Reviews (page 4 of 10)
I mean this Is great shit, James sounds good and the orchestra is awesome but holy shit its too long for what it is. Live this must've been amazing though. 7/10
I may need to listen to this more but I like the concept of metal band meets orchestra
quite suspenseful 4/5
enjoyed it more than expected, love the addition of the symphony to bring new life to songs ive heard countless times
Really liked this 9/10
Wonderful album, Metallica's greatest hits from the first half of their career really shine when accompanied by an orchestra. Their most epic songs ("The Call of Ktulu", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Battery", "One", "Master of Puppets") are instant highlights.
I fucking love Metallica. I still think live albums are somewhat cheating since they’re more greatest hit compilations but this probably gets a pass with the unique orchestra spin. Crazy that it works and Hetfield‘s voice is on point. “Oooooooo yeah-heeeeee!” It’s long but goddamn that’s just how many hits these guys have! But the album cover….thats really the best they could do? Some half assed shit. 4.25
Fun nostalgia bomb. It’s too long, but also too many hits not to rate highly. Although a live album of your greatest hits is kind of a cheat code… 4/5
4.5
Soundtrack-style orchestral music pairs so well with heavy metal. This album is way too long for streaming/listening, but I'm sure the live performance was incredible. I didn't listen to the whole album, but I did listen to enough to know exactly how I feel about it. It's just an elevated version of Metallica's best music.
9/10 it’s Metallica’s greatest hits
Very cool, but a bit long. It's also a little unfair for a rating project to have albums with songs from other albums, but the orchestra adds a lot.
Metallica should have kept the orchestra
greatest hits album with strings
Muy bueno
I read a couple of reviews on metal archives and it seems there's hardly any middle ground on this album. Some people think it's absolute genius, while some others seem veeeery upset that it exists at all. The album is at its best when Metallica embrace the essence of what made them popular to begin with (high energy, fast and dirty, yet with technical prowess) and the orchestra then provides additional weight, texture and volume on top of that. On the other hand, the album is at its worst when they half-ass it or get sappy. For instance, these renditions of Master Of Puppets and Battery actually sound somewhat watered down and lack a certain oomph. And I'm not even sure what they were trying to do with Hero Of The Day, but it's certainly best off entirely forgotten. Ultimately I think the project was a great success. It had already been done decades earlier and there are still bands combining metal and classical music today to great effect. Actually, Haggard (who were at the absolute top of this game with Eppur Si Muove) used to be my number one favorite band for quite a while. As for the album as such, the individual tracks are kind of hit or miss. Some are absolutely brilliant, while others could easily be left out. The length works well for a concert, but for the album version, cutting it down from 130 to 70 minutes and simply omitting the weaker tracks would have made this an easy 5-star masterpiece.
Gotta say. Didn’t feel like a >2hr album. Enjoyed it all the way through.
mi aspettavo sarebbe stato molto più difficile arrivare alla fine. sono fermamente convinta anche però che senza l'orchestra non mi sarebbe sembrato così tanto interessante, dato che il metal non è proprio il mio genere preferito. detto ciò, nothing else matters è un capolavoro e sono lieta di scoprire che sad but true non è una canzone originale del mio protetto sam fender, bensì la sua versione è una cover a pianoforte dei metallica. ho salvato alcune canzoni quindi sarebbe scorretto da parte mia categorizzarlo come tutti gli altri album rock da tre stelle che finiscono nel dimenticatoio. 4 stelle meritate, consapevoli che due di queste vengono regalate ai metallica dall'orchestra, senza di lei veramente non mi sarebbe piaciuto così tanto.
Molto poetico ascoltarlo in laboratorio, grazie a lui ho fittato 3 ore senza problemi (circa)
If you’re already a big Metallica fan, this album is probably great, but I’m not sure it’s the best introduction to them. As someone who just quite likes them, I was initially put off by how long the album is and I was also disappointed to find that Ecstasy of Gold wasn’t a metal cover version, just the original version. Having said that, I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I had to take a break at the halfway point, but I wasn’t simply enduring the album like I expected. My only real criticism is that the guitars aren’t always as clear as I’d have liked, sometimes being drowned out by the orchestra, but that comes with the territory of recording a live performance. Main takeaway is that I wish I could’ve been there, though I’m not sure 5 year old me was as into metal as I am now
Never really got super into Metallica, although I do like their sound generally. Feel like they've taken the piss twice now though. First at Download 2023, by headlining TWO nights. And now on this app, with a TWO HOUR album. On both occasions there was a good selection of quality songs that I know, massively spaced out by alright songs that mostly sound the same. At least on this occasion I could listen from the comfort of my own home. And to be fair there were a couple of songs on this album I enjoyed that I didn't know before. Just cut it down a bit lads!
I'm not usually one for live albums, but this is good. I don't know if that I because I have seen Metallica live before, but listening to this took me back to that live show. Tbf it is a little long but I'm willing to forgive them as they have some absolute bangers on here, especially the 2nd half of the album.
Listened to Master of puppets instead and it was very good, good length of album and songs were all good
Interesting interpretation of Metallica's discography, unfortunately the production/mixing feels lacking, it doesn't punch like Metallica usually does.
If this can stay instrumental it might be five stars Welp, not working for Master of Puppets Works well with Wolf song, (but not really a good song) Thing that should not be is boring Fuel is good Spaced off A good idea in theory, but they are really overwhelming the orchestra and May as well not be there Nothing Else Matters works well…but didn’t it already have a symphony? Bell tolls is working pretty good…please don’t sing Roam would work really well if the dude would just STFU, they need a choir next time Second disk picks up a lot One works really well so far Sandman doesn’t work nearly as well as they thought it would, maybe spoke too soon…nah Well, I gotta give an A for effort tho. I think this project would have worked best as a DVD instead of an album because the symphony got drowned out a lot. Still a very fun idea that would have been great in person
it was good. interesting. liked it.
This is a great album if you like Metallica. In general though, I really do like the fusion between orchestral work and metal.
Wow, there's a lot of hate for this one. But I think there's generally a lot of hate for Metallica plus Metallica purists. I thought it was pretty fun. I liked some of these better than the originals. Maybe it is a little silly to be on the list but I don't believe I should be rating albums' credibility to be on this list.
This monster of an album works as a live concert (which it was) but is too long for an album. I have huge respect for Michael Kamen, may he rest in peace, but the orchestral arrangements are hit and miss. Sometimes they are great (Until it Sleeps), sometimes they add nothing to the song (Master of Puppets). All in all an album that really deserves to be here, but could have used a litte bit of editing. 4/5
Very nice experience. For some reason this is the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, but also live, and it would been an even better experience if this was recorded in a studio, but it's okay, I still jammed through those 2 hours and 13 minutes. Overall pretty good album.
They should have gotten this collab for a Bond theme
Very good
Im not a big metal fan, but I did enjoy listening to this over two days of bike commutes.
