S&M

The blend of metal and orchestral is pretty epic. I wonder how the classical musical community felt about this?

Symphonieorchester und Metallica, genial

Metallica is a great band, and this is a fantastic album. I love hearing genres come together, and although blending rock and symphony is not at all new, this is a great example of how good it can sound.

Да это же великий эксперимент, дамы и господа! А что бу-удет, если одна из тяжелейших в мейнстриме групп даст концерт на запись? А? А? А? А? Не, на само деле против концепции ничего не имею. Тут определённые вопросы к реализации. У дефолтной группы инструментов 4, у оркестра – десятки. Всяко заготовленных партий не хватит, для новых инструментов нужно добавлять новых. И вот к ним сильные вопросы. Они звучат порой так, как будто оркестру сказали: «Не, ну вы там по ходу подыграйте что-нибудь». И мало того, что это часто звучит неорганично, так к тому же эти инородные партии часто на передний план выводятся. И вот это уже немного в ступор вводит. При этом некоторым инструментам вроде бы удаётся интересно дополнить, вроде ксилофона в Master of Puppets (он там на пару секунд и сведён сомнительно). Подбор композиций тоже сомнительный. Of Wolf and Man в оригинальном то альбоме была проходным треком довольно, но создавала некоторое настроение из-за своей лаконичности и хорошего звука. Тут же это просто рассыпающееся претенциозное месиво. Помню, Ларс вроде по приколу назвал эту версию «Of Wolfgang And Man», возможно, ради этого и добавлялось. А если эксперимента ради – то, собсна, почему с первого альбома ничего не завезли? В The Thing That Should Not Be (к слову, трек – репетативное душилово) интересный переход в Fuel. У которого снова сведение ебанутое. На переднем плане в инструментале – разрозненные куски оркестровых партий, которые вроде как должны дополнять, а не акцент перетягивать. Или наоборот на оркестр нужно было бы вешать ключевые партии, пусть даже дублирующие. Как в последующей The Memory Remains, например. К слову, туда могли бы и вокалистку затащить какую-нибудь интересную. Вместо неё тихо-тихо пел зал с подыгрыванием оркестра. Вообще в рамках данного альбома часть партий (с ключевыми хуками порой) отводить залу считаю преступлением. No Leaf Clover звучит шедеврально, без пизды. Каждый раз вспоминаю, как первый раз её услышал, до сих пор порой мурашки завозят. Возможно, из-за того, что в неоркестровом исполнении её просто нет, а что первым услышал – то обычно и нравится больше. Но если анализировать, то с ней всё в порядке: все партии на своих местах, инструменты разнообразные и лишних при этом нет, Хэтфилд партии вокальные исполняет довольно чисто, ещё и эффект на припеве уместный вроде. А ещё по громкости всё выровнено грамотно. Это во многом характерно и для Human, только вот сама композиция слабее. При этом более поздние композиции, из Load/Reload звучат в совокупности с оркестром более гармонично. Возможно, потому что медленнее и спокойнее сами по себе, что располагает. А возможно потому, что более соответствовали настроению группы в те годы. С первыми альбомами некоторая рассинхронизация произошла, те альбомы писали уже совсем другие люди, поэтому и звучат ранние треки порой искусственно, вымучено, как каверы в качестве дани уважения. На самом деле рекомендовать альбом незнакомому с Metallica человеку я бы ни в коем случае не стал. Как минимум полностью, та же No Leaf Clover могла бы зацепить, в принципе. Помню, у отца Карлина в архиве музыки среди всех треков группы были лишь те самые No Leaf Clover и Human. Но, с учётом наличия студийных записей этот альбом как целое – лишь для фанатов. И всё же то, что порой альбом работает так, как задумывалось и то, что он содержит пару интересных оригинальных треков, не даёт мне поставить оценку ниже 4. 6 по 10-баллльной это вроде всё ещё 4, значит 6 из 10.

A truly unique experience and an audacious effort. Metallica spent time rearranging their music to flow with a symphony and the result is a triumph of what two musical styles can be.

Great live album. Love this band, love James Hetfield, love the orchestra. Interesting listen, wish I’d have been there to see it.

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Solid live album. Long, but good and high energy all the way through. 6RS

Metallica. Live ei tuo mukanaan lisäarvoa, mutta sinfoniaorkesteri on ajoittain ihan mielenkiintoinen lisä. Pyöristän tän livesyistä neloseen, että jää vielä tilaa yläpäähän.

Aika tuhti pakettihan tämä on, tuttu levy jo aiemmin. Kyllähän tämä levy kannattaa kuunnella, kai tää oli tämän sinfoniaorkesteri+bändi -konseptin uranuurtaja. Heinolassakin oli muutamaa vuotta myöhemmin Apulannan ja Heinola sinfoniettan yhteiskeikka (ja myös T. Rautiainen + sinfonietta). S&M2 -levyllä on kyllä parempi sovitus No Leaf Cloverista, vaikka on se tämän alkuperäisen levynkin helmiäisiä.

Awesome but not my favorite Metallica

Metallica for a quiet-ish night. The whole orchestra thing gives the album a theatricality that's really appealing. I do expect however there's a regular Metallica album in the list; this is hardly their best one.

Interesting to hear this live

I saved the album to my library in Spotify because I want to listen again. Good musicianship and I love the hard rock with a symphonic backdrop

Regardless on you personal feelings about Metallica, this is a very good collaboration. Kamen shows great enthusiasm for metal and Metallica shows great respect for classical. There are a few duds from the Load/Reload era but the the highs from the 80s and early 90s are VERY high, and the original song No Leaf Clover is the best new song they would put out for a decade. Oh and the opening song The Ecstasy of Gold is perfection.

This was far more enjoyable than I expected but I think nostalgia played a big part.

Like it!

Metallica playing with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra really accentuated the theatricality of their songs. I don't think I'd listen to it every day, but it's a good intro to Metallica.

The first of this project that I own and already love. Not all of these songs work with the orchestra, but it is mostly successful. This album will always score highly with me merely for No Leaf Clover which is just majestic. Love it so much. Listening to this is making me nostalgically melancholy which is exactly what I need right now.

As much as I love Metallica (and this was one of my first Metallica albums I listened to from start to finish), S&M is just overloaded. A lot of the orchestra stuff does not fit, especially in the faster songs. Obviously, some of the ballads (Nothing Else Matters, One, ..) the orchestra is brilliant, but on a whole it's often more a distraction than an addition.

Clássico

Surprisingly sick. Didn’t like it at first but there’s actually a lot of energy. I think this is my favorite version of “fuel”

Close to the big 5. Huge sounding record!!

Was it too long? Yes Are the songs better with the symphony? Also yes Should this even be on the list since there are other Metallica albums? No, it shouldn’t.

I have a hunch that I enjoyed this album a lot more than I would have had there been no orchestra. And I only had time to listen to about half of it, but I think I heard enough to know it’s a three star album for me. Without the orchestra, it would probably be a two.

This must have been a thrilling show to be at. It being a live album is helpful, giving everything an added oomph as well as some leeway in trying to mesh two oppositional sounds that a clinical studio environment would struggle with. Given it's over TWO HOURS long and so peculiar it could make or break a fan but I actually fell somewhere in the middle. Being someone who’s recently gotten into Metallica via Master of Puppets and The Black Album, I found myself “interested” in the added context it gave me about the group rather than being lost in the music like I had been with those studio LPs. The material is generally strong but some of the efforts written post-The Black Album are more alternative rock rather than metal and sound less unique as a result. I also don’t need to hear James Hetfield’s vocals doused in auto-tune, I don’t think it suits the sound. My main critique is that the orchestra should have been used more sparingly. All involved have pushed for the spectacular symphony to be all over S&M but given the material was not written with these instruments in mind the continual flourishes sometimes sound muddled and messy. When Metallica and the orchestra are on the same page, the classical musicians bolstering the band, it's a pretty effective whole (see: The Thing That Should Not Be and For Whom The Bell Tolls). But overall the concept is cooler than the final product. Despite all this I admire Metallica for choosing to make a high effort “best of” record rather than just pushing out the hits in a more familiar form.

Honestly thought I would enjoy this more. The concept was excellent, and the instrumentals were incredible, but the vocals didn't always mesh well, it felt a little disjointed, and the album being over 2 hours had me bored towards the end. And it's freaking Metallica, what do you mean I was BORED!?!

I’m sure it would have been an amazing concert but the album is just a lot to sit through. When I’ve listened to it in the past, I typically just skip to the songs I want to hear. Couldn’t do that this time, so it was a bit tedious. Still, it’s Metallica with a full symphony behind it. That’s pretty cool.

Basically a greatest hits album but with some pizzazz. They did not invent the gimmick of a symphony with metal but they seem to have brought it more to the mainstream.

Thrash-metal Bond soundtrack. I couldn't help but sort of want to listen to a live Metallica album where there wasn't a symphony orchestra with them, for comparison but to also see if I felt like the orchestra added extra value. I guess it's still an epic piece of work to make this happen and not sound completely wrong. I think that even though I'm not a big Metallica fan, I'd probably still prefer their studio work.

Interesting concept, can't ever recall a whole orchestra playing a show with a heavy metal band. I'm sure many adore this too, but once again, live albums being on this list feels a little odd. It sounds a little too overblown, and not as compact as the original album recordings, if that makes any sense. Perhaps it's personal preference too.

This was really interesting. I’m not a Metallica fan but I somewhat enjoyed this mashup of genres. DNF (3)

This did NOT have to be two hours and the orchestration a lot of the time didn't fit but there was definitely some pretty good stuff on here, just very bloated

Fun distraction but nothing else (maters). Staring with a Ennio Morricone is an odd choice for Metallica but it sets the tone for what to expect for S&M: stagy and orchestral, building to big finishes. Thrash metal and a symphony. The call of Ktuhul continues that and finally adds the heavy sound of the band to what is essentially a bond theme. The opening of master of puppets loses a little with the fiddles getting in the way of that iconic riff. Same all the way through really . It’s good and would have been even better live ; but like most live albums it makes me want to listen to the original.

7/10

One of the better live albums I’ve heard

I prefer my Metallica uncut.

Movie soundtrack vibes.

The measure of a live album is if it elevates the source material. This almost sounds like improvised flourishes and strings, and the core remains untouched. "One" has a slow, melancholic solo at its intro. It did not need fiddly whiddlys all throughout. Bizarre choice.

There were some songs that really worked with the orchestral arrangements and many that didn’t. The original songs for that record are very good, especially No Leaf Clover.

