S&M

Good in places, with good musical arrangements and the pairing worked well. Other areas of the album, less so.

Weird idea? Yeah, that's why I like it. In fact, this album is what took me beyond being a passive Metallica fan to collecting their albums. I really respected that both Metallica & the SF Symphony Orchestra were willing to do this and I think they pulled it off well. I just wish I could've been there in person.

A *two hour* album? I personally don't get really get much out of live albums. That said, I did like the combination here of classic Metallica jams, combined with an orchestra. That was really interesting, but not something I'd really listen to again

This album is excessively long. I love the interplay of metal and orchestral sounds. But we only got a few songs in before moving on. We will continue to listen in small doses.

Not for me

The symphony really elevates Metallica to a different and very interesting level. Part of me likes it more than standard Metallica, but the more rational side of my brain knows that it just shouldn't really be compared in that way. It is very enjoyable of a listen even though it just lasts forever.

A live album! I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this from Metallica, it's pretty epic although at over 2 hours long it really felt like a slog. Some classics in there like Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters. The strings sounded live as well which really gave the feeling of an impressive film score. If it were a little shorter I would probably have scored it higher, but a decent live album.

I don't get it. It's just Metallica but worse.

It's really good, even better than I anticipated. The guys in Metallica may be dicks, but the two hours of symphonic metal on this album makes up for it. Perfect D&D fight music. Will warrant another listen

I don't even need to listen to this album to rate it. It's only one of my favourite albums of all time. Instant-5.

Shit

tum tum tum tuuum

Well that sure was a long one, I think the symphony aspect took away from the Metallica but it still was good. I would rather listen to the original though.

i'm torn on metallica's live s&m album. combining heavy metal with an orchesta is a cool idea, and metallica did something super unusual here. however, at times the orchestra is drowned out and the whole point of the album is lost. metallica really just plays hard, so i guess that's the risk you run. regardless, it was an enjoyable live album. metallica was able to extend some instrumentals in their songs, and i enjoyed the differences the orchestra brought. the string instruments could increase the musical tension well. two hours is a risky length, but with the extended instrumentals, it didn't seem so long. not to mention metallica brought such great energy to this audio only recording. and i heard some new metallica songs, so it was a win for all of us today.

I didn't know this album existed, but considering I like Metallica and actually really love symphonic metal, my interest was a bit piqued by this. As far as my listening of this album went, my intention was to hone in on the symphonic part. I assume the reason this album is on here is for the symphonic aspect, after all. What I was hoping for was a true conversion of Metallica's metal to symphonic metal. Turns out, this was just okay. It ended up being more like normal Metallica with a bit of a symphony overlay, rather than having the sound "baked in" symphonic metal. There is something to be said about symphonic metal that is WRITTEN to be symphonic. Because of this, this album fell a bit flat for me. As far as additional notes, I have a couple. First, "No Leaf Clover" was the one song on the entire 2 hour album that actually had a decent symphonic treatment. Both the Metallica aspect and the symphony aspect have opportunity to shine. It was definitely the best song on the album as far as the album purpose goes. And second, having never heard a live Metallica album, I was definitely surprised for some reason that James Hetfield sounds decent live, at least on this album. But all in all, when you boil this down, what you're basically left with (from my review perspective) is a live album where Metallica is doing their music and the San Francisco Orchestra is simultaneously doing Metallica's music. Both are fine on their own, but I didn't really feel like much was added by both happening at the same time. Average, at best.

I'm not one to just listen to a 2+ hour live show without actually being there, but this one was pretty good. It was really densely packed from start to finish, wasn't much time wasted. The live performances were all good, but my main issue is that the orchestra didn't always contribute much. Some songs felt enhanced by it but others just felt like extra noise on top.

Fuck this. It belongs no where near this list. I love Metallica, but live albums just fucking suck 90% of the time. 2 hours of this shit didn’t help either. 2/5

Not great, they didn't know how to incorporate the orchestra. So it just sounded like metallic with fantasia in the background. Not like apocolyptica

I listened to half of this and decided I would come back to it once I heard other Metallica albums on this list, as I felt like I really couldn’t experience this fully until I knew more of them original songs. Tentative 3 stars until then.

Interesting concept...way to long. Probably wouldn't listen to again. 2.5/5

Mediocre and uninspired orchestral arrangements hastily layered over songs that were not originally composed with a symphony in mind.

Veit ekki hvort ég fari yfir strikið hjá einhverjum, en mér finnst Metallica eiginlega best svona. Sinfóníuhljómsveitin bætir heilmiklu góðu við lögin og þau verða mun áheyrilegri. Gallinn er að Hetfield hefur verið í betra söngformi, myndi vilja sjá hann taka áttundarhækkun á réttum stöðum. Annars fínt.

It’s ambitious, but it takes the part of Metallics that I think we all love, the metal, and washes it out with this disjointed accompaniment of strings and horns. The thought was likely that you take the grandness of an orchestra and it would somehow expand upon the large sound of Metallica, but it has the opposite effect. Nothing really stands out. It’s boring. A for effort, D for execution.

I'm a HUGE fan of this album already - one of my favorites. Combining orchestra with Metallica adds something truly brilliant that is hard to find in either genre, and really adds a lot to their music.

