is dit album (of het concert) van Metallica. Mijn broertje vindt dat nogal relaxt om de ochtend mee op te starten. Op vrijdagmiddag gaat er dan vaak genoeg foute NLtalige muziek aan, helaas. Doe mij dan dit maar.
I mean it's beyond epic really isn't it? Can you imagine how amazing it must have been to be there!? Its the kinda gig I'd probably cry at cos it's too good. I like a live album. Having an orchestra just gives already mega songs even more grandeur. All the highs and lows just get to be even more. Will listen again and again, or you know partially again cos its Metallica and every song and album are stupidly long. But it's good, so you're allowed 😉 Trumpet tootle
-I love any rock/metal+orchestra -Songs from Metallica I knew where it was cool to have the orchestra added: "The Call Of Ktulu," "Master Of Puppets," "Fuel," "Nothing Else Matters," For Whom The Bell Tolls," "Wherever I May Roam," "Sad But True," "One," Enter Sandman," and "Battery" -I wish they had mic'd the audience a bit better as the audience sings many lines from the songs. Small critique. -New Metallica songs I have been turned on to via this album: ""The Thing That Should Not Be," "The Memory Remains," "Devil's Dance," "Bleeding ME," "Human," and "The Outlaw Torn" -Cool chorus in "Devil's Dance" -"Human" really stood out to me on first listen -Overall a great assemblage of familiar and unfamiliar Metallica with cool orchestra to back it up!
I thought this was an amazing collaboration.
Really fun album, very unique sound that was still distinctly Metallica
ABSOLUTE CLASSIC
Loved this. Whewwww
Yes, it is too long. But it's an absolute pleasure to listen to. Favorite track: Master of Puppets
Amazing album, the only Metallica album I still listen to.
Talk about two of my worlds colliding. This absolutely kicked ass. Favorite track: Master of Puppets
Very captivating
Definitively Metallica is a band to be enjoyed in live sessions. However, this one is even more special due to the mix of metal and classical music! It's always a combination that I enjoy a lot, and I can't give them less than five stars.
Super live album with the symphonic orchestra
Veramente molto bello come è arrangiata la discografia dei Metallica con l'orchestra sinfonica. Però lo considero più un concerto che un album? Lo si può giudicare solo come album? Minchia però, la chiusura è meravigliosa.
idk yet
It was a weird moment when I listened to this album. However the music was making things better. I liked the strings with the metal sound, it really was an addition
5 very good.
an old favorite
METALL!
Goodness me. How did I not know this exists? And there sure is a lot of it! Nice arrangements, they did not just phone it in as far as the orchestral parts. Good balance on the recording, with Hetfield or guitars or drums or strings or horns or even the audience featuring as appropriate. I found the call and response in Master of Puppets particularly satisfying. This album is a real gem. Thank you album generator.
Good versions
Me gusta mucho Metallica. Este disco en directo no lo conocía y aunque no lo acabé de escuchar, metallica junto a una orquesta es insuperable.
The symphony element to all of these songs is awesome. Very enjoyable listen.
I mean, who doesn’t love Metallica? The addition of the San Francisco Symphony adds a whole other dimension to each song. Every song becomes a mash-up of a Metallica classic and the grandiose atmosphere of a video game soundtrack. Absolutely incredible album!
An album I'm quite familiar with from my early teen years when I was obsessed with Metallica. Memories of this album are how I thought it was so cool to mix metal with a full symphony, and that No Leaf Clover was a great addition to the discography. Now, revisiting this album my initial thought is on the amount of ego that must go into deciding to do something like this. We're such a huge band and everyone loves us, so let's hire a whole orchestra and put on a show. It's a ballsy move, you better really be that good to back it up. The album opens with two instrumental tracks, so right away the orchestra gets to shine as they back up the band. Finally on track three we get Master of Puppets which is obviously one of their massive hits, and right away we get James letting the audience sing half the song. This is an experience and it makes you really appreciate how cool it would have been to be part of that audience. It's a long album, 20 tracks and lots of them are 8+ minutes, this is a recording of a live show so that makes sense, and effectively it plays like a Metallica Greatest Hits album that adds the orchestra to make it something new entirely. I don't know that many bands could have pulled off a move like this, but damn if Metallica didn't knock this out of the park. Now if only Cypress Hill would record an album with the London Symphony Orchestra, possibly while high...
What an ecstasy of gold this album is. How many other bands, especially rock or metal got with a philharmonic orchestras to belt out to CDs e worth of music? Not just that, but new songs specifically for this as well? There are so many gems here of songs made even better by the strings and other orchestral compositions. And that album cover is awesome.
Probably the best metal live album of all time
Fav Song: For Whom the Bell Tolls
This was superb. I’ve seen the DVD and heard the album. What an amazing concept. Well executed and wonderful song selection.
Absolutely love this album!
Metallica y música clásica, una mezcla del copón. Vinilo.
Such a great album.
Excelente combinación de heavy-rock con orquesta sinfónica. Buena combinación. energía por todos lados y muy buena selección de temas
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.
Really enjoyed the combo of Metallica and Symphony. And I am not a Metallica fan in general.
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.
the Metallica you know and love with extra oomph from an entire symphony and crowd
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.
Great album. Still as good as the first time I heard it.
Um ao vivo incrível, com grandes clássicos da banda! Melhor música: Nothing else matters e One.
I never engaged much with metal. That said, this album was a really fun listen!
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
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
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.
The best of its kind
Legends. This was incredible
Forgot I liked metal. Forgot I liked Metallica.
Very interesting Live version of some big songs. I enjoyed my time with this one, I can imagine this would have been a great show to see in person!
The album seems to be marmite for most. For me it is a mainly positive experience. Metallica have explored different sounds and experiments and if I'm remembering correctly, this was pretty novel for a metal band when it came out. It is a long album and it feels that way. I think it makes sense though and wouldn't have felt like that as a show (intermissions etc). The length means it's one I can put on and drift in and out of. I really enjoy the opening with The Ecstasy of Gold and I think I actually prefer this version of Hero of the Day. There are multiple versions of Nothing Else Matters that I enjoy and this is one of them (check out Phoebe Bridgers one). Overall scrapes a 4.
A two hour gimmick album that becomes less impressive if you know who the likes of Nightwish and Epica are. The arrangements are well done and while there is the odd awkward moment where the band and orchestra don't quite sync up, it mostly works. If you are not a huge Metallica fan, you do not need to hear all of this though (and if you are, you probably already have). If this app had half stars, this would be a 3.5 star review.
This is type of album this project is made for. It's different (a thrash metal band playing with a symphony orchestra), it's good, it's popular but off the beaten path. Perfect. Now, I personally love this era of Metallica, it's objectively not their best. Some of the tracks - especially the originals - really showcase how well a rick band and an orchestra can complement each other. Others don't work as well. I understand having a full concert-length album, but it cost them in consistent quality. An hour or so less would have been so much more.
Really great live album, albeit a bit long
better than I thought, but not quite good enough for 5
This was entertaining. Long but decent
Important album after two sucky ones
Long album but good music
Solid live album.
I love every song on the album but I think I love them more without the orchestra.
Long, but solid versions of their best stuff.