Good memories

Far, far too long. Far. Also, the orchestra adds too little to these arrangements. A lost opportunity! These songs could’ve been transformed. The vocals are strong. But you could get those on a well-produced studio album—and not be bothered by things like crowd noise. 2.5?

For starters, I can unequivocally say this is beyond unnecessary listening. It is barely necessary listening for Metallica fans (not the least because less than ⅓ of it is 80s era, which many Metallica fans will whine about being the only real era). This album is superfluous to the Metallica Catalog, let alone the list of albums one must hear before death. But the cool thing is, it's not a throwaway. It is a pretty unique record… we are sort of in a golden era of rock bands playing with symphonies, and this was probably a bridge for some of that. Surely this was a footnote in that trend as an early experiment. It's also recorded well, clearly set up to capture a home audio worthy performance. The orchestra sounds live, the crowd cheers are obvious between songs, but it never feels like a bootleg. It's clear this was set up to capture everything. And finally, the arrangements aren't just perfunctory strings. Some tracks utilize the expanded sound palette better (who is surprised Call of Ktulu thrives with a symphony behind it?) than others (Fuel, which is too hectic and not so nuanced as other arrangements), but even when there's just a lot going on, where the orchestra muddles the band and the band drowns out the orchestra, it still works in such a way that it's clear the symphony is being conducted as a complement to the songs. So this sounds good, but I'm not entirely sure who it's for. We all know what the metal goons thought when the biggest metal band dared to experiment on Load and Reload, and then they come out with this? I am proud of this era of Metallica, but I also bought this at the time and if I listened to it once, that was a lot. But I was a kid. I got into Metallica in part because of the music the gatekeepers hated. So if it wasn't for me then, I don't know what non-Metallica fan is hearing this now and finding it to be a revelation. Half the excitement for me is knowing the originals, enjoying a new take. Who is the casual generator user who is really sucked in by this? Who is the not-yet-Metallica-fan that needed to hear these songs with every “ooooughh” and “yeah yeaaaaaah” and other Hetfieldian gutteralizations? I think it's a fair experiment that works, a good mid 3*. But it's ludicrous to include this here.

I haven't listened to these songs since it first came out. I really enjoy the idea of this album, and I'm a fan of Metallica, but I would much rather listen to the original songs and these. I would imagine being there in person would have been a five out of five experience though

It's a little sloppy at points, primarily at the start. Where the symphony and the band do not really integrate well together, and the symphony feels like an unfitting after thought addition, but when it works it works quite well. It is also just a bit too long.

I love Metallica. I love classical music. Which is exactly why S&M is so fascinating to me. It’s particularly funny that this came out during the era where Lars Ulrich was on TV acting like Napster users were personally taking food out of his children’s mouths. Meanwhile Metallica was out here commissioning an entire symphony orchestra like medieval nobility. S&M is deeply stupid in a way only extremely talented people can be. The symphony is flawless. Metallica is locked in. The whole thing sounds like a perfectly orchestrated mistake. Nobody asked for this. Did the San Francisco Symphony lose a bet? I’ll give it a 3/5 for the talent on display and taking a swing on something new.

I liked the idea of this album more than I think I liked it itself. I didn't hate it, but I don't think this needed to happen. I think an orchestra-only arrangement would have been better and more interesting. I appreciate they at least tried in Master Of Puppets to let the orchestra do orchestra things... but I don't think it worked. The rest of the album felt like "Metallica, while an orchestra played" Not "Metallica and an orchestra playing together" (maybe that was the point though), I just didn't feel like the orchestra added much. It was a slog towards the end though, geez man. Two hours and 13 minutes was way too much for this.

La verdad por el tipo de rock que es pense que no me iba a gustar nada, que lo iba a detestar. Pero estuvo bastante bien, hay un par de temas que me gustaron un poco mas. Obviamente no me encanta el tipo de musica pero muy agradable. 7/10

Excellent songs, excellent musicians, but did we really need this?

was better than i thought, kudos to the orchestra but TOO LONG

I'll be honest, not my cup of tea. I know and like/love most of these songs, and am usually a sucker for a good orchestral arrangement of just about anything. But his vocals were so distracting to me the entire time. I know some say it's because of the care and focus he was putting into singing healthier, but I don't even think it's that. There's definitely some heavy-handed autotune making his voice sound so clean to the point of being robotic. That's really my only gripe, but it's a big one because it took me out of the whole experience. Still, I'll always celebrate the talent, passion, and hard work of every single person involved in putting together a project like this, and I know it must mean so much to many fans. Also, I didn't know they open their shows with the theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and was a little confused at first but still vibin'. Playlist choice is One because it's basically already begging for the orchestra treatment.

In retrospect did not enjoy this as much as I did originally.

A very different feel for a Metallica album that was just ok for me. I’ll give them credit for trying a slower, less aggressive set of songs, but this didn’t give off Metallica vibes at all. Average music for a band that is better than this.

This is a great idea! As I settled in to listen I didn't break out the devil horns, instead I listened with my pinkie subtly extended. Fancy and shit. Also, I was on public transportation, I'm not going viral as "old metalhead gets down on ferry" But there are a few problems which make this a tough one to rate First and foremost...TWO hours and 15 minutes?!?! C'mon now. Newer Meralica songs aren't good, adding the orchestra doesn't help them. The classics on here were loads of fun, the newer songs are trash with or without the orchestra. The audio mix is distractingly bad. Overall, dissappointing. The highs were awesome, the lows were awful. So I land in the middle but super low end of 3...like barely a 3.

The arrangements were less lazy than I expected.

good but much much too long

It’s good, but, I prefer the first four albums over this.

I thought I was watching the longest John Woo movie ever

Ah...S&M - Symphony & Metallica. Got it.

I liked the addition of the orchestra, even if it is a bit of an odd fit with Metallica. I’d say that the orchestra is the best part of the whole experience here, because I really don’t need 2+ hours of Metallica in one go.

for a live album, this sounds great. all the songs just meld into one for me, there's not much distinguishing them.

*Very cool concept, I just don't love Metallica that much as I find they plod along even with cool moments with the guitars

A collaboration that must have been inspired by Opus the Penguin’s belief that “heavy metal” meant “weighty brass.” (Look it up, children) Seriously, the music walks the line between artistically interesting and comic book movie soundtrack. To me, metal has always had an orchestral feel to it and vice-versa. But I think I would have liked this better had they used Sabbath’s catalog.

On the one hand, this does sound like the soundtrack to Mission Impossible: Stranger Things. On the other hand, it does bang. But at the end of the day, Lydia Tar would hate this.

Pitkä sessio s&m. Mutta ei kuitenkaan niin kivulias. Paikoin orkesterisovitukset ihmeelliset, mutta muuten ihan kivaa. En tiiä 3 vai 4. Toivottavasti huomenna tiedän. Tähtiantohetki: menen kolmosella. Ei oo huonoo, mutta mieluummin kuuntelen alkuperäisiä versioita

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I know that they made an orchestra album but I have never heard it How do I feel about this artist? Fuck yeah Metallica, not an avid listener but I get the hype First impressions from the album cover/blurb? I’m expecting Metallica with an orchestra, whatever that means I will find out Favorite song(s)? No Leaf Clover Overall Thoughts: I am sure this was an incredible concert to experience in person, but that energy and excitement never seems to translate well into a live album. I should have listened in 2 parts because it was very long. I also thought the orchestra sounded more like a backing track and didn’t stand out a ton.

Live album doesn't really count

It's not like Metallica are renowned for subtlety, restraint and a shy, retiring nature. But this thing is the length of two Mahler Symphonies. "Yessongs" and "Welcome Back My Friends To the Show That Never Ends" - both frequently cited as prime examples of prog rock excess and self-indulgence - were both shorter. When you've out-indulgenced Emerson Lake & Palmer then maybe consider your life choices. I don't doubt that if you were there on the night this changed your life. But at this distance, taking already maximalist metal and adding orchestral backing that sounds as if it's trying to be the next James Bond soundtrack seems like a recipe for musical heartburn. Can't deny that the Orchestra plays its socks off and Metallica seem to be taking it all very seriously - although, when do they not? - and giving it plenty, but you know, enough is as good as a feast.

they should replace this entry in the list with a recording of the evangelion wind symphony and i'm not kidding. or the nier orchestra (another point for me) which i still lament not being able to get tickets for. hell even the stardew valley one. did you know they had a stardew valley orchestra tour? i didn't get tickets but that would've been so sick. okay this actually isn't THAT bad but i don't think it's executed for what it could be. i quite enjoy symphonic elements in metal which probably gives a decent bump for the tracks where it works, but most of this is precisely neutral background noise at best. i just don't think *thrash* is the right choice to add symphonic elements. most of this is distinctly at odds with itself and not in a way that produces enjoyable juxtaposition because the typical characteristics of thrash just Don't work that well with a string orchestra imo. most of these compositions aren't integrated either so it's just kind of a mess. at least "one" seems to lean into it heavily here; probably better than the studio.

Well THIS album is not condusive to a one album a day formula. I went into this album blind and was very confused when The Ecstasy of Gold started playing (which is my pick for best movie soundtrack score ever but that's by the by). So I did some research and uh, well, this album is certainly interesting. Albums on this list can earn a lot of points from me for being unique and this IS an undeniably unique album. Unfortunately I do not think this works at all. It's the musical equivalent of when a Marvel films score adds a bunch of extra instruments and swells because otherwise they don't trust the audience to know what they're watching is supposed to be "epic". In a lot of these songs, like Master of Puppets, the band is adding nothing over the original for the most part and when it does add something its largely weak. It just does not feel like they're extracting the full value of an orchestra I know for a fact is far better than this. It all hits very "2000s action movie big band soundtrack". Ofc the songs here themselves are great but at that point am I listening to this album for its appeal or as a best-of album? I guess the live elements do add something sometimes but is anyone really gonna be like "This is the definitive version of this song" from here? (Probably, there's always someone).

I have mixed feelings about this record. While I did enjoy the first tracks and they even gave me chills, the execution falls short. I think the album could have been great, or at least more listenable, if it were half as long as it currently is.

Kinda excited that my first full-album Metallica experience will be with this. The collaboration with the symphony has me very intrigued! I am a little intimidated by how long this album is, though.

Neat trick. Combining their music with an orchestra. Sounds good but as with all hard rock bands, a little too noisy for me. Good album.