Fun game: count how many times James Hetfield does the UGGHYEEEEEAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! growl on this album. Don't make it a drinking game though or you'll probably die. At first, the orchestra adds a nice touch to some songs, but then detracts from others, overshadows the rocking and ripping and ultimately sounds like it's looking for something to do while the band is out there shredding. Orchestra good: Ecstasy of Gold, Call of Ktulu, Hero Of The Day, Nothing Else Matters Orchestra Bad: Master of Puppets, Until It Sleeps, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam, Battery and sadly Sad But True No-Leaf Clover rips and is the only recorded version of the song as far as I know. It was refreshing to not hear the crowd yell along since no one knew what it was. The setlist is some odd picks out of their catalogue, a little too much Load/Reload and not enough 80s Metallica for me. This album did remind me of how much Metallica used to shred though before they became rich whiny babies and I hope there's more on this list so I can rock out more. One extra star for No Leaf Clover
Primero, vamos con lo obvio. Metallica es una de las mejores bandas para hacer ejercicio, puntualmente de alto impacto o de tipo artes marciales. El thrash marida perfecto con el esfuerzo para moldear el cuerpo y superarse. Segundo, éste disco que no había escuchado. Acá lo orquestal (valga la redundancia) va en sintonía con el heavy metal y lo embellece. Hay joyas como "Master of puppets", "Fuel", "Devil's dance", "Human". Y muchas más. Gran trabajo, más instrospectivo, demostrando la complejidad de canciones que muchas veces se tienen por repetitivas.
Metallica. 4
Highlight: Devil’s Dance
A little long but the Metallica songs backed by the symphony sounds like amazing.
Brilliant, powerful performance Fuel Memory remains No leaf clover
this was a great live album with the SF Symphony, really cool
Its the best Metallica album so far, but its too bloody long at 2 hours. I got though most of it and think if I was to cherry pick some of the songs it would be more enjoyable
I’m quite a big Metallica fan, and weirdly this was the first of their albums I ever bought. I got it from a antique shop that had a box of random CD’s, most of which were either in broken cases, or not in their cases at all. I got S&M, mostly because I thought the title was hilarious, and Hot Fuss by the Killers, which ended up being the European version with Change Your Mind in it’s proper place and Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll as a bonus track. Despite having owned it for years, I didn’t listen to S&M all the way through until after having become a Metallica fan, which I think is for the best. This is a long and pretty extra project. And to be clear, I love it. I’ve said multiple times before that Metallica’s style of songwriting scratches my brain in the same way that classical does, and the addition of a literal orchestra does nothing to dispel that idea in my mind. But I also see this as a project that is absolutely aimed towards die hard fans rather than the casual listener. Metallica may have been on top of the world in 1999, but that doesn’t mean that the average listener, no matter how much they enjoyed The Black Album wants to listen to 2 and a quarter hours of deep cuts performed with the San Francisco Symphony. To the casual listener, this is probably tedious. But if you’re already into the band, then this is a masterpiece, a reinterpretation of a load of great songs, and a unique and interesting functional Greatest Hits from a band that’s unlikely to ever put out a traditional Greatest Hits album. I do love it, but I can see why people wouldn’t
The first song off this album sounds like it belongs in Dark Souls. This album is sick as fuck! I was so scared since it said 2 hours but so far I am having a great time! 4/5
What a great performance.
Damn. Symphonic Metal goes Hard.
Although I was only previously aquainted with just a few Metallica songs, I liked this album. Metallica's thrash metal works with a symphony orchestra, and works well. I especially liked "Master of Puppets", "Nothing Else Matters", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", and of course "Enter Sandman".
fun but I wish there was no crowd noises
Great concept album. A very fun listen for classic Metallica and something I will add into my daily playlist.
Not an idea I'm aware of having been tried before this, and an interesting one that was well executed. Gripes about Metallica's mid-to-late period transition, this still captures the band delivering a lot of Black-era and prior tracks in an entirely different light. "No Leaf Clover" was a welcome revisit as well.
Really enjoyed this one!
This was a neat concept, but the orchestration needed work on many songs. The huge hits were probably the best. Love the idea, just needed work on the execution.
I've never listened to this before, definitely an interesting concept combining metal and symphony. Two genres that couldn't be more diametrically opposed, until you actual listen to sweeping guitar solos and realize how intricate they truly are, and how much they have in common with a symphony. This album basically amounted to Metallica's greatest hits featuring the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. It really works well. I enjoyed it
3.5
Not a big Metallica fan but given that this is a live album it’s very good
This was ridiculous. Full Spinal Tap. Loved it.
That would have been an amazong concert to attend
Après un seconde écoute : bon kiff
Álbum orquestrado! Excelente! Impecável! O orquestrado conseguiu completar as músicas de uma forma indescritível. Resultado: inusitado e incrível.
This is one of the best live albums of all time. Is it perfect? No. But it is really interesting.
Pass, will listen on CD at some point
I am here for it.
Great live album restored my Metallica fandom
Love Metallica, this live album was great Top tracks: Master Of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters, Wherever I May Roam, One, Enter Sandman
Epic. Maybe too long
Ok I know it was over 2 hours so y’all are probably gonna knock it for that but I really liked it. I like Metallica’s sound a lot and it was really cool to hear them with the orchestra as well. Yes I would probably prefer if it wasn’t over two hours but at least it was an enjoyable two hours with a band I like and enjoy the sound of. If this had been two hours of Korn I may have done something drastic.
i think all metal bands need to bring in a symphony on their albums
4.5
Great collaboration. Cant believe its been 24 years.
I have split feelings about this album. This was cool asf. Powerful voices, crazy solos as always, these guys are beast. It was epic. Even the crowd did the job great. It's a great idea with a lots of potential. But sometimes I don't even hear the orchestra. It looks like the members of Metallica don't want to let the orchestra to play with them but for them. Fav song : No Leaf Clover Worst song : Bleeding Me
Very musical hard rock album. Live performance inspired. Seamless fusion with symphony. Singer’s lower tenor voice worked perfectly with the highs of the violins. Unique listening experience.
You know what, fuck the haters this album rocked.
I really wanted to Scoff at this. I had comments already in the bag about how it was Metallica doing a Metallica covers album, about how Portishead did it much better, about Metallica trying desperately to land the next Bond theme tune. Then I listened to it. It's over the top, theatrical, sometimes ridiculous, but eventually and fundamentally brilliant. As the album progressed, it gets more over the top. James Hetfield is like a super charged version of himself, every sentence ending with the familiar "ah" sound. As the album comes to a close, the classics come out. It's fun, caricaturish, riotous. I couldn't help but get swept along with the madness. Not sure this is a life changing album, or an album that changed music in anyway, but a great listen, Metallica being Metallica to the Nth degree.
Quite decent album. I really liked it when it came out. It has quite a bit of nostalgia for me. There was a bit too much emphasis on Load/Reload but those were the hot albums at the time. Best Tracks Call of the Ktulu No Leaf Clover One Skips The Outlaw Torn
Sick album but not sure why it's on this list.