HEAR ME
this album brings metallica to the light. i loved this album and didn’t appreciate them as much until this. my favorite song was the memory remains.
Some fantastic arrangements that enhance the original. Exciting and beautiful
Metallica will only ever be a 4 star band with Lars.
Good if you like Metallica. I like the symphonic elements in this live version, but it does contain some of their lesser quality songs and drags on a bit long. Had this only contained songs from their first few albums, it would’ve hit a 5 for me. 4.5/5
Groundbreaking album at the time. What a concept.
My first true exposure to Metallica. Electricfying live performance.
Metallica + San Francisco Symphony + 4000 Metallica fans Is it bad that I’ve never listened to a Metallica album before? Or is this a fitting introduction? It certainly felt like I was jumping into the deep end, with more than 2 hours of, well, thrash. But it’s a cool project, especially considering that few forms of modern popular music are as directly influenced by classical symphony as metal.
what an awesome experience this must've been. Whoever thought of this mashup should get promoter of the year. I couldn't digest it all at once, one day I listened to set 1 and the next day set 2. Enjoyed it all nonetheless! It's great to hear both the crowd and the band getting high off the energy.
Listened to on my Apple EarPods and my stereo set up. I don't find myself listening to live albums all too often, but I was intrigued at the prospect of this one in particular, which sees Metallica working with the San Francisco Symphony to re-imagine some of their tunes with the grandiosity and epic scale of an orchestral backing. Although Metallica's signature walk-on song 'The Ecstasy of Gold' from Ennio Morricone works perfectly within the symphonic bounds, and 'The Call of Ktulu' sees an interesting instrumental reworking, I found myself not too excited in my first impression, then leading into crowd pleaser 'Master of Puppets' which I thought was not very well enhanced by the presence of the symphony. At this point, in hopes to get more engaged, I switched from listening on my earbuds and found the full live performance on YouTube (unfortunately missing out on the 5.1 channel mixing found in the DVD release), and I found myself much more immersed in the performance, which also found it's stride as it focused on newer material from Metallica. Yes, this performance from 1999--although a particularly special concert--found the iconic metal band focusing mostly on cuts from it's newest three releases: The Black Album, Load, and ReLoad. Now, for as big a Metallica fan I am, that is mostly cordoned off to the so called 'golden age' of the band, or their first four thrash metal releases. Not to say that I dislike their newer work, but I am much more likely to revisit those albums than any other from the catalogue. Yet, the deeper I got into this work, the more I realized that this was actually a brilliant decision. See, I found myself not to attached to the expected hits remixed that find themselves mostly in the front and back ends of this album. Personally, I find the the thrash metal of those songs to be so enveloping and busy that the minor orchestral overlays they could add didn't enhance much at all, and often felt like the best they could do with the material they had. However, the newer material, which saw Metallica shift away from their thrash metal roots for a slower hard rock sound works perfectly with this mixing of ideologies. Because their is breathing room built into these tracks, it is absolutely laden with opportunity for orchestral expansion. These tracks, which I have disregarded for the most part over the years, feel fresh and exciting. It is such an interesting and fun blend, taking the hard rock of Metallica with the very conservative and proper symphony sensibilities. I must also mention the viewing experience of the concert, which I think sizeably increased my enjoyment. Actually seeing this concept play out is so charming. The arrangement of instrument sections being conducted while a rock band just let's loose in front of them, it really captures the unique energy of this release. It's like I couldn't fully appreciate the idea on display here until I was actually watching what was happening. Seeing Jason Newsted on bass go in front of the double bass player as they feed off each other's energy, catching the conductor singing along, Kirk Hammett on guitar going back to back with the conductor, and the sea of people in band shirts banging their heads, it really does just help to capture the atmosphere to actually see the thing play out. This is just a great performance on the whole. You get this wonderful mix of hard rock and orchestra going full blast for over two hours, and there is few moments where it stumbles. Personally, I found that to be mostly relegated to the iconic thrash tunes, in which the symphony couldn't add too much, but also illustrated a bit of age in the band itself, as James Hetfield on vocals couldn't quite belt out the same performances as when he was a young man, and Lars Ulrich gets to indulge in his more, let's say controversial drumming, like on the track 'One'. Some songs that I find weak in normal listening also couldn't find themselves improved with orchestration, like 'Sad but True'. Still, Metallica, the San Francisco Symphony, and conductor Michael Kamen do a great job putting on a show that isn't just energizing and fun, but is unique and a novel way to approach the material of the band.
Love Metallica, love a great majority of this album. However, a bit too much reliance on the Load / Reload albums, and a couple other songs I would have changed up. Overall, an incredibly interesting concept, performed very well.
Great album. Would be better if they had played more early stuff instead of their latest at the time. Still solid
I mean, it's a five star compilation without the orchestra. Cool idea...but it could've been the Kiss Alive of this generation if it was just a regular show.
Would be perfect if not live. 4/5
This is by far the most "guys will look at this and say 'hell yeah'" live album I've ever heard. Metallica with a live orchestra, what a concept. It's kind of funny that I got back from performing at a police memorial in a Catholic church and the first thing I hear is a band from the most un-Catholic genre performing with an orchestra about the size of the band I'm in at my college. The performance at the memorial was fine, I didn't really feel much of anything. I'll never complain about being able to play for a while but I didn't really care for the memorial itself. I definitely felt a lot more listening to these guys, although the length is a little ridiculous. I feel like I'd be a little orchestra-ed out by the time the show was over if I were born 15 years earlier and actually went to this show IRL, but it was a pretty good time and a good cooldown from an hour and a half of trying to act like I care about police officers.
I can’t really punish this album for its length since it was a concert. But I don’t really like Metallica enough for 2h16m of their music. If I liked Metallica this would definitely be a 5.
So smart to add the philharmonic to this concert. I’m sure fans were blown away by the two nights. Mostly, it comes off well; if I have a complaint, the complimentary vocalist/vocals don’t sync well on a few songs. In a studio this would have been top notch. LONG, but very good.
Alright, we've reached the final super long album that I listened to in advance. Here's my review from August 2024. I’m gonna be completely honest. This is some of the most enjoyment I’ve ever gotten out of a live album. Why? Well, it’s simple. I’m biased. I’ve played in an orchestra and Metallica is one of my favorite bands of all time. Of course I’m gonna love it when those two things come together. It’s awesome! Of course, this is 1999 Metallica we’re talking about, meaning that they were already past their peak by this point. However, there’s still things to love about this album. Say what you will about Metallica from the 90s onward, but James Hetfield’s voice has gotten quite good with age. The rest of the band plays amazingly as well. I didn’t even notice any mess ups from Lars! And of course, I have got to give props to the San Francisco Symphony as well. They managed to turn these already great metal songs into something even more extravagant and over the top than they already were! Besides, this album finally gives Ride The Lightning some representation on the list! Of course, it also gives representation to Load and Reload, but that’s besides the point. The two original songs are also pretty cool. Overall, this is just a really fun live album that does something a bit different to make it extra cool. Strong 4/5.
It’s good but not for me
I honestly enjoyed this. It was just so long.
Interesting concept album.