I listened to this album on my first day back in downtown Glendale for work, looking out at grass and brick buildings rather than desert sand and a landfill. I was still listening as I got my car washed, grabbed tacos for lunch, and came back to work. I think I may just be the wrong person for this album. The only other Metallica album I've heard before now, the Black album, I found tonje just alright; the iteration of metal Metallica represents seems to nsimply not be for me. And while this live performance in collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is certainly enjoyable, it is enjoyable in the same way that an orchestral performance of show or video game soundtrack is: you can get some enjoyment without context, but it is designed for those fans already familiar with the base work. Not only was I mostly unfamiliar, but of the few songs I knew, I only particularly liked a handful. The performances are all still incredibly good, and Metallica blends with this orchestra in a way that brings out the strengths of the music. I had almost started thinking it was just gonna be instrumental the whole way through before the sudden yell near the beginning of Master of Puppets scared me. There is a seamless flow between songs, and I love small moments like the crowd chant on The Memory Remains, but I generally prefer this album the more symphonic it gets. Such an intriguing concept and skilled performance can't get around the fact that I just don't find the songwriting of Metallica all that compelling. Highlights: The Ecstacy Of Gold, The Call Of Ktulu, No Leaf Clover, Devil's Dance, Bleeding Me, Until It Sleeps, Sad But True

Gave it 3 stars bc the symphony sounded WONDERFUL. Truly some beautiful, powerful musical moments. But it was still over two hours of Metallica music, and that was just way too much.

Cool concept, I didn’t listen to all 2 hours but I thought they did an admirable job merging the two worlds. Obviously though if you take the heaviness out of Metallica’s music it doesn’t have the same effect. More of an interesting novelty than something I’d go back to

As a drummer myself, I will never miss an opportunity to shit on Lars Ulrich and his uncanny ability to not grow as a musician. That ability is on full display here.. I'll give him credit for helping inspire kid me to pick up the sticks, but he truly is a one trick pony. Not a ghost note to be found. Drums aside, this is basically a Metallica greatest hits album with an added orchestral component. While the SFSO performers themselves give a phenomenal performance, it's arguable as to whether they're enhancing or hindering various songs. At times it's hard-hitting and ready to kick your teeth in; others, it just feels like noise. And at two hours it's a big ask for anyone who's not already a big Metallica fan.

novel. Unsure if its good. MAybe if ur a fan of Metallica

Decent, but nothing groundbreaking. 3/5

Como no soy seguidor de Metallica agradezco el acompañamiento orquestal. Alguna canción mejora con el mismo.

Live album, not my fav ones

I’m perplexed why this is included but ride the lightning is not.

Some of the tunes on here hit pretty hard with a symphony orchestra cooking behind them; others not so much. Seeing that live was probably pretty awesome, but I'm not exactly sure why I NEEDED to hear this one before I died.

Overall I like Metallica, not only the viral songs but also some deep cuts. I briefly listened to S&M2 but I hadn’t heard the original till today. Overall the 1st CD was very disappointing, the symphony wasn’t really adding anything to the music, no cooperation as if metal and symphony were trying to jam each other out. Obviously apart from No Leaf Clover. The 2nd CD is much better and there symphony actually (mostly) complements the original sounds. I’ve been to 2 Apocalyptica show and honestly their arrangements are absoluty mesmerizing. I know it’s just cellos and not a whole orchestra, but still I expected something more out of the huge potential their music has. Much of the album sounded as if it was put together hastily, without much forethought. Overall 3/5.

Video game boss music (complimentary). Weirdly enough, this is my first exposure to Metallica. Don't know much other than their name and status as a legendary metal band. I've been getting a lot of "heavy" albums recently, that I'm starting to wonder if I've developed a tolerance to it. 2 hours of symphonic metal is just too much for my brain. (3.5)

Conflicted with this one, cause on one hand I like the idea and some songs, on the other hand this is toooo long and the orchestra doesn't always add much.

I love some Metallica but I think I'm gonna pass on listening to a 2+ hour live album, there's no need.

7/10

Novel, on paper this should work but a lot of the songs feel too busy, the orchestra does add to some of the classics but on the whole it gets muddied out. None of the original compositions were anything to write home about. YEAYEAH!

Way too polished for my tastes, have heard better from Metallica.

Tää löytyy omasta hyllystä ja on kiehtova konsepti. Muut bändit on vaan tehnyt tän paremmin. Pikkasen tää on tuhnu.

Not really a fan of live albums but this is a good example of one. I’m glad I had a long drive yesterday - definitely a good driving album. Starts brilliantly, gets a bit meh and then ends wonderfully. Would absolutely listen again

A review said this thing was 2hr 13m which, admittedly, made me dread it. Even of a good thing, music can outstay it's welcome. Immediately in "Call of Ktulu" I had to appreciate the sheer uniquity of this endeavor; hearing the metal riffs and drums accompanied by the orchestral strings and horns was astounding. As this point I can only imagine the rest of the album is much the same in terms of how these two genres come together; it's not quite ice cream on pizza, but its definitely pineapple on pizza. Some people, I can imagine, love this deeply while others totally revile it. Hearing the crowd sing the chorus to "Master of Puppets" whilst the strings reached fever pitch gave me tingles; it's impossible not to catch the atmosphere in that moment where you know it would have been epic to be there. On the flipside of this experience with Hetfield singing the entire time instead, "The thing that should not be" I also found really enjoyable, with the orchestra supporting here more harmoniously than some of the previous tracks. "Hero of the day" was another song that was fantastically supported by the Orchestra; it does seem a little hit and miss as to whether or not it is necessary to have them there or not. "Thing thing that should not be" and "The Outlaw Torn" are tracks similar in that the Orchestra did enhance the song. In conclusion, I applaud the effort to bring two genres that, musically, have a lot more in common than many probably give them credit for come together, but it doesn't always work in the best possible way. I would like to give it another shot in future and do prefer to listen to Metallica in their purest form without the SFSO.

Incredible performance when mixed with the SFSO which made it a more unique listening experience as someone who's not very into heavy metal. Sure, it's a little long but it's a live album so what are you gonna do?

Long but I've spent less time listening to worse things that felt longer. The mix of orchestra with heavy rock works really well and scales the music up to feeling "epic" in the way that Hetfield and company definitely want it to. Genuinely fun at points and I thought all the string accompianments reinforced the strong bones on the songs. Not something I'd have listened to without this project and something that I'm unlikely to listen to in full again for...at least five years but I'm glad to have listened to it.

I get what they were going for here, but it seemed a to fall a bit flat.

This is a landmark album because of the mainstream acceptance of Metallica that it represents. There are a lot of parallels between heavy metal and orchestral music -- drama, technical wizardry, moody keys -- and this would have been the first time that an awful lot of music listeners were introduced to that. It's cool. It also has some warts, as a live album (and a middle-stages Metallica album). The timing is off for the first few tracks (I blame Lars). The mix is a little bit muddy, which is understandable given the live environment and the volume of both instruments and also just the literal sound pressures involved. James sounds alright, Kirk Hammet and Jason Newsted sound excellent. There are not enough bells in 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'. It's, honestly, way too long. The riff-heavy classics sound great ('Enter Sandman' is awesome) but a ton of their more modern stuff just sounds like Godsmack and that's not a compliment. I skipped a bunch of songs in the back half ('– Human' starts the slog) because they drone a bit and blend together. It should be a great closing stretch, but it doesn't work for me. It's exacerbated by having just listened to Slayer's Reign In Blood, which is unrelenting and less than thirty minutes long. Anyway, it's a 3.5/4 but a good intro to Metallica. You should really start with their early thrash but this would give you an idea of where they sometimes fall down.

7/10

Meh

This is clearly an excellent live performance but I don’t have much to say other than I don’t love listening to live albums. I won’t come back to it, but it would be harsh to give it anything less than a 7/10 because of how good I’m sure the performance felt if you were there in person. The orchestral elements are a welcome addition too.

I'm giving this a 3 for a couple reasons. 1. Hearing these classic songs reimagined with an orchestra is admittedly badass, but I'd probably enjoy it more if I was a more ardent Metallica fan. 2. 2+ hours is a bit of a chore. 3. Hetfield does that thing where he has the crowd sing some of the "good parts", and that's something that always annoys me on live recordings. Otherwise, this would've been a 5 from me.

This thing is for people who love sending orchestral covers of basic pop songs to friends and family. I’m not that guy, but hey, I’m glad yall are having fun

zwaar episch, zou niks hiervan toevoegen aan een afspeellijst tho.

I absolutely love Metallica. I also like classical music (albeit not so much the epic symphonic works). But merging two very different genres is tricky and rarely works once the very initial wow factor has worn off. This isn't great. It's just Metallica with a (slightly shifting) sauce of orchestral arrangements poured over it, rather than truly integrated. It's all a bit artificial and "cheap" for me and the sum of the two is less than the component parts. Not a must-hear album. Still a 3 because the songs are, of course, fundamentally great.

On paper, this should have worked. Metallica is known for epic songs and you would think they throwing an orchestra into the mix would only increase the epicness. But whether it's the band or Kamen, or something else, it just doesn't. The orchestra basically adds nothing, and if anything takes away from the goodness of the originals. Having grown up with Metallica, I was as excited as anyone to hear they were doing this. But I was underwhelmed when I first heard it, and every time since. The new songs are fine. But yeah, along with much of their post Black Album work, this is a disappointment.

Two Metallica albums in the same week? Sweet, let’s get ‘em all over with! My ungenerous initial take is that it’s just non-Christmas Trans-Siberian Orchestra. My ungenerous second take is that Silverchair’s Neon Ballroom (an album of new songs recorded with a orchestra) was recorded in the summer of 1998 (Australian winter) and released in March 1999 , the month before this album was recorded. Must have been something in the pre-millenium water. I remember when this came out, but I don’t remember knowing that it was a live album; that adds a slightly more interesting element I hadn’t expected. I always thought this would probably be my favorite Metallica album, but that's not saying much. Certainly, the nearly 2.25hr runtime will not help its case. That's a lot of Metallica. Final thoughts: If you’re going to do a live ‘best of’ album, this is a fun way to do it. I wish other bands - ones that I like more - would engage in similar projects. Who's a good example? Let's say Deftones. A Deftones + Symphony album could crush. 5 stars for that imaginary record, 3.5 stars for this real one. Sorry, gotta charge the Metallica tax.

I liked hearing the hits (as I know them) with a symphony but I found the album, at over two hours, to be very long. I would have liked it a lot more at a more reasonable and standard length. I’m sure this is great for the Metallica completist but is unnecessary for most.