I don’t seek out Metallica, but I thought this album was pretty good. The mix/production is really well done. It turns out that I know a lot of Metallica songs. I enjoyed this. The cons are it is incredibly long and sounds very similar after awhile. 3.75 stars, so it’s a 4.
I listened to this a ton when I was young. It's highs are high indeed but it is way too long.
A real ass-kicker. A “face melter” as the kids might say.
Metal man
Ich mag grundsätzlich eher Studioaufnahmen als Live-Alben, aber mit dem Symphonieorchester klingt das richtig gut. Wie gut dass erst im „Studio“ geklungen hätte.
Good
I was never a hard rock fan, but Metallica!
The Ecstasy of Gold was really good,I didn't realize Metallica did a cover of it.I also liked The call of Ktulu, Bleeding Me and Battery. Although a long album it was enjoyable.
Gimme Foo Gimme Fah Gimme Jabbajabawah!
Was enjoyable but I feel like the symphony could have been more metal. Symphonies can go pretty hard, it felt like they didn't use them properly.
I like symphony and I really like Metallica so this wasn't hard to listen to. Of course it does start off a little slower than I'd like, though
Started off too heavy for me but became less so. Lived the symphony pairing
Pretty damn good. It’s a full concert on one album, I just don’t have the attention span for a 2 hour album
Metallica cap off their blockbuster 90s with an unfathomable collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, thus bringing to life their own version of what Deep Purple did in the late 60s. At times highly tasteful whilst becoming a tad too overwhelming, the end result sees the band and orchestra dive into newer variations of what was now classic heavy metal songs, wringing out ferocious emotion and intensity that was bound to come to. It is not a surprise to see this become a pivotal moment for the band as it not only closed out the decade (and unknowingly saying farewell to Jason Newsted not long afterward) but it would inspire them to dig back into the symphonic bag two decades later. Whether or not this causes classical fans to dig Metallica or Metallica fans to appreciate classical, what can be said is that S&M was a rousing success. Generated on 2/7/24, reviewed on 3/27/24. Favorites: The Call of Ktulu, Master of Puppets, Fuel, The Memory Remains, No Leaf Clover, Hero of the Day, Nothing Else Matters, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Outlaw Torn, One, Enter Sandman.
Undeniably good for what it is. The emphasis on Load/Reload era is striking and unfortunate; good songs in there, but so many more better songs that could have been included. Still solid.
Nach dem Album weiß man warum es beim Dorffest in Wacken so voll ist. 137 energiegeladene Minuten zeigen eine Osmose aus Hardrock und Classic. Nicht nur der Classicer “Nothing else Matter” wissen zu überzeugen sondern auch “Hero of the day” oder “Outlaw Torn” das einen guten Querschnitt des Albums abbildet.
live album qualifier
I have always enjoyed this album. Some of the songs are a little muddy sonicly with all the instruments but others work perfectly. If nothing else it makes me want to listen to all their original albums.
Comments: Never found appreciation for Metallica until now. This blew me away. Rating: 4/5
Interesting concept, works much better with the visual but I still dig the sounds
Yes!!
Heavy metal cello is an awesome thing. I certainly like the combination of a full orchestra with the band. The integration is still imperfect in that the orchestra is very much an addition/wrapper to the songs, but it sounds great. The future would of course be to see an electrified orchestra actually take lead on some songs and not just be an embellishment--a flugel-horn melody, more clarinet, etc. Jethro Tull truly integrated some flute into their sound. Jean Luc Ponty violin was used by Zappa to some effect. Rock and pop have stuck for the most part with a very small range of instruments and tend to be very drum and bass driven. This kind of work begins to open the door to a broader sound and hopefully will light up the minds of those future musicians with the breadth of skills to turly integrate an orchestra.
Los arreglos sinfónicos quedan excelentes y Metallica logra hacer un ensamble ideal. Se nota que era una gran época para la banda.
Vamos a dejar aún lado los gustos musicales, te puede gustar o no, indiscutiblemente, indudablemente… músicos son por encima de todo. En este álbum reúnen muchas de su mejores canciones interpretadas magistralmente y unido al sonido de violines y otro instrumentos le dan un toque a las canciones que podrían ser de cualquier banda sonora. Las cinco estrellas nunca se las voy a dar a nadie por que nada es perfecto, esté álbum se aproxima. Muy bien
There are a few skippable songs - maybe 2 in each half of the album - but the cumulative effect of Metallica, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, a tremendous crowd, and a setlist that includes almost every great song they wrote from 1983-1999 results in a live album as big, as powerful, and as charged as the band deserves.
This is such a cool concept, and I'm a huge Metallica fan, so I came into this hoping for greatness, but it just falls short in places. Many of the arrangements leave a lot to be desired, some are sick as fuck though. Mixing is inconsistent throughout. James' voice is really rough on a few songs, Puppets is especially awful. Never listened to Load in full (why would I?) and Hero Of The Day is probably now my least favorite song by the band, what the fuck is that thing. It's still a really cool record overall but I wish it was better, if that makes sense
Ecstasy of Gold has got to be one of the coolest, heaviest way to start your live show. Very cool. Glad they are still doing this even after 20 years. Metallica with Orchestra is pretty much exactly what I need in there music. Adds a layer beyond the thrash that I'm not a massive fan of. Call of Ktulu sounds epic as all hell. Like a Dream Theater suite. The orchestra carries this song big time! After finishing this full album I can maybe contend that this might be my favourite Metallica album of all. Big fan of the first 5 albums but the orchestra really adds that extra layer for me. Would love an actual studio version utilizing orchestral elements. So heavy. So epic. Hell yeah.
Loved this. The SF orchestra adds such a crazy dimension to the music. I would have preferred if the entire album was instrumental-only but even with the lyrics, you never lose sight of the hugeness of the orchestra behind them.
The first symphonic metal album i ever heard, never been a great fan of Metalicca so i don't have a lot of expectations. The openning is the ecasty of gold (i don't know it was call that) but its the main song in the god the bad and the ugly so its pretty cool. Its a great combinason of metallica energetic and powerfull metal sound and the magnestic symphonic of the orchestra of San Franscisco. Because i don't know a lot of metalicca songs, i couldn't apreciate as much of his value this album, but the sound of the fans screaming before and after each songs prouve how much they are a good band, simply not my favorite. Enter Sandman is one of the best Metalicca song in my oppinion and its this version that i like the most in the album
Classic Metallica
Metallica but big. Can't go wrong!
Long songs, like, unnecessary long 😂 Though, the addition of the orchestra really makes it quite enjoyable to listen to Metallica. A really good accompaniment and adds such a large dimension to the sound. Guitars are nice and chunky, some nice riffs. Vocals sound a bit autotuned, which I wasn't expecting for a band like these tbh Overall, best one so far
Wow, how did I not know this album existed?! Not a massive Metallica fan but I do really like their music, and adding an orchestra is pretty damn cool. Extremely dramatic, essentially a Greatest Hits with added strings. I like!
The most dramatic album I've ever heard. Enjoyed it tons more than expected though.
Soooo good! Probably one of if not the greatest live performance ever. The crossover ov symphony and metal works out extremely well. Also a good way to listen to some om Metallica's greatest songs in one album.