Weirdly exciting. Unfortunately not that much more appealing to me than regular Metallica
orchestra metallica is great
Nice twist on nostalgic songs. If you like Metallica from the 90's this is good
Hell yea 4
Album #400 for me, and what a doozy! A double, live, Metallica album! I absolutely loved the other Metallica album I've had so far (their self titled one), so looking forward to this one. It was pretty good, but does suffer from the same issue as most live albums. The songs are meant to be listened to live. Just doesn't work as well on a recording. Even the good songs, like Master Of Puppets, just dragged on for too long. Not to say there weren't a couple breakouts. I've always loved Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman, and both of them are wonderful here. Hard to pick between the two for best song. The self titled album got a 5, I think I'll have to go with a 4 for this one. Best song: Nothing Else Matters
Amazing album, great pull here. I love Master of Puppets
The classic live album And its so good The main strength is that the Orchestra adds dimensions to the songs. Incredible. The issue is that it lasts forever. Its still brilliant. A lot of load/reload but I actually really like that about it. Going 4 baby
S&M - Symphony and Metallicy live
3.9 2x rocking. watched youtube live performance in background.
Prob more like 3.5ish, but pretty cool
This was actually nice.
I liked that this was a live album but it offered something different than a mere concert recording, something new with the music. And I think that I would have loved to have seen this show live with orchestra. As an album though, it does run kind of long.
2026.03.10
First off: it's really long. That's to be expected though as it's a Metallica concert. Those are going to be epic. Now, this thing is awesome in concept. Putting Metallica's music together with a symphony? Genius. Thanks to Cliff a lot of their classic material was written with classical concepts in mind. Songs like "Master of Puppets" and even "Fuel" sound fantastic with the epic strings and tympanies in the background, even "Enter Sandman"; which I am sick to death of, sounded beefier with the added orchestral arrangements. "No Leaf Clover" is one of the best songs here as well, making strong usage of the orchestra. Songs I was always kind of lukewarm on sound great too, like "Sad But True". Here's the major kicker though: this album is ruined by James "OH YEAYUH" Hetfield. "Nothing Else Matters" is absolutely ruined to pieces, his vocals DO NOT sound good on this track AT ALL. He just brings so much cheese and corn to this otherwise epic concert that I found myself snickering and rolling my eyes all throughout this thing. I mean, at least he's having fun.... lmfao. Anway, even despite that, Symphonic Metallica is pretty overall good. If I'm going for a long drive this one might be in rotation to help soundtrack the trek.
Would buy
Very good.
A bunch of hits live. good album
Metallica and a symphony is a perfect combo.
I’ve got to admit I was a bit intimidated by the time, but I had a fun time
Pretty sweet combo, it’s a seamless blend.
Get a bit bored during the long load/reload tracks but the classic metallica songs sound fantastic with the orchestra
This was really good! Very long, but very good. I don't think it's something I'd return to, but it was an amazing theatrical experience. Just a taaaad bit too long. 7/10
A theatrical live album that I had never listened to before in full, as I am usually not exceptionally excited about this style of music. It was an intense experience, and I certainly wouldn't be able to listen to S&M in its entirety in one sitting, but it is clearly a masterpiece in its own right. The orchestral accompaniment was an interesting and rather stunning choice.
Wow 2+ hours of solid heavy jams. I was impressed with it being a live album.
I really enjoyed this album. I think the addition of the San Francisco Symphony added so much to the songs. Hard to pick favourites. The tracklist was extremely long at a gargantuan 173 minutes.
When this came out, the metal world went nuts, they went soft, they have an orchestra around them. I thought this was super cool. especially since it was a local orechstra. the sf symphony.
the orchestra makes this something really special but overall i think 2+ hours of metallica is too much for me in one sitting
Really good live album.
what a fun listen, great album I overlooked
7/10
Easy to listen to, some superb lyrics.
Better than Coldplay
Album 1034 of 1089 S&M - Metallica (1999) Rating : 4 / 5 This was recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Kamen. At over two hours long, I went into this fully expecting to listen for a while, get the idea, and move on. Two hours with a metal band I’m not deeply invested in - backed by an orchestra - didn’t exactly sound like something I’d sit through in one go. Turns out, I was wrong. This works far better than I ever expected it to. The orchestra doesn’t feel tacked on or gimmicky - it blends naturally into the songs and actually reshapes them. At times the guitars feel like part of the orchestra, and at other times the orchestra feels like another member of the band. Familiar tracks come across as something entirely new, heavier in places, more dramatic in others, and surprisingly cohesive throughout. I’m still not a big fan of live albums in general, but this one avoids a lot of what usually turns me off. There’s no endless front-man chatter or crowd interaction breaking the flow. The audience is mostly just there, reacting appropriately, letting the performance speak for itself. It keeps the focus where it belongs - on the music. It isn’t perfect, and it’s still a long listen, but it’s a genuinely impressive collaboration that holds together from start to finish. If I had to point someone to a Metallica album, this might actually be the one. Credit where it’s due - this was a very pleasant surprise.
Excellent performance and recording. The arrangements bring a new element to these songs.
That was a blast, cheers! I'd never have listened to that off my own back!
Loved the symphony overlay and the thematic feel they adapted to the set. Very different experience.
8/10
Who doesn’t love an orchestra
This wasn't at all what I was expecting. I like Metallica and figured this would be, well, horrible. I liked it quite a bit! The instrumentation added something and yet they made a point of not allowing it to water down the power of the music.
Late 90s rock. Metallica and San Fran symphony. Pretty epic, hard rock really lends itself to the drama of orchestration.
Okay. Hear me out. The SFSO helped to create this incredibly full sound that was less heavy and more tolerable for me. Truly enjoyed all of the music.
This is another album I’ve always been hesitant to listen to. Once the Black Album came out, it marked a new era of Metallica that I never really cared much for. On top of that, it’s a live album, which I usually avoid, and not just that, but a live album from a sold out metal band with a symphony. If that doesn’t sound like shaking the money tree for a cash grab, I don’t know what does. That said, once I put all of that aside, it actually turned out to be a pretty solid album. It is over two hours long, so by the end I was definitely burned out. Still, I have to give them credit for making a serious attempt to reinterpret their catalog through a full symphonic framework without it coming off as a gimmick.
Bought this in high school and it’s the only Metallica album I’ve ever bought. Metallica is very much not my kind of music, but the orchestra helps a lot. It tempers them or makes them a little less grim and plodding or maybe a little more pop or I’m not sure what, but it works for me. I really like this version of Fuel.
loved this album
I've been listening to Metallica for over a decade, and I've always been reluctant to listen to this album live, but I confess that hearing some of these songs, played with the support of an orchestra, was a very interesting experience. 4 stars.
Nicht meine Musik, aber gut gemacht
It reminded me of Portishead’s live album which I love. It was fun the entire way, I’m very surprised that the 2+ hours didn’t end up being an issue. I haven’t even listened to most of their albums so I don’t even have the added appreciation of hearing the differences from the originals. However this does feel more like an essential listen for Metallica fans (or even metal fans more broadly) but not the entire musical world. Still though I had fun Rating: 4.2
I know this album gets mixed thoughts from fans- but the epic wall of sound that is this album will never be able to be touched by another one of their albums or metal band. A truly unique album that sounds fantastic and presents the full 2+ hour concert rather than just 35 mins cuts.