I bought this when it was first released because I thought it was a cool idea. Today is the first time I’ve ever listened to the full 2+ hours of it, though, so I guess that says something. It’s okay. Possibly the only live album I know of where I prefer the studio version of every song. (That’s not an indictment on all live albums, though. I had Sam Cooke Live yesterday and I could listen to that set once a week if there wasn’t so much other great stuff out there to be heard.)

Better than I expected.

This is a cool concept and, at its best, a genuinely powerful one. Metallica pairing with a full symphony should feel excessive on paper, but there are moments where it absolutely works. The orchestra adds real weight and drama, especially on the more melodic material. When it hits, it hits. That said, this does not need to be over two hours long. The live energy doesn’t always translate through the speakers, and after about ten tracks, the impact starts to blur together. What feels monumental in a concert hall can feel a bit bloated at home. There’s real ambition here and some strong highlights, but it’s more impressive than essential. Glad I listened. Don’t need the full endurance test again.

Interesting. Better than expected. But not that memorable.

When songs from S&M first hit the shelves and video airwaves in late 1999, I was convinced it was exactly what I’d been waiting for. The idea of Metallica teaming up with a full orchestra sounded like a perfect match. But when I finally listened to it front to back, I remember feeling strangely underwhelmed. I couldn’t quite explain why at the time. On paper, the fusion of symphonic orchestration and heavy metal should have been flawless. Revisiting it now, I think I understand my initial hesitation. Michael Kamen’s arrangements with the San Francisco Symphony are undeniably impressive, but at times the orchestra feels so dominant that it nearly overwhelms the band itself, and sometimes the pieces don’t completely seem to match the song they are accompanying. The moments where everything truly clicks are the songs written specifically for the project (like “No Leaf Clover” and "- Human") as well as the sweeping opening instrumental performance of “The Call of Ktulu.” Interestingly, a lot of the material that shines comes from Load and ReLoad, albums that marked a noticeable shift away from thrash metal toward a more hard rock sound. That stylistic change famously divided longtime fans—whether it was the new direction or simply the haircuts—but if I’m honest, Load and ReLoad were the first Metallica albums I deliberately bought with my own money. They carry a lot of personal nostalgia for me. Realizing now that roughly a third of S&M draws from those records gives me a new appreciation for the project—one I didn’t have 25 years ago. All things considered, I enjoyed this revisit far more than I expected when it unexpectedly popped into my Monday playlist. Not every track fully lands for me, but it’s far stronger than my memory had suggested. That said, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t see myself returning to it anytime soon—especially when stacked up against their studio albums, which I’m much more likely to reach for.

I've always been a Metallica fan, but I've never been wholly impressed with this album. I applaud the decision, but I don't think it turned out very well. You only occasionally hear the orchestra cut through the songs and what you do get rarely connects to the song it's backing. You just don't get the grandeur and spectacle you'd expect from a pairing like this.

I was soooo looking forward to this and it just didn’t deliver as I had hoped. Generously rounding up to 3, but only because Battery wasn’t slaughtered.

Not a live album person but this isn’t bad. Probably a lit concert though 3 stars

I loved the orchestra more.

So, 2 hours and 13 minutes is a lot to ask of listeners who are not already fans of the artist. Given this is the running time of the record, I can only surmise that this album isn't necessarily meant to convert new listeners but is instead a novel fan service. Why then is it on the 1001 list? Is it the novelty of one of the most popular metal bands of all time playing with a symphonic orchestra, or is it that the music and performance transcend the gimmick, moving us? There are some compelling moments on the album, but ultimately they are too few and far between for me. While not a total triumph, you can put it on loud and do some house-cleaning to it if you like — which is a way of saying many of these versions are not as emotionally resonant as their originals.

I love the combination of heavy metal and symphonic elements. I don't particularly love this recording, though. I wish this was a studio version of the album with better mixing and sound design, I don't really think the live audience adds much to this album. Yeah, it's fun to hear people sing along to the tracks, but it gets a little tiring over this album's 2+ hour runtime. That said, it's still quite epic, and I love hearing the opening with "The Ecstasy of Gold" and the symphonic arrangements of all the classic Metallica tracks. Who knows, maybe this one will grow on me over time. Favorite track: "The Call of Ktulu" really shows off the potential of this genre fusion.

I’ve never liked Metallica and this doesn’t change my mind. It’s just not my thing. But I’ll give this three stars out of some respect for someone else’s yum.

Not my sort of music but felt this really worked with the orchestral backing. Enjoyed!

How strange. I still don't like Metallica, but the orchestration on this album is intense and powerful, and it works pretty well with their songs to make some thrilling moments. But...I still don't like Metallica. So best I can do is a 3.

It's a bit of a mess. The old thrashier songs needed serious reworking to fit the orchestra, but there's glimpses of a cool thing in the post-Black Album material. I had fun watching the DVD, but don't think I'll be returning to this. 5/10

Hetfield has never sang this clean :P

Mid

I think the orchestra did a lot of heavy lifting on this. The live album also seemed objectively bad

The beginning of the album that was instrumental and before the big hits came up was really impressive... The Master of Puppets came on - the symphony awkwardly trying to fit itself in while Metallica only sings half the lyrics, not what I was hoping. ... So now that I finished the album, my feelings are mixed. You can tell the orchestra spent more time defining their sound on bigger songs (MOP, One, ES, Battery) but others they didn't contribute much. Of those hit songs audience participation was always annoying. While that is fun at a live show, if they knew this was being recorded I wish they would have just done a complete job. I'm also ok with Metallica in small bits, but over two hours was a bit much. TLDR this album was a cool concept that would have been much improved through full performances by the band, and editing the setlist down to 60-75 mins. 3/5

Holy shit this is a long album, I like about 1/3 of these songs. Novel sound that’s a fun change from regular Metallica, I feel like I’m watching a bond movie to some of these songs. It was a long listen though. Idk about 2 hrs of Metallica. Some of the songs are worse with the orchestra, some of them are not better but different. Some skips in here for sure. 2.9 unfortunately.

non pensavo mi sarebbe piaciuto, invece è carino, più chill del previsto nel complesso. un paio di canzoni belle. eppure non mi convertirò al metal (perché sto sito non mi consiglia quanche classicone tipo i rolling stones che ho voglia di quel genere)

Awesome concept but unfortunately not the best Metallica setlist. 3.5 Stars

I did it... I survived! I really feel for the person who had to create the orchestral arrangements for this. They did the best they could with the material they were given. That's not to say that Metallica is 'bad' music. I just don't think it's complex enough where a full orchestra makes it that much better. There are just only so many ways you can create an orchestral fill in the mode that these songs are in. There is just WAY too much going on for the most part. The recording is good.

Usually not a fan of live albums, but this works quite well. However, I’m not a major fan of them so this was a little on the long side

The Ecstacy Of Gold (Instrumental) - 2/10: Just boring, not a huge fan of instrumental songs. The Call of Ktulu (Instrumental) - 5/10: I likes the pick-ups (i don't know what to call them) around the 1:30 and 5 minute marks. I also liked the guitar and drums, but it is instrumental and, again, I'm not a huge fan of instrumental songs. Master of Puppets - 5/10: I like that they include the crowd in their concerts, but I'd rather listen to the actual singer the whole way through than both him and the crowd. Hetfield's voice also sounds a little weird to me. It's still a pretty good song, though. Of Wolf and Man - 5/10: I like the instruments/beat (whatever you call it) on this song. I also like the guitar solo at the end. I'm not a huge fan of the chants though. The Thing That Should Not Be - 7/10: I like the instruments/beat. Fuel - 7/10: I like the instruments/beat and the vocals. The Memory Remains - 5/10: It just didn’t really stand out to me. No Leaf Clover - 6/10: I like the drums in this song. Hero Of The Day - 5/10: It just didn’t really stand out to me. I think the vocals are okay, though. Devil’s Dance - 5/10: I like the guitar in this track, but other than that, it’s just kind of boring. Bleeding Me - 6/10: I like the guitar in this track and the intro. Nothing Else Matters - 8/10: I really like the instruments/beat and the vocals on this track. I like the regular version of this song as well, so that’s no surprise. Until It Sleeps - 7/10: I really like the instruments/beat and the vocals on this track. I also liked the guitar solo. For Whom The Bell Tolls - 6/10: I like the regular version of this song, but I’m not feeling this version a whole lot. I like the drums, and I think the orchestra is an interesting touch, but I’m not obsessed with Hetfield’s vocals. Human - 7/10: I like the instruments/beat in this track, and I also really like Hetfield’s vocals. I specifically really enjoy the drums and guitar. Wherever I May Roam - 6/10: This is my favorite Metallica song, but I like the regular one more. Again, I’m not super obsessed with Hetfield’s vocals, but I do love the guitar in this track. I also think that the orchestra is an interesting addition. The Outlaw Torn - 5/10: It's not bad, just didn't really wow me. Sad But True - 5/10: I like the intro and the instruments/beat. One - 6/10: I like the part a little before 5 minutes and the instruments/beat. Enter Sandman - 6/10: Again, I like the regular song better. This one isn't terrible, but I feel like the orchestra overpowered the guitar/drums/bass a bit. Battery - 5/10: I like the drums a lot in this track. Overall Score: 119/210 Overall Rating: 6/10 - I'm going to be honest, I thought I was going to like it more than I did. I'm not a big fan of Metallica, but I know and like some of their songs. Hetfield's voice just didn't sound the same here as it does on the original tracks. I also thought that the orchestra sometimes outshined the drums/bass/guitar. It wasn't terrible, but not my favorite.

the ecstacy of gold is actual perfection. sounds like incredibles i didn't know metallica was LIKE THIS!!!! i wish i could have witnessed this live. this is such a cool intro song. call of kulu epicness. master of puppets WOW the fricken orchestra goes crazy in this. also first song with vocals. IM EXCITEDDDD. beautiful. of wolf and man was fun. i liked it. the thing that should not be kinda fun kinda weird fuel epic the memory remains is awesome i really like it. no leaf clover kinda sounds like everything else.... hero of the day is cool bleeding me is nice me likey until it sleeps intro was magical.

I don't think this is an essential listen for someone who doesn't know Metallica, it is a nice project, but not the one that pops up when I think of the best album by the band. Also 2 hours is too much for a project like this. The slower moments is where the orchestra shines. Hero of The Day, Nothing Else Matters. I suppose if Metallica had to do a greatest hits in the 90's instead of this concert it would have been with a similar tracklist but with a different feel for the newly written material(-Human and No Leaf Clover).