Great collaboration but Metallica is just too intense and sometimes seems repetitive for me to enjoy a whole album. But the SFSO is really good with them.
Fantastic composition and incredible lineup. Just a wonderful piece of art
Liked most of the songs on this album. Masters of the heavy metal sound. Orchestra adds to the experience.
Great stuff - though the orchestra does not add too much IMHO.
Love this discovery. Strings added new dimension to these songs. Would definitely check out a Metallica concert with strings. Energy out of control. Will definitely revisit this one.
probably the best way to enjoy some metallica songs even if you don't like them that much?
Enjoyed the massive arrangements
Pretty good, incentive album from the Met
Badass. Loved it.
Incr.
Live Metallica, really good. The symphony gives it a different sound.
I'm not usually a big fan of metal, however I found this surprisingly enjoyable with the addition of the symphony
Manchmal etwas zu bombastisch
I enjoyed this. Not sure why I hadn't listened to it before. Maybe due to the length.
Majestuoso. Cerró el siglo XX.
Lars still a salty pussy
Interesting collaboration! Sounded like a movie score. Fun listen, but over 2 hours was a big ask lol
Great album. Putting these two together was a great idea. The live audience made it better with their reactions and applause. I felt like Hetfield's vocals were a bit lacking on a few songs, like they didn't hit like they once did. Album is 24 years old. Crazy.
I miss Jason Newsted and Metallica before they were sober.
This collaboration rips!
Great stuff, a nice spin on some Metallica classics, not an improvement on the originals though, but very interesting.
starts off awesome. Goes on for far too long...
the symphony orchestra concept is so cool to me so this was one of the most enjoyable albums so far, even if it wasnt the best the latter half had some more mid songs that didnt fit the concept as well but I still enjoyed it
Great idea and great performance, but the live album is SO LONG.
Pretty unique album that has a wide range of sounds and instruments. Cannot deny creativity of this band and love for their music.
Metallica's Red Square concert is an all time great performance that few could ever match. That said, the collaboration they pulled off here is impressive for completely different reasons. The biggest criticism I can lay on this work is (aside from James' lame banter), there are many moments where the symphony adds little to nothing to the original songs. But never does it feel like it interferes, and when the collaboration works, it works! 4 headbanging violinists out of 5 🎻🎻🎻🎻
Enjoyed it, despite the edgy 11-year-old style metal lyrics ("awoo I'm a werewolf lol"). The vocals were better than I expected.
i wish lars ulrich would stop sleeping with my mom
A very cool mix of very different genres of music. "No Leaf Clover" is my absolute favorite song from this album. Very cool \m/
2 straight hours of Metallica is a LOT of Metallica. But that being said, this would have been an amazing concert to see live. I'm not a huge fan of metal music, but I've always respected the artistry of the genre. It's fun to throw on every now and again.
Niet zo erg als normale live versies
I liked the concept, however i dont think it works for all the chosen songs. All in all a great album and interesting experience.
This is impressive! Metallica rendering their songs to work well with an orchestra. I have to say I don't like James's performance in quite some moments, but the band is on fire. The orchestra works great on top of and working around the songs. The exclusive songs for this concert are great too! 8 out of 10
Solid effort, nice touch with the orchestra backing.
It's a very majestic album. The furiosity of Metallica's thrash metal combined with a symphony orchestra is a good match. It really shows the melodic side of Metallica as well. I like the successor S&M2 better than this one.
This is a great album ... I wouldn't have listened to this, but it came up, so I did listen to it and I liked it 4 stars
Liked it. With the orchestral twist, it makes it much more listenable to me, because I often think of live albums as boring. I know, shame on me. I mean, I can listen to live versions and bootlegs of my fave bands, sometimes the songs end up sounding better than the studio versions. Anyway. I think I enjoyed most of the songs. Has a twist to it. Hetfield's voice sounds a bit different here, but it fits.
1. Ambitious Collaboration: The most striking aspect of "S&M" is the ambitious fusion of Metallica's hard-hitting metal songs with the grandeur of a symphony orchestra. This collaboration was a bold move that showcased the band's willingness to experiment and push boundaries. The result is a powerful and dynamic sound that elevates Metallica's music to a whole new level. 2. Powerful Symphonic Arrangements: Michael Kamen's symphonic arrangements add depth and richness to Metallica's songs. The orchestra's involvement is not merely decorative; it complements the band's intensity and adds new dimensions to their music. Tracks like "The Call of Ktulu" and "No Leaf Clover" benefit greatly from these arrangements, creating a captivating sonic experience. 3. Dynamic Performance: Metallica's live energy is captured brilliantly on this album. The band's performance is tight, and they sound as powerful as ever. The presence of the symphony orchestra adds an extra layer of dynamics, making the live experience even more immersive. James Hetfield's vocals, Kirk Hammett's guitar solos, Lars Ulrich's drumming, and Jason Newsted's basslines all shine in this setting. 4. Track Selection: "S&M" features a selection of Metallica's most iconic songs, including classics like "Master of Puppets," "Enter Sandman," and "One." These tracks were chosen well, representing different eras of the band's career, ensuring a diverse listening experience for both new and longtime fans. 5. Highlights: Some standout moments on the album include the epic rendition of "The Call of Ktulu" with its haunting orchestration, the emotional depth of "Bleeding Me," and the intensity of "Battery." The album also introduces two new songs, "No Leaf Clover" and "−Human," which seamlessly fit into the overall performance. 6. Flaws: While "S&M" is a remarkable achievement, it may not be for everyone. Some fans of Metallica's raw and uncompromising thrash metal sound may find the symphonic elements distracting or unnecessary. Additionally, the mixing of the album has been criticized by some listeners, as the orchestra can sometimes overshadow the band's instruments. 7. Impact and Legacy: "S&M" is a testament to Metallica's musical versatility and willingness to experiment. It paved the way for other rock and metal bands to explore orchestral collaborations. This album remains an important part of Metallica's discography and has been a defining moment in their career. In conclusion, "S&M" is a daring and successful experiment that showcases Metallica's ability to transcend genre boundaries. It offers a unique and captivating listening experience, blending the raw power of metal with the grandeur of a symphony orchestra. While it may not be universally beloved by all Metallica fans, it is an essential addition to the band's catalog and a testament to their musical evolution.
Really good album. Metal and symphony. Not a huge metal head, but I enjoyed it immensely.
I was not thrilled at two hours of Metallica… but the orchestra added so much! Some really great pieces herein… and then some I still would rather not. But the best Metallica yet!
I like Metallica. I only liked Metallica once they "sold-out" and went "mainstream". "Nothing Else Matters" with an orchestral arrangement is a think of absolute staggering beauty but "Enter Sandman" is a mess. I like it, but can't help feeling it could have been more somehow.
ça change
Nice! Never listened to this one before. The symphony pairs well with Metallica.
Very powerful, its a bit of a cheat to put it in this list since it's not an album though. it's a live performance greatest hits.