I listened to this to death back in the day. Especially No Leaf Clover. Overall this was a fun spin on Metallica that I didn’t know I would enjoy as much as I did. It’s a fun take on a live concert, and I always felt that it’s a bit pretentious to diss on this album
Min frukost blev mycket episk med detta album. Ännu en konsert jag skulle velat uppleva om man kunde resa tillbaka i tiden.
2 timmar och 13 minuter METALLICA 👹 Man e ju svag för en schysst orkester!
I'm opposed to live albums being on the list because most of them aren't very good and they feel like a compilation album, which I think is cheating to have here. But S&M is very different and unique. How often do you see thrash metal and an orchestra perform together? I can let this one slide. I can let this one slide especially because it's very good. Songs like The Memory Remains and Wherever I May Roam are better than their originals with the orchestra, and whilst this isn't the case for every song, they're still very, very good and ones I'll definitely be coming back to. James is on form as ever, as are Jason's backup vocals. Even the drumming ain't bad, lmfao. However, it is still a live album and still has those elements of a live album I dislike, such as the production, even though Metallica are a very good live band. It's also over 2 hours long. Anything gets a bit old by then. There is also a distinct lack of AJFA songs on here which makes me a bit sad. In the end, a high 4.
Overall Rating - 4.02/5 (8.05/10). Absolutely incredible album.
What a fun concert! Been a long time since I've been to one 😀
Get real this rules
Live one of the best metal bands with an Orchestra. Pretty sweet.
No i taką Metallicę lubię. Ostry rock powinien być parowany z symfonicznymi aranżacjami - są równie patetyczne. I chociaż nie lubię płyt typu live to tę doceniam, bo jest w niej jakaś wartość dodana. Coś nowego. 7.5/10
When I was in high school, I really loved 3rd-wave ska music. Your Bosstones, your Mustard Plug, your Reel Big Fishes. I also loved Metallica. And it occurred to me that if you covered "For Whom the Bell Tolls" with a bunch of brass doing the lead guitar in the intro it would kick ass. Crazy that just a year or two after I had that thought they actually did it. I'm an absolute mark for this kind of thing. I wore this CD the fuck out when I got it. I still spin it a few times a year. Give me a symphony with an act I dig and I'm all over it. This? Love it. Nas with the National Symphony Orchestra? Love it. That one time Jay-Z did "PSA" at Carnegie Hall or whatever? Love it. I even saw Billy Corgan at the goddamn Lyric Opera WITH OPERA SINGERS, and thought that was cool, if profoundly weird. I remember reading the Pitchfork review of this (or maybe S&M2, not sure) where they said, essentially, that the album wasn't necessary because classic-era Metallica sounded orchestral already. That's true! But it doesn't mean it doesn't sound awesome! I won't pretend I was following them in the 80s (I was a small child) but when I listen to recordings of them live, their sound benefits greatly from two things. First, modern recording and production so you can hear some bass and drums along with the wailing. Second, the fact that James can't just growl his way through everything and had to learn to really sing, which he's actually quite good at. My only critique is the setlist. Take out "-Human" "Outlaw Torn" "Bleeding Me" "Of Wolf and Man" and "Devil's Dance." Add "Creeping Death" "Fade to Black" "Blackened" "Seek and Destroy" and/or "Orion." If you did that, it would be hard to improve upon.
Has like an hour of relatively filler tracks, but the other hour is so peak it's insane
Classic. Good music for SURE!
I have always like Metallica from as far back as the Master Of Puppets Album and I don’t know why I don’t listen to this more. It is great, not brilliant but great. Some of the tracks work so well with the orchestra like Memory Remains but others don’t so much like the aforementioned MoP. On the whole though it is good and I should listen to it more.
Very dramatic, one might say cinematic.
The Ecstasy of Gold cover had me hooked, the rest just did it’s job. A very good album
That was a lot of Metallica, I don't mind them but that much in one go is not going to score favourably for anyone. Overlooking that, Metallica are pretty on point assuming this wasn't touched up afterwards. It's a unique concert so worth being a live album, thought the strings added to some songs but made others sound like stage musical numbers. I think the grander the original song the better it worked, and the more raw ones sounded silly. This was worth a listen but I need 6 months off Metallica now. 3.5.
Well worth listening through. Long though, felt long. The intense songs work quite well with the orchestra. However at other at times it was barely noticeable. James Hetfield's vocals are incredibly clean. Enjoyed the instrumentals, enjoyed Master of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters, One, and Enter Sandman, the main tracks really. Great album. I don't think I'll edge myself to a 5. It was long.
Ok
# Playlist Track - For Whom The Bell Tolls # Notes - This was actually the first CD I got, back when I was a pre-teen. Listened to it hundreds of times, probably! Glad it held up pretty well, after all those years. - Still, it's a very long album, and it gets muddy in some points. - A great starting point to get to know Metallica for the first time, or expand your Metal horizons into something more melodic.
My most unexpected 4 stars yet
Still not totally sure how I feel about this after 2 and a quater hours of it, i guess that means it probably isn interesting enough to be a four. I think it's one to watch rather than listen to. I listened to it hwile playing games and thought I'd left the game music on.
I really enjoyed this album. Having the orchestra shows that Metallica actually does *music*. There are a lot of haters in the reviews though.
The symphonic part feels forced at times, but it’s a great testament to the strength of Metallica’s catalog that so many songs hold up to this treatment. Hetfield is possibly in the best vocal form of his career, which makes this a great listen.
I was a big fan of this when I was a kid. It still rocks. Even the new tracks for this No Leaf Clover and Minus Human are great
In my opinion live recordings are not as good as the studio recordings, but this record still rips.
And Nothing Else Matters, exept this album.
Never was a big fan. Maybe I disliked their fan base more - the kind of people who only listened to Metallica or Metallica like bands, never touching any other genre seriously. This is pretty well done so far and I’m digging it.
Day 80 Don’t really think the orchestra added a great deal to be honest but can’t really go wrong with 2 hours of Metallica 8/10 Highlights No Leaf Clover Bleeding Me Outlaw Torn
Way better than it has any right to be. Very cool to hear unique versions of the classics. And even better, the expanded arraignments really elevate the much weaker (shitty) Load and Reload material to new heights.
Pretty freakin cool
An epic sound- it could have been over indulgent but it genuinely does add something to their sound and gives a fresh take on old classics.
It isn't perfect but a few of these orchestrations eclipse the originals and they're generally already fantastic songs.
WTF!!! What a surprise! This is kinda awesome! No idea something like this existed. Sonically rich and powerful. Always respected what Metallica does, but this is a new level. Genius to pair their music with a symphony orchestra. Result is a musical experience like none other. Started to drag a little in second half… it’s looong. But interesting listen!
I enjoyed it, def a fan of pre 2000. Still dont think live or best hits albums should be on here. Assuming justice for all, ride the lightning, master of puppets and/or load are on this list just havent come aceoss it yet.
This is hard for me to rate. I'm not a Metallica fan, but I appreciated the size and spectacle of this album. The music paired with the orchestra added a lot of dimension to the songs. It was also a good listen right before Halloween.
epic premise. didn't disappoint.
90s maximalism. I can dig it.