I can recognize it's good but its not really my genre

I love the idea of this album, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. First, this is generally not a Symphony and Metallica release as the title would suggest. This is a Metallica album with strings and horns in the background. The actual symphony is mostly difficult to hear in the mix, which was a big disappointment for me. This feature of the album was made worse in my experience by the quiet passages; when we can hear the orchestra up front, it sounds well-arranged. But when the band really kicks in, the orchestra almost disappears. And frankly, many of the live versions of these songs have considerably less power than the studio versions. Sometimes, James Hetfield almost sounds like he's phoning in the vocals or padding his singing with low-impact live tricks. Perhaps he was just unable to do in 1999 what he could do in 1989. I haven't heard much live Metallica. I'm not really a metal fan, but I've always felt that Metallica were absolute masters of the genre, especially with their releases up to and including the self-titled black album. This performance didn't hit me in the way that I expected. I'll add it to the collection, but I was still pretty disappointed. Three stars.

Cool but wouldn't listen again

Hetfields röst är lite mjäkig emellanåt. Nästan helren i strupen på både master of puppets och battery? Han känns lite för självmedveten med symfonikerna runt sig. Det är ingen gosskör - dista på, gubbjävel. Och 2 timmar och 13 minuter är lite väl va? Men när det är ballt är det ballt. Och ofta otroligt snyggt arrat, tycker inte det känns som en gimmick. Flera av de gamla rökarna förhöjs av orkestern. Sen stör jag mig lite på flera av load och reload-låtarna, 90-tals Metallica är svårälskat emellanåt. Svårbetygsatt. Ibland undrar jag varför det här gjorts överhuvudtaget och ibland känner jag att det är asmäktigt och en blandning som tillför nåt. Kommer nog väldigt sällan återkomma till den här skivan. Ser fram emot att få upp något av metallicas studioalbum istället.

inget kan tyvärr vara konstant mäktigt i 2 timmar och 13 minuter… allt flyter ihop. hitsen är dock gås

This blend of epic riffs and orchestral composition makes for an experience that a white collar dad and his black t-shirt son can agree is kind of good. My experience it gave off a superhero score vibe. It wants to be grand, it wants to be epic, the talent is all there, but there's very little emotion coming through.

I have vague memories of this being hyped on the radio and then a couple years later the same station saying: Metallica is back, screw the classical music experiment.

Cool alternate take on the Metallica catalog. I generally prefer the studio versions but there's some interesting stuff going on here.

Wow, I generally hate Metallica, but this was fantastic. The symphony kinda faded into the background for a few tracks in the middle, which took the wind out of my sails. This was on track for four stars for a bit, and really fell just a tiny bit short. If you've never seen Florence and The Machine perform with the symphony, go watch it on YouTube right now.

I think this makes metallica music actually a lot more interesting! Production is good, performance is great, takes forever.

Surprisingly, I was ok with this. I didn't like it, but I got it.

I like Metallica fine, but I was ready to give this album a 2 after the first few songs... just all felt too drawn out and indulgent. But "Nothing Else Matters" - happens to be my favorite Metallica song and the orchestral arrangement for it was pretty epic. That gave the album a second wind for me.

Good party music, but i am alone, so it is too loud

When it's good, it's very good. But mostly it's boring - Metallica giving a relatively lifeless run through of a baffling setlist as the orchestra smashes and wallops through the least imaginative set of arrangements they must have had their hands on in a long time. Great idea, really disappointing execution. But the good songs stop it from being a total waste of space - these versions of The Outlaw Torn and Call Of Ktulu alone save it from 2 stars! Favourite tracks: Ecstacy Of Gold, Call Of Ktulu, Outlaw Torn

A ono ok je, pompozno ali ok

Still not a live album guy

It's Metallica and it's live. Good not great

It is Metallica with an orchestra and sounds like the soundtrack of an action movie. Good for Metallica fans, not so good I'd imagine for others. I actually like it more than I thought I would, although it is a little too long.

Pretty cool blend of sounds. I've listened to some Metallica in my life but not enough to be super familiar with a lot of these songs so it was pretty fresh to me honestly. It was overdone to the point of being corny at points but other renditions were really really cool. If anything it made me want to really dig into some more Metallica.

Good, but a little long.

I'm not going to sit through the full 2+ hours of this because I've heard it enough times before. The Call of Ktulu is easily the best rendition here because the orchestra lends some dynamism, not so much elevating as recontextualising it. The nature of the track - inspired by Lovecraft and lacking lyrics - gives the orchestra freedom to breathe. That can't be said for many of the other renditions. The other classic Metallica tracks sound claustrophobic with the addition of orchestral elements, and the Load/Reload era tracks simply aren't good enough as they are. Other than Ktulu, the standouts here are the Black Album tracks, which have a floaty quality that lends itself well to the fullness that the orchestra provides. Lastly, I think - Human (Metallica: please stop trying to be clever with track titles) is a pretty poor song but I have a soft spot for No Leaf Clover - it's got those Unforgiven vibes that I'm weak for.

Sick concept. Really enjoyed a few of the songs. It sounded very Trans-Siberian Orchestra at points.

Another live album..... I will concede that it is slightly more interesting as it has the addition of the orchestra. I'm not convinced that they actually improve Metallica's music though, think I'd rather hear normal Metallica. It is good though and Metallica have some big songs, but I'm going with 3 as it's a live album. 3.5

Love Metallica, not interested in live albums

Didn’t really add that much to the Metallica experience. Maybe better on DVD? Seems like a you had to be there thing, or one for the hardcore fans

A very very cool idea let down by muddy production and Metallica's inconsistent discography

Perfect timing to get this the same weekend I listened to LUX twice. I've basically come down on the side that an orchestra can help elevate music but it always brings with it the added bit of corniness. It's a tradeoff

A solid output for live heavy hitters.

So I do like this album, but I think I like S&M 2 better. Can’t believe this was 1999. Ok. There is something that’s just off about this recording for me. No idea what. I hate that I like “90s Metallica” songs on this. 😂 but hero of the day is better with the symphony. Feels like a Beatles song.

The combination of a symphony and metal worked better than I thought and I did enjoy a lot of moments on this album. The problem is that I struggle to listen to 2 straight hours of Metallica and in most cases I still would’ve preferred the original studio recordings of most of these songs. I’m also going to sound like a huge dork by pointing out that Deep Purple did basically the same thing 30 years prior

I really like metallica, but i think for a lot of tracks i perhaps prefer the originals

Metallica has great style but I feel some parts feel too long

Lowkey ornate.

there is enough and maybe too much Metallica on this list.

For a 2hr album, I surprising made it through easier than I thought, helps that I clean the entire house while listening, but I did it in one go. Really appreciated the strings addition. Also really enjoyed quite a few of the songs, just 2hrs for one album is extreme. I also normally hate live records but this wasn’t the worst.

Should not have live album where singer get crowd to fill in blanks. Okay otherwise.

Ríkir rokkarar gera skrítna hluti.

Vel útsett og spilað og stóru Metallica lögin nutu sín vel. 135 mínútur af Metallica aðeins og mikið fyrir mig.

Favourite Track: One

A cool idea lushly realized, but I often found myself wishing I was listening to the original tracks. It gets a little crowded and stuffy. The crowd sounds like they’re loving it, which boosted my enjoyment.

Enjoyed way more than I thought I would. Has this project turned me into a Metallica fan?

It's like listening to Metallica with some background strings. Which are sometimes "random" :/ Like, what is it in "For whom the bell dolls"? It ruined the song character... OK, "Wherever I may roam" intro is good. But the rest..... I mean, if its done just to add some orchestra and it sounds the same in every song....then why? The songs are great. The orchestration is just ok.

Why this album????????????????????????

This symphonic metal album blends heavy, riff-driven power with a full orchestra to form a dense, theatrical wall of sound where strings and brass add grandeur and tension, while gruff vocals cut through or strain against it, echoing lyrical themes of struggle, control, and inner conflict.

Pretty middle of the road for me. A long album will always have an uphill battle for me. I am not familiar enough with Metallica's discopgraphy to enjoy these arrangements as much as I could. However, it was a pleasant listen. The orchestra is undeniably talented and you can feel the energy/excitement from the band as they play these songs live in this way. Knowing how musically talented they are, I know they were geeking out at playing this show for their fans. If someone threw this one, I wouldn't mind but I don't think I would seek it out.

Dark Deception Kills The Light 1001 Albums Generator 139 (10/14/2025) The fact that the only version of For Whom The Bell Tolls on this list is from a recording in 1999 is a damn shame, which is my way of saying: why is S&M on this list that is missing Ride The Lightning? I could ask 100 random Metallica fans for their four favorite albums by the band, and I would be surprised to find even one who includes 1999's S&M on the list. Anyway, it's on this list so I guess I get to talk about it. S&M released at a weird time in Metallica's career, before they had hit rock bottom, but certainly after their peak. Load and Reload are both kind of stinkers with a couple good/great songs each. And then Metallica decided to just release a live album with the San Francisco Orchestra backing them. The softer songs in their catalog, especially Call of Ktulu and Nothing Else Matters, work really well with the orchestra backing. Interestingly, the orchestra kind of brings most of the songs on the album to a similar quality, meaning the Load and Reload songs get a nice glow up, while many of the classic Metallica tunes, which constitute some of my favorite songs ever, become much worse. For example, near the beginning of the album, I loved the version of The Memory Remains here and thought the orchestra improved that song, but did not enjoy my time with Master Of Puppets, which is normally one of the best songs of all time. One is also a bit of a mess. However, this principle does have limits, since something as dreadful as Devil's Dance, originally off Reload, can only be elevated so high. Additionally, there are two new compositions here. No Leaf Clover is really cool, but "- Human" is pretty boring. I also have to mention that James Hetfield's voice here is really bad at times. I don't know if he was abusing drugs at this time or if that started later, but it certainly sounds like he was. Unfortunately, this album is quite long, so I only got one listen with it. It's fine and a novel idea, but the execution is far from perfect. Would have much preferred to spend my day with Live Shit: Binge & Purge if we're doing a live Metallica album that's too damn long, but oh well. 3/5 I guess. Favs: The Memory Remains No Leaf Clover For Whom The Bell Tolls Least Fav: Devil's Dance

This was good, song-wise. I like almost all of these songs and some of them are my favorite Metallica songs. And I love a string orchestra accompaniment, especially for a sound as hard-edged as Metallica's is. But man, I just can't get behind the live aspect. I really don't like live albums as a rule. The tempo on some of those songs is just all over the place, sometimes too slow, sometimes way to fast. It just sounds sloppy and takes me out of the music. Overall still a great collection of tracks, but I probably won't ever listen to most of these tracks again. Three stars.