Holy shit
4.5 stars. This was epic. They symphony adds to the metal performance, enhancing what is essentially a Metallica greatest hits live album.
High four, not quite a five. This album rocks, but the long length works both in its favor and against it. Hetfield’s vocals are also a bit weaker on this album, but that’s to be expected with a live album. That being said, this album is AMAZINGLY put together for a live album.
good collaboration.
Very good
Positiv överraskning men det kanske mest beror på symfonikerna. Många klassiker här.
Love this album
Not a huge fan of live albums. Pretty long to listen to when I'm not...there. But this was a really good one.
i'm not a huge metallica fan but I really don't get the hate for this album. a lot of the songs work well with symphonic arrangements and they're more interesting to me than many of the original album versions. stay mad, "REAL" metalheads favorites: the ecstasy of gold, the call of ktulu, master of puppets, the thing that should not be, fuel, hero of the day, for whom the bell tolls, one
The melding of Metallica’s electric guitars and drums with an orchestra is a brilliant pairing. The problem with “S&M” is when in their careers they made it. It’s heavy on “Load” and “Reload” because those were their most recent albums. Sometime around the black album, James Hetfield became a better singer. And then took everything he learned too far and became a worse singer. I just don’t like the way he uses his voice as much from “Load” and beyond. Those vocals and the set list here hold “S&M” back, but a metal symphony is a terrific concept. There’s probably some symphonic metal out there I should be checking out.
I was cautiously hopeful that I would like this album. And I’m happy to say that I liked it much more than I thought I would. I was skeptical seeing: i) a lot of Load and Reload songs and ii) it’s a 2+ hour long investment. I think the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra added copious drama to the Metallica sound. The set list was better than I feared. And there were only 2 or 3 songs that I get could have been left out entirely. This was close to getting a 5.
I uh...may have enjoyed the orchestra more than Metallica. Surprisingly, this worked for me. The album ran a bit long, but I listened to it while killing a shit ton of enemies in an FPS game, so.
Hella long album, great performance, and I think the symphony really added to these songs. I'd give it a 4.5, it should sit below Metallica's studio albums but still be given high praise.
4.25
Great album with a lot of energy.
Listened Before? Yes This album has a shitload of nostalgia tied up in it, so I don't think I can be at all unbiased. Received this for Christmas when I was about 9 years old and played the hell out of it for years to follow. I remember it was a two CD package which meant an extremely long listen. Looking at this with a bit more cynical eye, this album seems a bit more of an ego-stroking cash grab, but it will always hold a special place. Album opens with only the symphony playing ecstasy of gold (from the Good the Bad and the Ugly). Metallica joins the stage for their instrumental Call of Ktulu from Ride the Lightning with the symphony adding depth to the existing song. Original is great as is this version. Only complaint is that the mixing buries the (amazing) guitar solo a little more than I would prefer at the midsection. Symphonic addition kind of makes this feel like a James Bond intro or something. I actually think that the symphony inclusion hurts Master of Puppets. IMO the song works much better as stripped down as possible. First time hearing Hetfield and his live vocals sound great. Quality micing work on the audience to capture their singalong. Far too much here to try and break it down song by song. In broad strokes, this album is an interestingly successful musical fusion that pairs a professional symphony orchestra against "metal." I think that the pairings tend to work better for the later career (read as more poppy) entries to Metallica's catalog; however, they must have noticed that as well given that that describes most of the album outside of a few notable exceptions. Standouts for me are Of Wolf And Man, No Leaf Clover, Hero Of The Day, and One. This doesn't hold a flame to the first four albums Metallica released, but it is a fine enough entry. Will always hold a special place for me. 4 / 5 Added to Library? Yes Songs Added to Playlists:
Very good
Orchestra-aided rock is almost always a win, in my experience. I kinda wish it wasn't a live concert, though. I ain't listening to hear the crowd sing, James!
Metallica with an orchestra. It's one of those crazy ideas that sort of works somehow. To me it sounded like music from video games, particularly final fantasy games. which I like, so it's a plus for me, though it's strange to not be stressfully fighting some monster at the same time. Some songs work better than others, and given that it's a 2hr+ album, I could have lived with having less. But enjoyable, especially if you're doing something that takes a while, but needs an epic soundtrack.
The symphony really elevates Metallica to a different and very interesting level. Part of me likes it more than standard Metallica, but the more rational side of my brain knows that it just shouldn't really be compared in that way. It is very enjoyable of a listen even though it just lasts forever.
It's really good, even better than I anticipated. The guys in Metallica may be dicks, but the two hours of symphonic metal on this album makes up for it. Perfect D&D fight music. Will warrant another listen
Well that sure was a long one, I think the symphony aspect took away from the Metallica but it still was good. I would rather listen to the original though.
i'm torn on metallica's live s&m album. combining heavy metal with an orchesta is a cool idea, and metallica did something super unusual here. however, at times the orchestra is drowned out and the whole point of the album is lost. metallica really just plays hard, so i guess that's the risk you run. regardless, it was an enjoyable live album. metallica was able to extend some instrumentals in their songs, and i enjoyed the differences the orchestra brought. the string instruments could increase the musical tension well. two hours is a risky length, but with the extended instrumentals, it didn't seem so long. not to mention metallica brought such great energy to this audio only recording. and i heard some new metallica songs, so it was a win for all of us today.
I'm not one to just listen to a 2+ hour live show without actually being there, but this one was pretty good. It was really densely packed from start to finish, wasn't much time wasted. The live performances were all good, but my main issue is that the orchestra didn't always contribute much. Some songs felt enhanced by it but others just felt like extra noise on top.
I'm pretty familiar with a lot of Metallica's singles, but this was my first time listening to one of their albums from start to finish. I'm not very big into live albums, but this album was great. I knew a little less than half the tracks on here, and it was great to be able to listen to those songs in a new light. I don't know what all went into the process of converting these songs into being playable with a symphony orchestra, but the end result works really well. The band still sounds great, and Hetfield's growling vocals sound as powerfully brooding as ever. The only drawback here is that I didn't really get a lot from the songs that I didn't already know. They sounded fine, but as someone who's not a huge Metallica fan, I didn't have anything to compare them to. My favorite tracks here were "Nothing Else Matters" and "One." A few random thoughts about Metallica in general: I find it funny in a sad way that a lot of people my age hate James Hetfield for getting Napster shut down. He came off like a villain in that story while the real villains are the asshole record company executives. On my review for Megadeth's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying earlier this week, I said that thrash metal musicians are athletes first and musicians second, because of the physicality of their music, and Metallica is living proof of this. These guys just put out a new record this year, and they look fit as hell. The guys from Motley Crue, however, look like they spent the night in the gutter, and they sound like these days too. It's incredibly impressive to me that Metallica has had so much mainstream success as a thrash metal band, and they've managed to survive the rise and fall of hair metal, grunge, and mainstream alternative rock.
You know what, this isn't half bad. This would have been one hell of a live show to attend. Orchestral, epic, blistering guitars and great vocals. Well done lads.