This shit is a headbanger
Forgot how fun this album is. I appreciate the added drama the orchestra brings to their music, it’s a great concept.
Long, but it’s a live performance. Metallica with an orchestra is great.
Has pretty much all nice Metallica songs. Sounds pretty good live.
The music was great, really epic to listen to. Only complaint was the length of the album
i really enjoy metallica and i really enjoy a good symphony orchestra. while a few songs feel like a regular metallica live show with the symphony tacked on as an afterthought, most of the songs do a job of blending the two. some of the song choices were odd considering that there were some classics that were omitted. as live albums go, sounds great, and the symponic arrangements add interesting variations to the classics, but at the end of the day, i'd take the studio versions of most of these songs over the live ones. overall, its a bold and unique album but length and the live format make it though to sit through in one stretch.
Maybe I'm just a fan of Metallica, but this felt like it worked better than I expected. It's tough to mix orchestra music with something else, but they played off each other well.
If you’re going to get pompous and embellish your greatest hits with an orchestra, then this is the way to do it.
i am not the biggest fan of sadomasochism. but this album is not about sadomasochism. the abbriviation just happens to be the same. i mean what do you want from a guy who gave the black album a 4. the music itself is really good but in master of puppets when james was letting the audience singing the backup my brain automatically fills it with the original version so its a bit weird for me. everything is more epic with the ochestera. there are some weak tracks on it but generally a 4. sad that theres no use of the tubular bells in for whom the bell tolls.
Awesome album making these songs fresh and interesting plus it being live is very cool
This one is going to take me a few days to listen to cause it’s 2 hours long but I’m enjoying so far
really cool and really long but still really cool
Excellent live album.
es muy largo pero voy a votar por los temones que tiene y que en vivo debe ser una locura
Was expecting more, disappointing. The orchestra accompanying them seem to be playing cliches to occupy dead spaces and not really playing for the music. At times the music seems disjointed, as if two different bands are competing. Other times they seem to blend, but even then James vocals are what they are. James feels the need to add "oh baby", and "yeah yeah" far more than is needed. Lars is truly a one trick pony. Not the worst, but definitely not list worthy.
Great live album that is emblematic for the crossover of classical music and metal/rock. It has a great arrangement that gives the metal of Metallica something more bombastic. It works greatly. But if you don't like Metallica that much you will of course not like it. I personally think they have earned their place. I don't listen to them regularly and would've personally some other songs here and there.
Very cool Metallica with orchestra
A proper rock opera with a full orchestra. Very long because it’s a whole concert rather than an album so a bit of an odd choice for this list but the music itself was impressive.
I've always loved this record! The way all of these songs are elevated by the orchestra is amazing. It is an experience, and it is beautifully done.
81/100. Too tired to write more lmao
I was dreading this when I saw how long it was but what a surprise it turned out to be! Adding the symphony orchestra to this recording elevates it to another level.
Cool to hear sf symphony with Metallica. Started strong, but then got a bit long and repetitive. Some songs were better without symphony accompaniment. The first track was very cool though! 3.5/5
epic premise. didnt dissapoint
Hahahahahahaha this is so fun. What a great pairing. Always fun to pull this out
4/5
A fun way of revisiting Metallica’s classic tracks. While there are flaws (mainly the bad use of Autotune on James’ voice) it is an enjoyable experience. That being said I don’t think this should be on here over something like …And Justice for All, Ride the Lightning, or even something not from Metallica like Blizzard of Ozz. This is more of a Metallica completionists record than it is an average music fan record. That being said it is still really good.
This is a bit of an odd one. Sometimes the orchestra add a sense of majesty and epic grandeur to the songs, at other times it just feels really gimmicky and off. It’s a bit long, leans a bit too heavily on Load and Reload, and only one … And Justice track is criminal, but it’s still a good album, and shows how good Metallica were live. Also, it’s Jason’s last record with the band, and he will forever be my Metallica bassist (no shade on Cliff, but my first album was Metallica, and I saw them live twice on that tour).
Honestly, more bands should do this. The orchestra makes the heaviness feel elegant, somehow. Big riffs with big strings. Perfect album for when you want to feel like a warrior commuting to Trader Joe’s. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - No Leaf Clover - Hero Of The Day - Nothing Else Matters
Pretty enjoyable, but also very long.
A very cool combo Edit Mar 27 2026: 5 --> 4. I will say that I do really like at 3:01 in Battery when James says "Are you alive? How does it feel to be alive?"
Did not know this existed, so a real fun experience since I’m a fan of Metallica and symphony orchestras. Plain and simple, this shit rocks — some pairings here provide a completely new sound to some absolute classics. There’s a James Bond / cinematic score nature to a few of the tracks. Moments of dissonance do detract a bit (really just times where I felt the original identity of the track is lost with an orchestra), but that’s rare across the album.
Super rad take on some of the best Metal songs ever created. Felt weird giving a high score to something that is practically a collection of great songs mixed with classically trained musicians, but the curation works super well.
I was not expecting to like this at all and wow. This was really cool and I can definitely see myself listening to it again, especially on a run
Wow this really works! Great combination of music styles, especially the faster, heavier songs. Would have been great to have been at the concerts.
Live ehhhh. But with instrumental makes up for it having to be live 4 stars forsure
still holds up
vier (minus) alles etwas überladen
An astonishingly good live album, smashing together the metal and the symphony, perhaps a little too good as each note is perfect... I've seen bands become a little loose with playing songs for the 1000th time but everything is studio quality here. Its almost the uncanny valley of live albums. Anyways, songs are great, "No Leaf Clover", "Hero Of The Day", and "Nothing Else Matters" are the highlight for me
Interesting concept
Hero of the Day has become one of my favorite songs even though I’m not a fan of metal. The soaring strings and thumping staccato beats drew me in. For the orchestration alone I give this four stares.
Metallica is awesome and most of their albums are great. And it isn’t that this one is bad. It just seems to me this would be better experienced live. Give me their studio albums anytime over this.
I love the concept of this album, and think the orchestra really adds to the music. Too many favourites to mention 4/5
This is a good live album and certainly one of the better ones in the world of music. The band is on fire. Guitar is clear and easy to hear despite am orchestra playing at the same time, drums sound full and pounding. James Hetfield does sound a little worn and tired but I'll always love him as a vocalist. Heavy metal and classical music definitely go together. A hell of a lot more than you may first think. I actually think the addition of an orchestra make some of the songs sound a little fuller and add a certain level of gravitas and sense of ominous foreboding. It's essentially a Metallica greatest hits album so it can't be any less than a four from me.
Dude this is such a good live album! And it's Metallica doing the thing they know best...with an orchestra! Crazy good! All the hits up to that point and it sounds amazing! Honestly thought that I would get the black album or like ride the lightning! But I totally forgot about this album and it was such a good surprise to see!
I’m pretty sure this was the first live album I ever owned. I’ve listened to the studio versions of all these songs countless times so I always enjoy the different take you get of them on here. Up there with my favourite live albums ever. Top Track - One
The first three songs, as a unit, is one of the most brilliant fusions of rock and orchestra ever made. The rest of it is good, sometime captivating, but it all is diminishing returns after a magnificent beginning. Still, it is all worth listening to and appreciating.