The originals are all better than this recording, but I'd bet this was a wildly entertaining live show. It tickles me to imagine the first-chair flugelhorn's "Holy shit!" face when presented with the sheet music.

Живая энергия, устаёшь даже от такого продолжительного буйства. Лучше слушать каждый диск с некоторым перерывом. 6 из 10.

Would have been a 4 if it wasn't TWO HOURS

I wasn’t expecting to like this just because post-eighties Metallica is objectively average or bad depending on the album, and I’m not far off in my pre-assessment. The first issue I have is that the symphonic elements merely detract from the innate heaviness of Metallica because the band was never intended to be symphonic in nature. In consequence, the music doesn’t mesh at all. My second issue is the choice of this album as the representative of symphonic metal on this list. While there are metal acts whose entire identity folds in symphonic foundations perfectly (think Emperor or Fleshgod Apocalypse), Metallica is not one of those acts. If this album is on the list because the authors thought orchestral elements + metal sounded cool, then why this album out of the hundreds of symphonic metal albums? It makes no sense. My third big complaint is that this bloated, questionable album made this list, but the incredible Ride the Lightning didn’t (although this album does have tracks from that album). My final issue is that the whole thing is just too damn long. On the plus side, there are still some great moments from the band’s early discography. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

I think they spelled "Cthulu" wrong but really enjoy the symphonic accompaniment.

72/1089 2 hours and 13 minutes?? 😭 bit of an intense first full Metallica album to experience lmao It’s decent, cool rock and i do enjoy the live and symphonic aspect of it, it’s potentially an album i would appreciate better if i came back to it having listened to the regular albums i enjoyed my time with this project, it’s probably on the edge of what i would enjoy about rock/metal, the orchestra definitely tied it together nicely for me but the atmosphere and showmanship etc was really solid. faves: No Leaf Clover, One, Sad But True, Enter Sandman, Wherever I May Roam, Until It Sleeps, Hero Of The Day 3 stars or 68/100

The orchestra didn't work with a lot of the songs, Master of Puppets being the worst offense. I won't knock it for being 2hrs because it was a concert, but it would've been better if it was just them playing. Listening to this in two sessions helped a good deal in making it enjoyable during certain parts.

Although they are great musicians...it's still alot of noise with an orchestra in the background.

Nomas

TL;DL

symphony doesn't match the rest of the music

It was good. I never finished it. It was long but I just had a busy day and didn't have time.

Pretty much a best-of Metallica album. The synthesis of an orchestra with the metal sounds (alongside the impressive length) makes the album feel suitably full and grand - they gel together pretty well. It being a live album is for once an enhancement to the sound, too, as it gives that 'crowded venue' feeling that suits the enormous scale of the thing. That said, it's two straight hours of Metallica fanservice and doesn't really have much of interest to offer for anybody else.

Somewhat relentless

I appreciate the effort. The music, not so much.

It's an interesting idea, combining metal with a symphony orchestra, but my god does it drag on. I really think it would be improved when cut back to 1 cd. 3/5

Great opening. I could feel the energy and imagined I was at the concert. The orchestra added good layers and complemented well throughout the set. I think they could have had better arrangements, having said that.

Never been a fan of Metallica despite enjoying metal as a genre. Hoped the orchestra would enhance the songs, but it was mostly swells.

I'm a casual Metallica listener, so I enjoyed this but was a long slog to get through. I enjoyed them not stripping the songs back, but subsequently nothing was added to the songs for me. They're so tight here and all members are top of form

Hoo boy. A 2 hour Metallica live album. Ha! Here goes..... Yeah this is fine. It really is just Metallica with an orchestra on top. They don’t seem to have changed the songs fundamentally they just put a layer of orchestra on top. Does it add anything? Maybe a little- it doesn’t take away too often. But- for the purposes of this list- I’m assuming the three or four seminal Metallica records are on here; is this really necessary? Probably not. THREE STARS

There comes a time in every rock bands life when they’ve thrown all of the tellies out of the hotel windows and parked their Rolls Royces in the swimming pool, and they’re wondering how to spend their advance from the record company, and somebody (probably the bass player) suggests recording a live album with (get this man) a full symphony orchestra, because Bach was like, really metal, if you think about it, dig? The rest of the band will try to dissuade him, but then the accountant says it would probably be good for tax reasons so they book an orchestra and set to arranging their tunes for maximum epicness and coming up with a rude joke for the title - Symphony and Metallica (abbreviated to S&M - do you see what they did there?) The results in this case are actually pretty good - the conductor and arranger Michael Kamen uses the orchestra to set the stage for Metallica’s signature metal songs and the audience is clearly loving it (and singing along). All of the favourites are here, but the highlight for me is probably the classic Enter Sandman which sounds suitably awesome. Classical-tastic!

This is a good -- but too long -- live album. The idea is not new but well executed. The arrangements are really good and you can feel the work done by the SF orchestra. I don't really know how to phrase this, so let's just say that it appeals to the 14 year old me who loved symphonic metal, but older me find this a bit too much, too epic, too cliché.

I love Metallica. ...And Justice For All, Master of Puppets, and the Black Album are very worthy of this list. S&M, while an interesting concept, just didn't really do it for me. The songs they reimagined were better in their original form. No Leaf Clover is amazing, though. In all, I appreciate the artistic license given to both the SF Symphony and Metallica, and the resulting album gave rise to many better versions/bands/Dethklok parodies. It was an artistic risk that paid off culturally and financially, but at least to my ears not musically.

Better than their usual sound. Best without the vocals.

Solid.hard rock

I'm sure I listened to this one many many years ago. I wish the guitars had a little bit more presence and sometimes the orchestral arrangement doesn't seem to make sense to me, but it's Metallica doing an insane set list so I have a hard time not enjoying it. Production gripes will probably drag it down a star or so though.

First things first, I would listen to all these songs in pretty much any format, and have for decades; if you have a choice between Metallica and no Metallica then the answer is pretty much always Metallica. And 15-year-old me (along with the rest of the low brass section in freshman concert band) specifically thought this album was proof that metal was The One True Genre and had swept all its enemies (Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, mostly, at that point) under its feet. It was a different time and the Sux/Rulz TRL Wars were in full swing. If you know, you know. That said, in retrospect I question the setlist - seriously, no "The Unforgiven?" Only one track from *...And Justice for All*? - and in general there's not enough done with the orchestra to justify this project's existence (the opening to "Battery" is the exception that proves the rule). Which on some level I get, because teenage metalheads like Former Me couldn't be trusted to follow it, but still - opportunities have been missed here. So in summary it's cool, but inessential. But cool.

I've given out about live albums being in this book before, but I think I can give this one a pass since it's a unique concept. What I can't give a pass though, is the number of terrible songs on here. Metallica really did take a nose dive in quality after the Black Album. I wish it was mixed a bit better as well, sometimes you can barely hear the orchestra over the band. Some of the older songs are great, maybe even improved by the orchestra. Master of Puppets gave me chills when the crowd started singing along. The last 4 songs on the second disc are great too. Overall a mixed bag, but interesting enough in places.

Not the biggest Metallica fan although I do Enjoy them from time to time. This album felt silly to me at times. Fun though

I tend to be a harsher critic on live albums. I personally believe they have to bring something fun or unique or interesting to qualify for this list. While this album didn’t do that, it did teach us that Metallica sounds as good live as they do in the studio. The music here is objectively good. It’s also interesting to hear how clearly male-dominant the audience is.

5/10 - not bad, thought it would be harder but I like the long riffs mixed with the orchestra

Would I put this in 1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die? No. But I would put it in a list of 250 Ambitious Albums by Billboard Top Whatever. Neat idea with varied results. The symphony at times doesn't really seem to add much, but hey, I'm not a composer. Very cool to hear them do the Ecstasy of Gold but then there's 2 hours left. I think that is part of the issue, too. It was two sets. Make it digestible, split it up. No Leaf Clover is killer and I'll stand by that. No, I won't. Whatever. But the real thing is: take away James's vocals and this could've been a lot better. He sounds like an orangutan mid-stroke. Like, the brain one or vinegar strokes, you decide.

This would've been craaaazy to hear in concert, could not get into it because I can very rarely get into live albums + it's too long, but kudos to whoever came up with this collab. Kudos ESPECIALLY to whoever decided to do the Ecstasy of Gold cover that was bonkers.

I still don't think live albums should be on the list, but this one is obviously unique. I remember when this came out and people were going ape shit over it - and with good reason. It somehow made Metallica even more metal. I can't imagine how intense this show would have been. The recording can't really do it justice.

We are less than 30 albuns in and this is my secon Metallica album. And it is a compilation. I do understand the power and relevance of Mettalica and I must confess that the blend of metal and orchestra is not a bad idea. There are some interesting melodies clashing and it's a surprisingly good listen. However I wonder why the album is in the list if it is a compilation album. I honestly don't think I will have to listen to "Master of Puppets" twiceThe projectbis good but not worthy of enterisng thenlistbas I think it is designed to Metallica fans rather than the general public, and as I am not very familiar with Mettalica discography it's like meh but ok... . It is a 3, I would like to rank it as a 1 as I feel it does not belong in the list. 1999 had so many good albuns as well

Metallica but cringe

Фанаты, наверное, в восторге. Но я не фанат. Трэш-металл до сих пор не могу понять.

Weird combo of Metallica and a giant symphony orchestra. Interesting concept that starts to wear thin on disc 2. Works more than it doesn't but is it essential in the way Metallica's late 80s/early 90s output is? Probably not.

A drunk cousim dorced me to listen to this years ago lol. He was right tho it's awesome. At its best, the orchestra expands suberbly on the original songs, but it's not consistently good

A lot of negative reviews on this one, but I liked the sound. Don't know if I'd ever come back to it, but a cool listen. 3.5/5.

Cool. I've been meaning to go back to this. 2hrs+ what the flip! I like this project because I like the concept of an album - 35 to 50 min as a continuous statement. I am less up for such a long best of type deal. Will be tricky to take in in one sitting as I hope to for most other records. Not my favourite string arrangements. Often feels like just one or two interesting harmonies or melodic lines added to each section. This was a lot of Metallica to listen to. The voice grated on me a bit. Basically interesting though.

Not a metal fan. The symphony helps, mellows things out a bit. In other words, I liked this better than other Metallica albums I’ve listened to, because it sounds slightly less like Metallica.