You can’t deny metallicas impact. Both as a listening experience but also as a phenomenon. The pretence to classical music in hard rock goes back to at least deep Purple and Ibsen to remember kids doing an album with the Melbourne symphony. But this album works. A bit self indulgent But the orchestra does enhance the music. It’s not pretentious which is an amazing feat.
Ngl, I was pissed at first when I saw this was a 2 hour long Metallica live album that I'd have to slog through. The SF Symphony Orchestra popped off though. Shout out to the legend Ennio Morricone for a little Ecstacy of Gold starting the album off. Surprisingly good overall
There is something amazing about the very idea that a metal band would collaborate with an orchestra, and their execution of it is remarkable. I'll be honest, I'm not that into Metallica but what they achieved here with the San Francisco Symphony & Michael Kamen is special.
I feel like this should be a 5 but it doesn’t quite get there for me. The combination of the sweeping arrangements with the audience yelling/singing along felt like a bit much at times. And the whole thing went on too long. It may have gotten really great at the end but I fell asleep.
intercourse...
This album features a live concert performance by Metallica, accompanied by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The album begins with the powerful track "The Ecstasy of Gold," which sets the stage for an epic journey through Metallica's music, arranged in a symphonic style. The album features many of the band's greatest hits, including "Master of Puppets," "Enter Sandman," and "Nothing Else Matters," all of which are given a fresh new sound with the addition of the symphony. The performance of Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is truly special. The two entities merge perfectly, creating a cohesive and powerful sound that is unlike anything else. The symphony adds an extra layer of depth and emotion to the music, elevating it to different heights. One of the best examples of how well these groups mix on the album is "One," which features a hauntingly beautiful introduction by the orchestra before launching into the familiar heavy metal riffs of the song. The addition of the symphony creates a chilling experience that leaves you feeling pretty wowed. ”S&M" is a very special album that showcases the incredible talent of Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The combination of heavy metal and classical music is truly unique, and the result is a powerful and hard-to-forget listening experience.
I love this idea! I wish every band ever would do a symphonic greatest hits album. The additional instrumentation adds so much depth and texture to Metal Licka's music. It is a little gimmicky but that's not always a bad thing. I don't think 100% of these songs translate super well but like 90% do. They released a sequel to this a few years ago which I think is the better version of this, which isn't terribly hard to believe. Really cool concept and mostly well executed. 4.5
Liked the classical element to it, nit really my cup of tea though. Clearly a good band with some bangers
Great version and well curated album. Really enjoyed it
Very good production
Every song was solid. The orchestra could be good sometimes, but ultimately I never felt that the orchestra really enhanced a song that much. It certainly wasn't bad, but I would have no preference between the originals or the S&M versions.
Enjoy the music but prefer studio recordings of these songs. This would have been an epic show to go to though.
Incredible live album, metal and a symphony is wild but super good
so fun
Real TSO vibes.
Sick live album. It’s a bit long but these tracks rock.
I was skeptical about the whole concept of this album but, holy shit does it work. Picture some epic fantasy tale where flawed heroes battle demonic armies across desolate landscapes, and this is the Academy Awards nominated soundtrack.
8/10
As a concert, idea, performance and recording this is an easy 5/5. A great set list stuffed full of classics, a loud and enthusiastic crowd, and brilliant performances by both Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra adds musicality, notes and embiggens some already huge music. This may be how I listen to Metallica from now on. That said, as an album it would benefit from some editing down. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Sad But True Date listened: 09/01/23
The bands killed it, Hetfields singing was a little too extra for this set but I guess its fitting for the dramatic orchestra.
I Like Metallica.The albums basically a Metallica’s greatest hits album with an orchestra.I like the orchestra adding a different sound and since I like all the songs it’s a great album.I’d rate it a five if it wasn’t for the amount of filler.Like half the songs are the new material that haven’t aged as well.
Cypress Hill already did it in The Simpsons
Tja, een album dat begin met Ennio Morricone kan sowieso nooit helemaal slecht zijn. Het duurde wel even voordat ik erin kwam hoor, maar dan ben je uiteindelijk wel in de flow. Goede en originele combi van brullende gitaren en het orkest van filmcomponist Michael Kamen, die wederom bewijst (na de Finse act Apocalyptica, dat Metallica op cello speelt) dat de grens tussen heavy metal en klassieke muziek (gek genoeg) soms flinterdun is. Enige klacht van mijn kant is wellicht de lengte, ruim twee uur zware metalen is voor mijn ongeoefende oren aan de lange kant.
Een muziekvriend van mij zei altijd. "Een muzikale basis is goed als het ook overeind blijft in een heel andere uitvoering". Test geslaagd. Dat is duidelijk. Toch vraag ik mij af. Zou Metallica ook zo groot zijn geworden als ze de nummers direct met orkest hadden uitgebracht? Ik denk het niet. Natuurlijk is dit een leuk en knap project. Tof dat dit gedaan is. Maar het is niet dat de muziek van Metallica iets miste. In deze uitvoering 3,5 ster.
If you’re a fan of the band or classic metal, then this is still a great album, almost a greatest hits of one of genre’s best bands. However, not sure this combination works for this genre. It definitely enhances the band’s ballads and slower songs, but plays minimal effect, almost feeling awkward on the heavy guitar and fast tempo songs. The novelty also wears off by the time you make it through the over 3 hour run time. James Hetfiled absolutely kills his vocals, incredible.
Always tough and almost unfair to rate a Live album against studio albums due to their "best of "-nature. This specific one pits Metallica with a whole orchestra, something that definitely works well in general but nonetheless becomes a bit of a gimmick and just sort of "it's there but doesn't improve anything"
Ridiculously epic. I never realised what this album was (as in with an orchestra). It's long though.
Mix innego gatunku z orkiestrą symfoniczną, to to co tygryski lubią najbardziej.
Really amazing, but 2 hours and 15 minutes long
Gah, so much baggage with these guys. Their music didn't go in the expected direction, they were (too?) fiercely protective of their music and Lars is...well, Lars. It's easy to be hard on them. But expectations aside, even the stuff after 1988 is still good stuff. Yeah, it lacks the rawness of their early stuff. But a lot of their post-'88 catalog is still really great...some of the songwriting is actually better, with more depth to it. I'm not a big live album fan, but the symphony addition is unique and makes this worth listening to. I think true symphonic metal bands have a more epic sound with this format, but it goes well with Metallica's sound. I'd think it took an adjustment for them to play a completely arranged format for over 2 hours, but they nailed it.
Symphonic metal wasn’t something I ever thought I would divulge in, but the concept of it did intrigue me. This live album did exceed my expectations of what it would entail. The music is absolutely epic and cinematic. The addition of the orchestral band takes Metallica’s songs to new soaring heights, whilst still remaining faithful to the original material. Some of the re-imagined tracks can easily be featured in a soundtrack for a film, that’s how good they are.