When I saw the premise of this album, I thought it was a bit gimmicky and felt that it’s not the kind of album that really belongs on this list. I’m still not entirely convinced a live album that’s almost like a greatest hits compilation is what I feel should be on this list, but I’m glad I listened to it. I also think it could be an album that appeals to those who don’t generally like metal, which maybe is a good reason to include it. I don’t know why I try to reason with this list anymore though. Anyway, I think Metallica’s songwriting lends itself really well to collaboration with a symphony orchestra and it feels like a thoughtful and well-done project. I think a lot of things like this are kinda half-baked, but this seems a bit more mindful. The choice of songs makes a lot of sense. Yeah. If you like Metallica, you will probably like this album. If you don’t especially like Metallica you still might like this album. I think it’s very pretty and enjoyed it a lot. It’s pretty straightforward and does what it says on the tin.
Metallica plus a symphony sounded epic in theory. In practice, it’s just good songs getting mugged by a French horn while drunk fans scream over it. Live albums: where great music goes to get interrupted.
Cool use of the orchestra!
very fun
Not a big metal guy. But I thought the symphony added a great element to this album. I surprised myself and actually enjoyed this. As opposed to most Metallica albums I could listen to this one with out wanting to ram the car in front of me that is only going 5 mph over the speed limit.
Must admit that I’m a bit of a sucker for rock and classical mash ups. To my mind there are three categories in this type of genre. Interpretations of classical music by rock bands such as that done by The Nice and ELP. Music composed by rock musicians which are rooted in the classics. Good example of this would be Deep Purple in Rock which was the album which really got me into this genre of music. Thirdly and this album is an example, rock songs with an orchestral accompaniment. This third category is perhaps the most popular type of rock/classical crossover and there are hundreds of other examples. I like Metallica and enjoy listening to their most popular tracks but I am not familiar with a lot of their back catalogue. So the majority of tracks on this album are not well known to me. I like a good guitar riff and Metallica are the masters of these but after a while every track begins to sound a bit the same. The orchestration relieves this and because Michael Kamen is responsible for the scoring it is very accomplished. I can’t help thinking that the orchestration compliments the rock instruments rather than the other way around. So maybe a rock band who were born out of thrash metal should not be looking to orchestra’s to enhance or put a different slant on their music. That said as an experiment which I gather Metallica have repeated since, this is a very interesting album to listen to and a worthy addition to this list for its uniqueness. 4/5 16/4/25
don’t listen to it often , nice to be reminded how good it is 4
Sound good live. Like the songs better without the orchestra, but a co concept.
this was super cool can’t even lie. would it have been better as an 80 minute album as opposed to a 135 minute? most definitely. but they’re some good players overall and anything like this with full orchestra is just amazing
Metallica plus an orchestra is way cooler than I thought it would be. Is it 2+ hours of cool? nah. Outside the hits its still worth hearing the orchestral accompaniments though.
I have an ex who was obsessed with this album and used to play it in her car all the time. It’s waaaay too long but pretty fun at times. The crowd just screaming “Obey your master” during Master of Puppets is pretty hype
Megadethin jälkeen Metallica, aikamoinen sattuma. Metallican Master of puppets ja Ride the lightning ovat legendaarisia. Sinfoniaorkesterin kanssa parhaiten oikeuksiinsa pääsevät aikoinaan paljon parjausta saaneiden Loadin ja Reloadin kappaleet. Jotkin kappaleet eivät toimi mielestäni lainkaan tässä kokonaisuudessa. Human, ihan oikeasti?
Kyllä tämäkin Metallicaa on. Parempia levyjä odotellessa. 👌🏼
Hieno albumi! Sinfoniaorkesteri nostaa kyllä mitä tahansa musiikkia ja toi Metallicastakin esille aivan uusia ulottuvuuksia. Levyllä oli hyvä balanssi orkestraatiota ja alkuperäistä. Ilman orkesteria olisi pari tuntinen levy jäänyt varmasti puolitiehen.
3.5/5
Cool. I did not know that Metallica did this. I like their music a little better with orchestra. It gives it another layer and adds more interest. But it did start to get pretty samesy half way through. Fun to hear the hits dressed up for a formal evening. It felt like video game music at times or maybe "Metallica the Ride" (in i-max). It could certainly be worse. At least they didn't write a Broadway musical to go with all of this. Metallica usually falls at about a 3 for me and with the orchestra I would go 3.5 but the fact that it's also a LIVE album... *sigh* okay Metallica take my 4!
This live album differs from most others in that it uses a symphony to accompany a certain well known thrash metal band into realms I couldn’t have ever imagined for them. I’ve made it clear I’m not a fan of live albums as a means to get into a band, but this one takes the original music and glows it way the heck up. Granted, I’m already well aware of Metallica’s music, but not a huge fan. Respected up to this point, and now moreso.
Seeing that this was performed with the SFSO, it seemed like it could be pretty damn cool. And it was! I loved all the rich epic sounds the symphony added. It made the thrash metal way more pleasing to my ears. This feels like it needs to be big and loud to appreciate, so I was glad to WFH today so I could immerse myself in it. Always love to hear the crowd singing on a live album too. The length was kind of a lot, but can't really fault that on a live album. Good stuff, Metallica!
I loved this, I'm not the biggest Metallica fan, but damn do they have a lot of hits. I was a little turned off by the length and planned to just get through the first set, but went all the way through. It may have been a little more enjoyable because I watched this whole thing on YouTube- seemed like an awesome show to be at. The Orchestra fits in perfect and makes some of these songs sound even larger. I'd also like to think songs ended up a little more "jammy" because they needed to give the Orchestra more to do. Lars has such a punchable face but he's a good drummer. Hammet & Hetfield have great distinct guitar tones and are probably underrated players. They both shred and both have some really great riffs. All the hits were great, the stuff in didn't recognize was good enough, the Orchestra felt like a flex. They leaned quite a bit on the crowd early on, but thankfully toned it back as the show went on.
Come on people, somebody ordered the London Symphony Orchestra. Possibly while high? Cypress Hill, I'm looking in your direction. Love me some Metallica, and by that I mean: Kill Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, and …And Justice For All. S&M is the rare “newer” album by them I do enjoy. The orchestra melded nicely with the band, but some of the song choices leave room to be desired. Could have trimmed down that run time a bit if there weren’t 6 songs from Load & Reload included 😒…but I suppose if you go to the trouble of getting a whole ass orchestra you’re gonna use it. And to be fair, I guess I do have a soft spot for Hero Of The Day. Just an exceptionally lame song. Who would have thought Metallica would have a song that makes mention of an easy chair 🤷🏻♂️
Känni in und usswändig. Spannend, wie s Orcheschter um Metallica umespillt. Master of Puppets -die ganz alte Stuck sind halt scho huere guet. De Kirk isch än Ikone. Logisch, d Original sind nachli besser, ämmel was bis und mit em Black Album usechoo isch. Nur scho, well mir i de Chile zu Metallica ghürtet händ (zu de richtige, ohne Synphonieorcheschter) giz 4💫
During the 00s I feel like every metal band ever did a live album with a full orchestra. Maybe it was driven by making classical music "cool" or metal more "high brow". Maybe this was one of the albums that started the trend? As mentioned, I've heard my share of live-full-orchestra-metal-albums so I wasn't expecting much which was maybe a good thing. I was super impressed by the orchestral arrangement, clearly somebody pulled in a lot of time to the arrangement and it totally shows. The strings add nice melodic lines and their on twist on the songs instead of just playing the same lines and riffs as the guitars. The selection of songs for the the album is also good while slightly on the long side (did it really need to be 2 hours?). As a Metallica-fan I enjoyed it, the vocals are not always on points and I could do without the obligatory "Hey, Hey, Hey" chants. The mixing is great though which really lets the orchestra shine. Will this convert any fans to Metallica? Probably not. Are the original versions better? I would argue so. Is it a fun album? Absolutely. If nothing else it's worth a listen to hear what an orchestra can actually bring if done correctly. Weak 4.