Neat, but not 2h 13m neat

I was really dreading 2.5 hours of Metallica but this was awesome. Symphony paired really well with them, so happy I listened.

Very much enjoyed a lot of this but dinged points for being a bit too long

Enjoyed this and considered giving it a 4 but it 2+ hours made it drag a bit in the middle during the parts that aren't their top hits. We had seen both Nelly and a Led Zeppelin cover band perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and this was better than those.

I can’t make it through the whole thing. Got to For Whom The Bell Tolls and it’s just too much Metallica at once for me in the mood I’m in. I’ll listen to the other half later. This concert would be fun in person with the symphony, but too be honest I don’t know how much they truly add. Still being a live recording, the album doesn’t really flow well and is just too much fun all at once.

Metallica certainly deserves its place on this list. And they are an undeniably entertaining and virtuosic live act. But this album seems like a novelty--if they played a show with my local symphony, I'd want a ticket--rather than a cornerstone of their catalog. While they were probably thrilling live, on this recording the symphonic arrangements are more distraction than embellishment. I'd rather just hear Metallica being Metallica. They don't need any help! Standout tracks: No Leaf Clover and Human, the two songs that were written for this album.

It's too bad I don't know Metallica's music so much, as I'm sure I'd appreciate this album much more. I do appreciate the arrangements and playing, by both the band and orchestra. It's quite the collaboration.

2 hours plus? Yikes. Not as bad as I thought 3-

Not a massive Metallica fan they have a few good songs I listened to it all. But it was a chore sometimes.

In this challenge, the words I tend to dread most are "double live album". Unless I'm a huge fan of the band, that's already going to be slog. Added to my dread is the fact that this was an extremely overhyped release in the 90s which often don't meet the expectations. But I had two surprises here: 1) it's actually not a bad album, and 2) the orchestra is the worst part of it. No offense intended to the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. You played very well at all, but was this really the best use of your time? The orchestra playing with a rock band thing has been done before and since and has been merged better. The effect of "S&M" is take the big sound of Metallica and make it sound a bit bigger. Which... Ok. The crowds sound like they're having fun but it's kind of gimmicky, isn't it? At times it sounds a bit like two different musical styles going at once that happen to sync up from time to time. Again, ok, but the novelty doesn't last too long. But ok, it's kind of different to mix classical and heavy metal like this I guess and for fans, it was probably pretty exciting when first released. Metallica clearly put on a great show, with or without the orchestra. Having said that, the over 2 hour length was a bit much.

Good but too long

This is 100% an album that deserves to be on this list. For me, however, it’s just a bit uneven. There are songs where the symphony absolutely enhances the song, then there are songs where it just sounds like there’s an orchestra kind of playing along. When it works, holy shit, it’s awesome. When it doesn’t, it’s just a little, I don’t know, boring? Underwhelming? Also, I’ve never been to a normal Metallica concert, but does James Hetfeld always bail out of the high notes? His voice was a bit monotone at times. Last complaint: it’s too damned long. Ok, it sounds like I hated this, but that’s not quite the case. I’m going to give it 3 stars, and I wish I could give it 3.5, because it really is a very cool concept and a very cool album. There were a couple of times I got chills - and although I beey much love the Black album, I wouldn’t really call myself a Metallica fan. Anyway, damn good album, if flawed, and definitely one to hear before you die.

All the stars are for the orchestra

Meh

Encore un autre album live, pis de 2h13?! J'vais me fâcher pour vrai, pis ça sera pas beau! Excluant l'élément live, je trouve que l'orchestre (ou bien même Metallica) est de trop sur scène, c'est vraiment juste Metallica sur scène avec des fois des coups de violons et des passes de trompettes qui filtre à travers la grosse guitare distordu et le double pedal du drum. Bref, l'orchestre élève en rien la musique du band et semble la majorité du temps superflux. Malgré tout, c'est pas SI pire; ça reste un show de Metallica, tu sais à quoi t'attendre pis les interprétations de leurs tounes sont bonnes. Ça mérite un trois de passage, allez ouste!

3.5/5. I’m also giving myself this rating for listening to it all the way through. Is this what you call symphonic rock?

This is great. As a non metal fan I think it the combination with the orchestra gives this a much more approachable sound.

From the get-go, the sound is grand and orchestral. Pretty impressive for a live performance. And for the first few tracks, it gets even more grand and orchestral, and hence even more impressive. Of their material, I've only heard Metallica's self-titled LP before, and I didn't realise this was how their sound had developed. Being able to maintain a steady musical buildup for almost 10 minutes (The Call Of Ktulu) is a feat for the ages. My main takeaway from these first few tracks is that having a strong orchestral backing is integral to completing Metallica's normally guitar- and percussion-heavy sound – because this record already better than most of their self-titled record. But after the first hour, man, the tide really changes. My policy is that, for an album to qualify as "good", it must work well as a complete "album experience". The listener must be able to sit/lie down with a pair of headphones and enjoy the record in its entirety, ideally in one sitting. There are a few rules that absolutely must be adhered to, including mood variation, textural variation, and a diverse showcase of the band's stylistic repertoire. But Metallica doesn't try very hard at creating a cohesive experience. Although there are lower-energy tracks here and there, including the much-needed Nothing Else Matters at the beginning of disc 2, the large majority of songs on S&M are just identical glam-thrash-rock noise. With orchestral backing, which makes it a lot more bearable – but even so. (Metallica, you should know better! An album is an artistic medium, so use it properly, dang it!) Too many good tracks to justify a low rating, though, and I did enjoy it for the most part. Just had to split it into two sittings when I found myself tuning out the music more than taking it in. 3/5 Key tracks: Master Of Puppets, No Leaf Clover, Nothing Else Matters

Okay I’m not sure how I feel about this. I like Metallica a lot, and usually I’m a huge fan of the mix with a symphony, but this entire album feels like an action movie fight scene I fear. Bc I like Metallica tho I’ll give it a 3

It's an interesting experiment which works best when the band aren't rocking out, but the bombast is a bit much, especially given the album's length.

moments of magnificence that really rocked! but holy shit this does not need to be 2+ hr....it got to be SUCH a chore after like 20min...

3/5

The album is good, but I bet this was amazing to see live.

It's good, but I don't think it adds anything to pure Metallica experience.

Solid singles album, filler sounds the same. Drums are a bit naff

An interesting idea let down by James fucking around too much with the audience

I like the idea of symphonic metal; however, I usually find the execution lacking. I think metal is perfectly capable of creating huge-sounding, epic songs on its own, so adding orchestral arrangements tries to fix a problem the genre doesn't have. I also feel like Metallica’s strong suit is energy and groove and not epicness. The problem with this album is that it’s just Metallica songs with a layer of orchestral music added without much thought, when the songs were not originally intended to give off the vibe it adds. They do have some epic song like The Call of Ktulu or Master of Puppets, and they sound great on this album, but the original versions are already phenomenal, in my opinion, so I have a hard time calling this recording better. I still like this, though. Outside of the gimmick, this is still Metallica’s early music, of which I am a huge fan, but I don’t think the orchestra adds much to it, to be honest. It’s also too long. The novelty of the gimmick wears off pretty quickly, and the fact that it’s 2 hours long just drags the experience down. 7/10

I sense this album made the list as a reasonably-accessible example of the intersection of classical and metal. I'm glad the list editors chose to highlight this symbiosis. The production is excellent overall, great sounding mix. That said, Metallica is just too digested for my taste. I'd put Dimmu Borgir – Forces Of The Northern Night or Devin Townsend Project – Ocean Machine (Plovdiv) on the list instead. Much bigger fan of Michael Kamen as a composer/orchestrator/conductor than Metallica. The symphony carries this performance. 5/10, rounded up -> 3/5. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

I listened to the live album and got into it. It’s a metal opera. Yeah!

It feels unnecessary to include this live album. Metallica wasn't the first band to combine metal with an orchestra and S&M wasn't even released during a time when many consider the "classic" period for the group. Not that this is a bad album, but it is the same thing as putting peanut butter on a graham cracker. Separately, they are both delicious and so it's not necessary to combine the two, as it is not necessary to include this album on this list as the other Metallica albums should suffice. I feel much the same way about this album as I did the Bob Dylan live album. Some of these songs, especially One, sounds great with an orchestration behind it. It's well done and I enjoyed it overall. If I'm going to want someone to hear Metallica, then this is not the album I would go for.

blud? idk its not really worth all that time. Guitar and orchestra is pretty cool and unique for a bit but gets quite boring. Not really becoming a Metallica fan after this one, but this probably isn't meant to be the first thing you listen to. Favourite songs: the call of ktulu, master of puppets, hero of the day, nothing else matters, for whom the bell tolls, human, one. Overall around 5/10

Never really been into Metallica. Never been against them either. This album did not change my mind one way or the other.

Looks good on paper, doesnt really follow through when you see it executed...I dont think the symphony added anything here.

My wife likes peanuts with candy corn, and although its not my favorite combination, I do like peanuts and candy corn separately, so why not? I feel like that about this album. I like Metallica (peanuts) and orchestras are cool, especially when they are going wildly symphonic and bombastic. Combined? Sure, I'm into it, but maybe I'd like them more separately?

that's a little too much metallica maybe

It was aight

Solid concept album the orchestra added some nice elements

I mean, it's interesting and maybe belongs on the list because of that but the originals are better. 3.28

Liked it when it first came out but now just think it took awesome rockers and made them less awesome

Fun album and very good integration of the orchestra.

None of these versions are better than the original. The instrumentals and slower songs like No Leaf Clover and Bleeding Me works, because there are spaces to fill for the orchestra.

Orkesteri saa kyllä uusia ulottuvuuksia Metallicaan. Ja mikä alku levyllä, alkaa heti maailman hienoimmalla elokuvamusiikkipätkällä! Livetaltioinnin kehno äänenlaatu ei vaan harmillisesti ihan anna oikeutta musiikille.

Tää tulis varmaan kuunnella jostain muualta kun autohifistä. Ihan en aina näitä ymmärrä tuieeko jotain lisää hienoihin biiseihin sinfonian kanssa. Purple sen aikoinaan aloitti ja kohta varmaan Stig jatkaa

Dope songs made better with the San Francisco Symphony included. My biggest drawback is with the runtime for this.

I like it... adding the orchestra to Metallica songs is a nice touch.