I am very familiar with Metallica, and this album. I have listened to it many times before, and can't wait to give it another spin today!! This album is a collaboration between Metallica, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Kamen. Many people would be surprised how well orchestras and thrash metal fit together. I watched a documentary one time called Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. It traced the roots of metal music back to opera and classical music, and notably, composers such as Vivaldi and Bach. They had the same flare seen in many metal bands today to make louder music, and provide spectacle for the observers. Some composers even used cannon fire to amp up the bass sections of their operatic pieces! The melding of the overreaching operatic performance, laced with the heavy, fast, traditional Metallica sound is amazing. This is a double live album, so the run time is quite long (over 2 hrs), but it is an amazing listen all the same. If you want a better experience, watch the live film of the performance. It would have been amazing to have been there in person to experience it! Overall, a phenomenal album. I've loved it for years, and still love it. This made for a fantastic Saturday! Favourite songs: For Whom the Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, Battery, No Leaf Clover, Of Wolf and Man, Hero of the Day, Master of Puppets, Sad But True, One, Fuel, The Memory Remains, Enter Sandman Least favourite songs: The Ecstasy of Gold, The Call of Ktulu, Outlaw Torn 4/5
Not my genre, but it was decent with having the San Francisco orchestra.
What a difficult one to come to a solid conclusion on. There can be no understating how good Metallica are or their influence on metal and alternative music spanning many decades. But they are also capable of making huge missteps, St Anger for example where the snare sounds like someone hitting a wheelie bin with a shovel. Despite being a big fan I'm finding it really hard to figure out if this is Metallica pushing their stuff in a different direction with mostly good results or if this is the product of hubris and no one telling them to stop. The concept of Metallica backed with a symphony orchestra is awesome, I'll give it that, what a spectacle they managed to pull off, being there would have been quite something. The problem comes that the melding of the two styles is very inconsistent. It works great with some of their more epic slower stuff, the version of The Thing that Should Not Be is absolutely spectacular. Similarly it works quite well with some of their more mid 90-s Nu-metal type stuff with a wonderful rendition of Fuel. That being said, one of my favorite Metallica moments is the chanting in The Memory Remains which is usually absolutely chilling live being sung by 80,000 people but falls flat here with an orchestral part crowbarred in. Similarly Master of Puppets which to this day remains one of the most dynamic and exciting songs you can possibly listen to just really doesn't work which is a real shame because I think if they had nailed that it would have elevated the whole thing to the next level. I think some of the problem here is that its all got a bit over the top. I feel like a much more stripped down orchestra would have worked much better. When the slower numbers are backed by strings, wonderful, when you have those horns backing up some of the more powerful bits, amazing. But the more cinematic flute stabs, rumbles and bell chimes just come over a bit forced. It could have definitely benefitted from a more refined setlist as well but I do understand that everyone involved wanted to get their moneys worth and a long set really is the easiest way to do that, maybe a shorter release edit would have been a good idea. No casual browser in a record shop is buying this to hear "Hero of the Day" (as much as it is actually a really good version). The production on the record is great, the mixing is a bit dodgey if you are listening to it expecting studio quality but its a live album and it does a really good job of recreating the Metallica live experience, slightly stilted overly practiced James Hetfield crowd work included. The problems can be summed up in 2 points I think 1. Overly ambitious orchestra work which all too often doesn't mesh with the vibe of the originals and 2. They haven't nailed all the hits in the way they should have to really make this record shine (How did they not nail One! A huge swing and a miss). Its pure unabashed Metallica though, fully committing despite the obvious flaws and I'd defy anyone to say it didn't hold their attention throughout.
Awesome that a band can rework their own songs in such a creative way, do it live, and record such a great album.
Brilliant ! An easy 4*
Great. I think whilst it was an interesting thing to do (metal band and symphony orchestra) and works really well for some songs, it can become overblown on others.
An incredibly cool concept executed really well. Metal has been associated with precision and intricacy as well as gothic themes - what better mash up than with classical instruments. The stadium rock and audience involvement heightened the dramatic nature of this whole performance. The biggest letdown for me is the singing, I have never liked that style. Mixing could have been better, would have liked to have heard more of other instruments not just strings. In general I would prefer if they arranged it with more breakdowns where the guitar drops out and the orchestra carries the melody (think end of memory remains, start of no leaf clover). That being said, this was fantastic and I loved it. Fav song - Fuel
it's a fantastic and super unique idea - thrash metal with symphony orchestra?! the amount of creativity that went into this project must've been insane. production-wise i think the orchestra could have been emphasised more because all you could really hear was the violins. since the he strings and guitar compliment eachother so well, i think the lower timbers (brass section mainly) could've enhanced lars ulrich's drumming really nicely. i do love live albums and hearing the audience interaction, 90s metal scene was sick and this is a nice window. i'm firmly on 3.5/5, can't decide whether to round up or down Fav song: battery, it's a song that's so heavily metal and the orchestra adapts to this sound. amazing as an album ending because of that massive build of tension
Fun, interesting mix
Lo conosco bene quest'album, è nella mia libreria materiale di album :) Originale perché orchestrale, non potente come il loro classico metal ma il loro sound si presta a questo esperimento. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" ha la resa migliore.
T3B 1. The Ecstasy Of Gold 2. Devil’s Dance 3. The Outlaw Torn Orchestra metal!? I never thought of it, but what a combo. Really enjoyed listening to this. Solid 4.
Okay I get it now leave me alone
On paper, live metallica + full backing orchestra is a hilarious idea, but also symphonic metal is absolutely a guilty pleasure of mine, so I was excited to hit play on this. Even though the runtime on this one’s over 2 hours, it’s pretty fun overall. I stand by my original complaint with Metallica, though--every individual song overstays its welcome by half
Pretty strong 4. I like the concept. I do kind of prefer some of the originals though, but still cool.
Asså d e ju king
Like a drive on a nigth road. Sounds cool, you exited, but close the end you really feel the fatigue
All Metallica should be played this way! Starts out with Good, Bad & Ugly then shortly heads into Master of Puppets - feels like an anthem album for (some of) the times.
It's an incredible album. I'm not sure how much the SFSO adds to it, but the energy was off the charts and all the songs were great. I don't normally like live albums so this loses a star for that plus the fact that it's so long, but still a solid 4 stars.
Great album, listened to this a lot when younger
Essential live versions of your favourites.
intro = goat Call of ktulu = perfect met symphony Machtig hoe je dit kunt combineren met elkaar. Voor mij was het net iets te lang voor een CD. ik zou dit perfect live kunnen uitzitten of met een DVD maar voor cd vind ik het wat te lang.
Amaaai die zijn toch graaf hé. Heerlijke live plaat. Duurt wel lang natuurlijk dus vooral goed voor op de achtergrond
Not my regular thing, but fun
absolutely sick, feels like a final boss battle
Better if it wasn't live.
Dramatic and deadly!
Dit is zo'n live-album die wat oneer doet aan het live-gegeven. Waarschijnlijk veel imposanter als je het echt zag. Maar op CD komt dit precies niet over. Dit haalt niet weg dat dit een supercombo is
7/10. This was pretty enjoyable, and seeing as it was a live album I can forgive the length.