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would after reading the wiki.
Metallica were the band that got me into metal back in high school, I don't listen to them as much anymore, but this has a lot of their biggest hits so it's good. I think one of the biggest problems with this is the mixing. The quiet parts sound really good, but the distorted guitars just seem mixed too low and the orchestra seems to be mixed too loud (poor Jason). Low 4 (rounding up from a 3.5).
Ik moet toegeven: niet helemaal afgeluisterd. Maar de introductie is echt super gaaf, waarbij het orkest de gitaren mooi complimenteert.
Overall great but I find love album crowd reactions distracting. Ecstasy of gold was a fun surprise.
I think I’m a Metallica fan? Master of puppets is fireee and the call of ktulu. Top tierrr
Loved so much of this.
Can't believe I spent 2 hours listening to Metallica and actively enjoyed it. My life sucks
This must have been an amazing experience LIVE. Its a lot of fun, but gets a bit tedious. Very long. Over 2 hours.
I don't really like Metallica all that much, or metal music in general, but this was pretty cool. Sounded really good considering it is a live album. Combination worked really well. Probably won't revisit but very solid.
4 out of 5. My favorite live metal album.
Probably wouldn’t have liked it if I weren’t already a fan, but it was a fun concept. Just a little too heavy on the Load/Reload albums.
Wow this is a great album. You have such a strong rock element with all of metallica's best hits, (enter sandman for example) but made all the more epic with orchestra pieces that do nothing to detract from music and only add to it to make it all the more exuberant. It is long (at two hours) so it is hard to stay fully focused at all times, which may be its only detractor.
I had gotten bored of Metallica a very long time ago, so did not go intro this expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. This was very good
I was admittedly surprised by all the comments noting how the symphony with Metallica was a bad combo. And that they symphony didn't add much to music. I completely disagree. I thought the symphony absolutely added another layer/dimension to the songs that I highly enjoyed. My only problem is that I personally enjoy Metallica in relatively short doses. 2+ hours of Metallica is too much for me to listen to in a single sitting.
Enjoyed this. Thought it was a great collaboration but way too long to really sit and digest.
Not a huge fan of Metallica, but they sure know how to put on a good show.
Metallica and a symphony orchestra go surprisingly well together
Great live album. Having the symphony play with them was a nice touch
🔥
I love the idea of this - an orchestra joining forces with popular music is always a good time. I wish it wasn't a Live album though, since I get annoyed by the clapping and singalongs. Overall, enjoyed it but I dont think I'd listen to it again.
Really good album. And it wasn’t as heavy as i thought. It was very good - the guitar and vocals. Would liste again
Fucking fantastic. Overblown, overkill and why the fuck not. The orchestration is beautiful. I wish it might have been a little more leading than accompanying but beggars can't be choosers
Love this album, just kind of exciting to hear existing music I already like presented in a new way. Orchestra sounds great, the songs are powerful, and one of the few live albums that deserves a place with the studio albums. Neat to listen to for something different.
Always a great one, loved this album growing up cause i thought it was so cool to combine two things that shouldn't go together.
One of the best live albums I've heard, I enjoyed all 2h of this. The orchestra complemented Metallica so well, amazing compilation. Stand-out: No Leaf Clover
October 2: not today, Metallica October 5, 2024 Pro: It's Metallica with the S.F.O. Con: they were still promoting Load/Reload :/ Pro: Pretty much all those cuts sound gud with orchestra Con: realizing the song "Hero of the Day" was not even halfway through the whole concert Pro: reading that "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "One" are yet to come in the 2nd disc :) Con: "One" is not as good as the studio version Pro: "Bell" is pretty fantastic I think my enjoyment of this album needs context. For one, I've never been a real heavy metal fan, with Metallica's albums generally wearing me out before they're actually over. The orchestra, while ofttimes ridiculous & over-the-top, also made me forget I'm listening to a 2-hour heavy metal album. The other thing is that the rest of the Metallica on this list were all generated quite a while ago (last one was October 2022), so it's a bit nostalgic at this point, hearing these revamped versions of "Nothing Else Matters" and "Battery". Like no time has passed at all ;) HL: "Master of Puppets", "Fuel", "Wherever I May Roam", "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
The music is a 5, but James' vocals are too polished
This is a SFSO album first and a Metallica album second.
8/10 Jebemliti ponedjeljak sveti kad me dočeka Lars Ulrich s albumom od dva sata. Em pada kisa vani, em sam na dijeti pa sam nervozan, em ne pušim vise, em ne zelim da mi ovo ujebe spotify algoritam pa slušam preko jutuba gdje je kvaliteta kao da slusam preko kartofela, jos ce mi ovaj kreten lupati po glavi 2 sata. No dobro, ajmo probati, barem su krenuli s Morikonijem i nema puno metalike za sad. da ostane ovako do kraja bila bi cista petica, 10/10 brate dragi. [..] a mislim, odrastao sam na metaliki, nije ovo toliko lose koliko mi Lars ide na jetru. Puno je bolje kad samo slušam nego kad ih gledam. Bolje mi sjeda nego Marli, da ga jebes. [..] 15 minutes in, prilicno je jasno da cu poslušati cijeli album [..] jbg, idem na spotify [..] evo me na kraju prve strane, nisam prebacio jos niti jednu pjesmu, ne obraćam paznju na onog degenerika na bubnju i nekako mi dosta dobro lezi ovaj simfonijski orkestar uz metal'ku [..] prvi komentar tek na na "For Whom The Bell Tools" - a ono, kad sam imao 16 godina i prvi bend ovo je bila pjesma koju smo skidali, tako da mi je nekako Metal'ka u srcu. S godina sam razvio bas prijezir prema Lars U. tako da mi teško sjeda, ali sad kad im "dam šansu", nije mi problem ovo slušati. Neću si ovo pustit nikada, ako mi se sluša tvrda glazba radije si pustim tvrde albume King Gizzarda, ali mi je svejedno drago da cu preslušati ovaj album do kraja. S punim pravom zaslužuje biti na ovoj listi. Gledao sam neki dokumentarac o njima, mislim da je možda bio o albumu St.Anger, jebote to je bas full teško za gledat. Lars kad otvori usta, ono, najradije bi mu cipelu ubacio unutra. On i gitarist nisu jednu lijepu riječ razmijenili tokom cijelog dokumentarca. Jako teško za gledati, mislim da sam odustao na pola. [..] dolazim do predzadnje pjesme, a to mi je ogromno iznenađenje. Znaci, ovo je bilo pozitivno iskustvo! Kad sam vidio sta nam je na repertoaru danas sam malo popizdio i pomislio da nema boga da dođem do kraja Evo hed bengam na ONE i mislim si deri ga Larse, deri ga Ulriče Larse (i dalje mislim da je zadnja seljačina, prijezir s početka komentara nije nestao) Jebemti život, stvarno sam mislio da cu hejtat ovo [..] Al' kad mi opletu ovaj treš na kraju, baterija me vraća u jako rane dane u sibinju. Bio sam premlad da bi skužio ploče od starog, interneta nije bilo, a jedina glazba koju smo imali je jedan CD koji je netko spržio s onak 45 najglupljih pjesama na svijetu i to smo svi slušali. I onda, iskopam od bratića dvije kazete, Kill 'em All i Master of Puppets. Stvarno ne znam kako nisam dobio tinitus od ta dva albuma negdje kad sam počeo slušati pink floyd sam prestao slušati metaliku i mislim da sam zadnji put ovo slušao s tipa 17 godina. 17 godina kasnije tu hedbengam na iste stvari, godamnit 4 od 5, super iskustvo i za kraj samo jedan komentar Puši ga Ulriče, puši ga Larse Ulriče.