Thoughts before listening: This feels like it probably shouldn't be on this list. I mean any of Metallica's first 5 albums absolutely should be on here, but their live set with an orchestra? Nah. Not that this is bad or anything, but it just feels like I don't HAVE to listen to this. Review: Look, I like Metallica quite a bit. Any of those first five albums gets a 4 or 5-star rating in my opinion, and I enjoy hearing those songs on here. However, this is over 2 hours of unnecessary orchestral flourishes and James Hatfield being a cheeseball (maniacal laughing, f-bombs that aren't in the original song, growls, over exaggerated yeahs, etc). Plus due to the era in which this was released, it also includes songs from the Load and Re-Load albums that are clearly not as strong as the classics (although these live versions may improve on the studio versions i.e. "The Memory Remains"). This is a lesser album than their original run so this gets 3-stars.

2.5

(6.33) ★★★

I think the orchestra concept is interesting and works well in songs with quieter parts, but once the band gets into their heavier chugga-chugga stuff, the orchestra might as well not even be playing. Songs like "Master of Puppets" and "Battery" do not need orchestral parts, and you can barely hear them anyway. I think the softer stuff works pretty well -- "The Call of Ktulu" and "Hero of the Day" stood out as working well. I probably could've gone higher if the album was shorter, tighter, and arranged so it played to the strengths of the orchestra more. Light 3 stars.

Solid but ultimately very long and kinda boring live set of late 90s Metallica plus orchestra. A bit like Fleetwood Mac’s The Dance there’s a twinge of autotune and vocal processing to James Hetfield which definitely sours, stales and scrumples up the live proceedings a little bit.

Interesting, cool, and bizarre, neatly rolled into one. I would imagine for some folks, this hit their musical apex, a better than sex moment. I’m not in that bed. Enjoyed it, but I’ve had better.

I love metallica until the end of time but this was a bit too much for me

I liked the idea of this and it was cool. I honestly think it made me like these songs even more, it gave their music more substance, depth and eeriness that I think they lack as a regular band. The orchestra was really amazing, and to make the arrangements for all of these songs and so flawlessly fit into these songs was amazing. With that said, I could have just done with the highlights, I didn't need the full two hour concert. Give me the 10 best songs of the night and release on a short album and I would have enjoyed it just as much (if not more) as getting the full two hour concert.

Good union between the symphonic and the distorsions of metal, a nice experiment.

I'm not listening to this for 2 hrs. Interesting songs, but not something I'll listen again

I think the conception and delivery of this is well done. This is the type of thing nobody can repeat without being compared to Metallica. As I can only barely tolerate metal, that’s where my admiration ended. I did enjoy “Nothing Else Matters” because that’s the only Metallica song I like. Good album, just overwhelmingly not my thing, and took a while to work up the patience to listen to this.

A symphony makes everything better, so this Metallica album got boosted to a 3.

I regret to inform that this is the first album I did not listen to through cover to cover :( it was 2 hours and I did not have the mental capacity for that much Metallica. This was the entire live performance of them with an orchestra - cool idea but also a strange vibe mash. I’ll give it a 3 for default and the songs I did listen to were good.

also vill isch nanig passiert ussert chli schön symphonie finds gad recht überfordernd, es passiert sehr vill huuuYEAAAAAAH HAHAHAHAHAH muss sege master of puppets tönt chli komisch eso? iwie tünd sich die herte gitarre und d striiche rnöd so komplimentiere, ahh okee ide tüfe laage ener! jöö wied lüt mitsinged!!! ohh d bridge vo master of puppets isch gad seeehr schön mitem orchester! suscht findi bis jz, dass es eifach nöd so recht zemmepasst leider, aber das liit je nach dem au draa, dass ich s original (jz bi master) "z guet kenne" sooo vill YEAH's jöö de hetfield wiener lacht währendem singe! nachdem mer sich draa gwöhnt, tönt de hetfield gar nöd so schlecht wenner chli probiert, klarer z singe weiss iwie nöd, was ich vo nothing else matters sött halte, ufem papier sött daa ja s orchester megaaa passe, aber iwie hetsmer nöd so pässled poaaah s introriff vo human isch naaaaaaasty oke das ich jz scho ahstrengend gsi. d idee selber isch eig na cool aber mega funktioniert het sie nöd findi, zumindest zum ufeme album lose, live ischs sicher es cools erlebnis iwenn isches aber au sehr zur hindergrundmusig mutiert. schwanke zwüscheme 2 undeme 3 2 will ich d daasiisberechtigung uf dere liste ahzwifle und s eifach nöd soo guet isch? 3 für human und für mis metalherz hahahah

Meh paar mooie nummers. En live album stiekem toch niet zo boffen

Love me some Metallica from time to time - especially did when I was younger. This must surely be their most controversial record, but you've got to give them some credit for trying something different out. I am not sure I'm the camp that thinks it's great, though. When listening to the record I realize that I just prefer the original songs. Listening to this album sure gives me some anime- or Japanese-grand-fight vibes. Like fighting against One-Winged Angel in Final Fantasy VII for example. I don't think that's how I want to feel when listening to Metallica. And to be completely honest, I prefer 'One-Winged Angel' to many of these songs.

I mean, at the end of the day it's a greatest hits album. The live orchestra gimmick is cool but ultimately underutilized. I was actually really excited when the album started with the symphony playing "The Ecstacy of Gold", but by a couple of songs in it was pretty clear that the symphony was just filler and not actually necessary.

Metallica is a great studio band for a reason. This is also a great illustration of why I've never gone to see them live - this album feels unfinished and not fully ready.

2.8 I've always disliked this album but it was good to revisit and put a finger on why. I think ultimately it's because the orchestral pieces more often than not just don't work side by side with thrash metal. The songs weren't written with the inclusion of a symphonic orchestra in mind and it's plainly obvious. Master of Puppets right at the start is an early example. What have we gained from the additional of brass and string? If anything it greatly detracts from the band's output. The only songs it does seem to work well on are the lesser known ones, which they havent played 1000x and therefore aren't trying to shoehorn additional music into a well trodden path. Still a relatively high score given the underlying music is class, but surely there's more Metallica albums that could be in here. I think I've only had 2 of the first 4 so far.

The fact that this pairing 'works' doesn't foment in me a new appreciation for a band I don't know particularly well, or a genre of which I'm honestly suspicious. If anything, the orchestral potentialities of Metallica fortify my aversion to a music I already find to be wearyingly epic and conceptually overwrought. Lyrically, it smacks of a bad interpretation of a verse play by Goethe: 'Drain you off your sanity / Face the thing that should not be.' The instrumentation is 'big,' and I guess therefore symphonic, but Wagner gone electric (or is it the other way around?) is not my jam. For fans of the band, this is most likely a treat, and I don't know their music well enough to really judge the collaboration. As an idea - as a project - it certainly succeeds. It doesn't, however, satisfy or convert. With that, I'll go w/ middling.

This is a cool idea, but I found I grew kind of tired of this album around the half-way mark. There's some interesting moments here and there, but these are definitely not my favorite versions of any of these songs.

Loved Metallica as a kid but became disillusioned after Reload, so I never listened to this. I didn't hate it, but I'm not really regretting that decision. It's just mid. The orchestra didn't seem well-integrated into the music, and I'm not sure if that's just the mix or what. Anyways, it's still Metallica songs, and those tend to be pretty good (at that time). 3/5

I’m still not sure how I feel about live albums being in this list. Maybe ‘best of’ albums should also be included Overall not the worst listen but equally didn’t feel like it set the world alight.

Another odd choice for the list! I am not a fan of live albums, especially double live albums that go on for 2 hours! An interesting concept of combining heavy rock with orchestral music, and it kind of works in some places and misses the mark in others. Much rather listen to a Metallica studio album.

I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it wasn’t live

This is fun if not overly cheesy. They really hammed up the metal slobs invading the proper arts bit. It would be so much better if they had let me make the set list because I would not have put seven fucking songs from load and reload on it. More of Cliff Burton’s classical music-inspired writing would have fit better than the heavily blues inspired sludge groove stuff, but they had records to sell

I like symphonic metal, and I like Metallica, but I'm not really sure why I didn't like this accordingly. It felt like it took me four hours to get through. I do think I'd enjoy seeing this live, but it was kind of like watching sports on TV - things I enjoy when the energy is there but not in my living room.

It’s a neat experiment but not one I’m going to be returning to

Very surprised to see this on the list. I remember when it came out and not listening to it very often. And now I remember why. It’s just not good at all. Watered down overproduced directionless. I get why you try but this gimmick didn’t work. Just so random. Took away all the intensity of the music. I love Metallica. This was a swing and a miss. I’ll stil give it 3 stars and I appreciate them pushing boundaries blah blah blah.

++: The Ecstasy of Gold, The Call of Ktulu, Master of Puppets, Hero of the Day, Devil's Dance, For Whom the Bells Toss, Sad but True, Enter Sandman +: Of Wolf and Man, The Thing That Should Not Be, Fuel, The Memory Remains, Bleeding Me, Until It Sleeps, Wherever I May Roam, Outlaw Torn, One, Battery +-: No Leaf Clover, – Human 7,3/10

I'm not entirely sure how the editors of this project decided that this wasn't in one of the excluded categories of albums, but it certainly *feels* like an album out of place here. An interesting concept in principle, I suppose, but about 4 times too long for my taste. And while I appreciate the is-it-a-cover-if-the-band-is-involved puzzle, it feels too much like a kind of sad (and decidedly heavier) version of Trans Siberian Orchestra, minus the awesome Christmas music, of course. On the other hand, there's a certain poetry to having one of Metallica's four albums in this collection be an extended and loving homage to Deep Purple, who have only three albums in the collection. This is one of the very few albums that I just couldn't handle listening to without judicious amounts of skipping and fast-forwarding (and WHY was "Fade to Black" not included????). I'm not sure who exactly thought this was a good idea to inflict on anyone but the most die-hard Metallica fans, especially since it just exposes how incredibly *long* and rambling many of their songs were (although the audience chanting back the choruses *is* very impressive, albeit in a sort of Seig Heil way). I've begrudgingly respected Metallica over the years, and it was kind of fun to get some classics from their early years, but this album in particular has me wondering if my respect was ever deserved. (I'm reminded of my brother complaining that "Alien: Prometheus" was so painful for him that it made him rethink whether the first two "Alien" movies were actually as good as he remembered. No! But maybe "yes" in Metallica's case...)

I bet this was a great performance to experience live, and I especially loved the Morricone start but as an album, it probably appeals more to the diehard Metallica fans than the dabbler like myself (e.g. goes on about a half hour too long).