I haven't rated all the metallica on this list that highly, and I mostly haven't been a fan of the live albums on this list either. However I did somehow end up enjoying this one a lot. They have a big catalogue of good songs, so they're able to put all the best ones into a live set without the weaker filler tracks. The live sound and orchestral backing also work for me, I prefer this sound to their studio recordings.
Started off slow but I ended up enjoying it
The only metallica album I like
Solid novelty album. Must listen for Metallica fans
Interesting combination of live performance. Metallica often played over the orchestra, but kind of to be expected. Pretty good, but a bit long for me
I'm a big Metallica fan but was skeptical of a live album. The accompanying orchestra suits it surprisingly well
Wow, was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Powerful and melodic
I really enjoyed this, even though it was a long album. Brought a new dimension to some of the songs.
The length is somewhat intimidating but it’s basically a Metallica greatest hits album with a symphony orchestra added to it so what more could you want. Even liked fuel a little more than the original
Excellent album!
Just totally lit.
Inspired! The driving metal sound, screaming guitars and those distinctive vocals backed by a symphony orchestra. A brand new dimension opens up with a whole orchestra backing your band. This is raw and rich.
I didn't know many of these songs that well but the orchestral arrangements are awesome. 2hrs+ was a bit hard to take but it stayed interesting.
Bit long, but great.
The orchestra adds so much. Love this!
For the most part this works really well. Metallica make pretty huge, OTT music as it is, so combining that with an orchestra for added action-film epic-ness just makes sense. There's a crucial third element too: the audience. The occasional crowd participation bits actually add to the cinematic scale but also help keep the 'live' feel of the album. The setlist is a good mix of classics, personal favourites (The Memory Remains & Ecstacy of Gold, oh yeaahhh) & new discoveries (No Leaf Clover). There are definitely some more forgettable tracks too, and some of the orchestral arrangements don't really add anything, but I enjoyed this more than the other live albums we've had so my score should probably reflect that.
Kept getting distracted by the orchestra
Pozytywne zaskoczenie tego tygodnia, czyli Metallica o nowym obliczu, jak sam tytul i okladka wskazuja bardziej klasycznym, bo tytul S&M jest skrotem od Symphony and Metallica, ktory jest livowym albumem nagranym w Berkeley Community Theatre z roku 99, wiec przypada na czasy juz po reloadowe, wiec jeszcze nie zdziadzieli a potezna dyskorafia pozwala na tworzenie wystepow ponad dwoch godzinnych, jak w tym przypadku, ale co jest niezwykle w tym nagraniu, to fakt colaba z orkiestra San Francisco Symphony pod przewodnictwem Michaela Kamena, cale nagranie zostalo zapisane nie tylko w postaci tej plyty, ale rowniez na wideo, ktore mialo pozniej swoja kinowa premiere, bo co jak co ale o takich rzeczach nie czesto sie slyszy, najbardziej przychodzi mi na mysl skojarzenie z evangelionowym koncertem gdzie bylo rapowanie pod orkiestre symfoniczna, ale to nagranie ponad dwu godzinnego materialu to calkiem inny kaliber przedsiewziecia, wiekszosc plyty to klasyczne traki zespolu, dwa z nich to calkowicie instrumentalny opening, The Ecstasy of Gold z dobrego, zlego i brzydkiego i The Call of Ktulu z ride the lightning, a wsrod 21 utworow znalazlo sie miejsce na dwie orginalne kompozycje No Leaf Clover i – Human, ale sluchajac tego nagrania pierwszy raz czuje sie jakbym wczesniej nie slyszal zadnego z tych kawalkow, ten blend metalowego targania po gitarach z orkiestra ktora wspiera zespol tworzy cos nadajacego dodatkowy wymiar ich graniu, ktore przypomina teraz muzyke mocno soundtrackowa, ktora kojarzy mi sie z starymi hinskimi bajkami w stylu piesci gwiazd polnocy, czy old skulowych bijatyk, nie dziwie sie wiec, ze az tyle odniesien nie tylko muzycznych, ale i bardziej stylistyczno ester eggowych jest pochowanych w guilty gearze, jesli chodzi o Metallice, wiec tym razem odsluch epicko dlugi, bo granie rowniez prawdziwie epickie, ale calosc odsluchana w jednym posiedzeniu, czy moze raczej polezeniu, jedyne do czego mozna sie przyczepic to jakosc tego nagrania, bo pomimo tego, ze czuc widownie i energie jaka byla podczas koncertu, to scena wydaje sie mocno scisnieta, ale nie mam pojecia jak musialo wygladac nagrywanie tak poteznej orkiestry, ktora jest jedynie banda wspomagajaca gwiazd nagrania, dlatego wiec orkiestra zawsze jest slyszana zza sceny w pewnym oddaleniu, a na pierwszym tle gitary i wokal, tak czy inaczej doswiadczenie jedyne w swoim rodzaju i z pewnoscia najlepszy material jaki slyszalem od tego zespolu na liscie, na plejke raczej nic nie bede wrzucal, ale zastanawiam sie nad stworzeniem kolekcji livowych albumow na spotifaju, bo jednak troche sie ich zbiera, a nie dodajac trakow na zwykla plejke gdzies sie pewnie straca z biegiem czasu
Solid road trip album
I guess I can now call myself a Metallica fan. I'm enjoying what I've listened to in this list and keen to discover more. Certainly it's hard to see what impact the Orchestra is having on the songs overall. I mean The Ecstasy Of Gold certainly sets the scene but I'm not familiar enough with the rest of the songs to know what's what. Fave from this release: Of Walk And Man for the wolf call out, For Whom The Bell Tolls for the sing-a-long, and Wherever I May Roam.
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
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-
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.'
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…
Brilliant instrumentation, but way too long for one sitting
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.
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.
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 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...
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.
Geweldig album, super bombastisch
I remembered liking this more.
Actually really liked this. It enhanced the music and made me like metal!
Enjoyed it! Creative. Enter Sandman was awesome!
Like a camel tail on a horse, it still works but isn’t the same as the original
Pretty good. I would like to watch a documentary on this from the perspective of people in the orchestra
first couple songs good lost me towards the end
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
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."
Interesting first Metallica album to get here
A classic example of the power of the msic indisty in the 90\s
An awesome live amalgamation of classical and metal.
Classic
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.
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).
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
yes
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.
Love this album.
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.
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
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.
Remember when Metallica was good?
Genial
Better than expected. I’m not the biggest fan of metal, but hearing it with the symphony brings out those classically influenced qualities
Quite an ambitious record. Metal and classical music are similar in a lot of ways so there's no surprise this works so well.
Great stuff. Feel like being live made the recording a bit muddled. Will need to relisten.
Ennio Morricone - Ecstasy of Gold
Fakking vet. Goede opbouw. Jammer dat de nadruk in het orkest altijd ligt op strijkers en koper. Was hooked bij track 2.
Great orchestral re-imagining of Metallica classics! Very cinematic
good metallica experience
Great fun, but a bit long and samey for listening without access to a mosh pit... Also, not a real album.