The Memory Remains of this one. This was the Fuel for my Battery.
I like symphonies... I like Metallica... I loved this. I'll bet seeing it live would have been a 5
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Don't know that I consider this an album worth of this list, but I do like some Metallica.
I remember when this came out; it was such a surprise to teen me. I love how the symphony fills out the sound, softens it somewhat, and makes it overall warmer. I'm going to pick this over other Metallica albums every time. Of course, in general, I prefer classical over metal.
Great love the music it goes well with the combination of orchestral and metal. Could listen to this album quite easily again
bangin
Har altid været en af mine yndlings med Metallica tbh, måske et hot take!! Orkestret gør ikke meget for de gamle numre, men det klæder dem fra Load/Reload og de to nye numre. Bliver trukket op på en 4’er fordi publikum virker til at have en fest og James Hetfield lyder SÅ godt live
Rock opera! More fun than I thought I’d have listening
While I'm not the biggest fan of Metallica, this is a fantastic live album that adds the interesting musical elements from the SFSO. I was suprised by how much I liked this album. While it is 2 hours, I wasn't bothered by it because the classic metallica songs had the addition of new interesting elements which was cool.
At first, I admit I was dreading this just a bit—2+ hours of Metallica, and it’s a live album. But, I actually loved this! Really interesting idea, the orchestra sounds great
The orchestra adds a new layer to their songs, like pairing a nice wine with some cheese, they compliment each other well enough to make something new. 3.9
What a concept. Symphony & Metallica. Live. 25 years ago. It works very well.
Pretty solid album! Big and long time fan of Metallica! I would’ve replaced this with the “black”, Kill ‘em All, or Ride the lighting.. as far as how much influence they had on me, personally. Maybe we will see those albums later on. I love all of the orchestra versions of these banger's.. but can’t help comparing them to the original's and immediately wanting to hear the original over the renditions. 4 out of 5 rating for me.. cause you know, it’s fucking Metallica!! 💯🔥🤘🏿🤘🏻🤘
8/10 Grandes temas, gran trayectoria, gran orquesta. Lamentablemente la voz de Hetfield no es lo mejor del disco.
Wild
Metallica + orchestra REALLY works, I like this a lot.
I had heard a couple tracks on this album in the past, but had never listened to the over 2-hour performance, so I was eager to give this a listen. Honestly while the orchestra gave some real robustness and depth to a lot of the songs they played, there were some that there wasn't a lot of value added. That being said, the tracks that benefitted from the strings in particular were taken to a whole different level. I'll definitely revisit those songs again, but not likely the whole recording. Notable Tracks: - Master of Puppets - transition from The Call of Ktulu was top-notch - Of Wolf And Man - The Thing That Should Not Be - The Memory Remains - For Whom The Bell Tolls - Sad But True - One - Battery - a surprisingly good fit with the orchestra 7/10
A really interesting listen - no doubting their brilliance
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra makes this album great. Not a huge Metallica fan but this album is worth listening too!
Epic
Episch maar toch iets te lang. Wil nu wel heel graag naar zo'n concert
A classic, there isn't much more to say here!
One thing I noticed on this listen is, Of Wolf And Man, Fuel, Sad But True and Hero Of The Day sound surprisingly incredible with the orchestral accompaniment, all the songs do really, these just stood out for me as the most improved. Overall the 90’s Metallica works best with the orchestra in my opinion and these aren’t even my favorite Metallica songs. There’s more room in those songs for big movements from the strings and brass and all the instruments seem to blend with the band more. Unsurprisingly, One is a major highlight, it’s already a masterpiece but the orchestra just makes this song into a full blown movie. This might be the coolest thing Metallica has done conceptually, it’s been a while since I listened to this and I’m glad I got to today.
I liked this. I am familiar with most of the songs on here, and though I am not a Metallica super fan I have always thought they were skilled and kept things interesting and I think they will have their place in music history. This was my first listen to this particular album. It was interesting to hear some of these classic Metallica songs be given a symphonic treatment. I feel like some songs worked better with it than others. Strangely enough I feel like maybe the slower songs 'Hero of the Day', 'The Memory Remains' gave more breathing roam to the orchestra whereas some of the up tempo songs had orchestral 'licks' or 'hits' that made me think of a James Bond movie soundtrack and maybe the arrangements were a bit more limited on the quicker songs. I also feel as though I had to keep an open mind a bit because I am so used to the songs being a certain way. Ultimately though, good job Metallica.
The only reason this album doesn’t get a 5 is due to the length and nature of it being a live album. It’s at its best when listened to in its entirety, however due to the 2hr 13 minute run time the likelihood of being able to do that on a casual relisten is very slim. That being said this is a phenomenal performance start to finish. Metallica has cemented themselves as not only one of the best heavy metal bands of all time but best bands of all time full stop. The addition of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra add a level of cinematic complexity to already technical and punishing riffs and solos that is very much appreciated. It’s very easy to see why this performance made the list. I want to give this a 5 star rating but I can’t justify it knowing I will rarely if ever revisit this album. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be there in person. Metal perfected.
Epic sounding. Not a massive Metallica fan but side 1 sounded big and I was impressed. A few decent moments on side 2 but attention waned. 7/10
Sounds great but I really don't want to listen to two hours of this. Seems like a fantastic live album.
4/5. Not the first time I've heard a symphony play with a band live but the whole 2+ hour album is kind of crazy. I think I am at a disadvantage because I am not familiar with half of these songs. Most of them sounded like the symphony belonged and even enhanced some of the ones I already enjoyed. The length is daunting and hard to consume all the way through when just listening through headphones, would obviously be worth it live. But these are Metallica songs, basically a greatest hits compilation and then some other okay ones so hard not to like for the most part. Best Song: Fuel, Master of Puppets, Bleeding Me, Enter Sandman
The symphony really helps them break the "we're so tough and scary" kayfabe in an appealing way. Usually I just roll my eyes at these guys.