I'm pretty familiar with a lot of Metallica's singles, but this was my first time listening to one of their albums from start to finish. I'm not very big into live albums, but this album was great. I knew a little less than half the tracks on here, and it was great to be able to listen to those songs in a new light. I don't know what all went into the process of converting these songs into being playable with a symphony orchestra, but the end result works really well. The band still sounds great, and Hetfield's growling vocals sound as powerfully brooding as ever. The only drawback here is that I didn't really get a lot from the songs that I didn't already know. They sounded fine, but as someone who's not a huge Metallica fan, I didn't have anything to compare them to. My favorite tracks here were "Nothing Else Matters" and "One." A few random thoughts about Metallica in general: I find it funny in a sad way that a lot of people my age hate James Hetfield for getting Napster shut down. He came off like a villain in that story while the real villains are the asshole record company executives. On my review for Megadeth's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying earlier this week, I said that thrash metal musicians are athletes first and musicians second, because of the physicality of their music, and Metallica is living proof of this. These guys just put out a new record this year, and they look fit as hell. The guys from Motley Crue, however, look like they spent the night in the gutter, and they sound like these days too. It's incredibly impressive to me that Metallica has had so much mainstream success as a thrash metal band, and they've managed to survive the rise and fall of hair metal, grunge, and mainstream alternative rock.

One of my favorite albums of all time. Metallica and a Symphony Ochestra is a match made in metal heaven.

Orchestra was a good touch to being a certain feeling to Metallica. Think was an interesting mix and was really good in places but some of the time it feels forced. A lot of the time gelt unnecessary. Sot The Call of Ktulu

the live aspect is everything. the band's not my cup but this record is fantastic

Por fin otro 5 (LNB) Brutal combinación ,aunque un poco largo(PSP)

Cliff wouldn't have stood for this, man.

Not all of it works but it's an interesting experiment. I didn't mind it even though it's too long and bloated. Outlaw Torn stood out and is a surprise on here. Decent.

Interesting concept, well executed (mostly)

This was a weird listen. I've listened to more than a normal amount of Metallica in the past few weeks, with a new album and a deep cut song challenge that had me playing Bleeding Me on repeat. This was different though.

You know what, this isn't half bad. This would have been one hell of a live show to attend. Orchestral, epic, blistering guitars and great vocals. Well done lads.

You can’t deny metallicas impact. Both as a listening experience but also as a phenomenon. The pretence to classical music in hard rock goes back to at least deep Purple and Ibsen to remember kids doing an album with the Melbourne symphony. But this album works. A bit self indulgent But the orchestra does enhance the music. It’s not pretentious which is an amazing feat.

Symphonies of strung out boredom. Enter Sandman was just ok. Why mess with perfection? This genre crossover experiment is strictly for fans. Personally, I would have gone for Baroque period instruments and gotten a bit more floral, or then tied in Ravel & Tchaikovsky influences.... Or at least Danny Elfman, might have made it fun actually! Whereas, thing might have been entertaining - this is about as attention grabbing as a Hans Zimmer 90s soundtrack (he did better with Dune & Blade runner 2049, so he's not all bad a digress. ) Stick with electric strings.

Imagine taking yourself this seriously. Dimery, mate come on, enough already with the Metallica.

Fun at times, ludicrous at others. Also limited by the weakness of some of the then-newer songs. And way overbloated! As a souvenir of the concert, the fans may have loved it, but as an album, I really wish they'd picked the best half of the tracks.

The orchestra was terrific.

Oh my god, Metallica manage to out-pomp themselves. This bloated, two hour long slog through Metallica's back catalogue embellished with Michael Kamen's admittedly cinematic orchestrations deliver the biggest, most bloated, most loudest, most bombastic, most EVERYTHING metal album of all time. Only Metallica could pull off something like this. It does suggest that they could potentially deliver a passable James Bond theme. I could absolutely live without the crowd cheering and sing-alongs, though. But listening through this album felt like marching on Moscow with winter approaching. It was just tolerable at the outset, but then the days shorten and the ice winds blow in. By the end, I am huddled in the endless snow, eating the boiled boots of my fallen comrades to avoid starvation. I am a 2000 mile march from home and hearth, and surely will die here, never to return, buried in an unmarked grave at roadside. Tell my wife and children I love them...

Certainly heavy, but not unbearably so. Some of the more orchestra-focused songs felt pretty epic and uplifting, a good contrast to the metal-focused, darker ones

I wish this was a studio album and not live. But I love it so much.

When I saw this pop up as the next album it made my eyes light up. I can instantly give this a 5 because it's one of my favorite albums of all time. Not complaining about an excuse to listen to this album at 11am on a Tuesday though. I listen to this album at least twice a year; once on family vacation at the beach and once during the fantasy football draft (who was that chick?). Incredible composition and energy from start to finish, I would give my left nut to be at this show. At least we live in a time where so much music is available on demand. A very thoughtful fusion of orchestral music and metal. Someone could do something like this to make a badass movie score with little to no dialogue.

My favorite all time musical production I have listened to S&M no fewer than 75 times and the first time was one I was about 10. Metallica was able to take their best songs and make them even more epic with the addition of the orchestra. One is the epicest I am truly jealous of anyone who has just listened to this for the first time because of this list. Let's give it up for the orchestra YEAAHHHAA

Wait a sec, am I on the clock? Jk I know it's May and I'm not nearly drunk enough. This album just gets me fuckin hype like not many other albums can do. Did not know that No Leaf Clover was written specifically for this performance but now it makes sense. It seems to fit in with the orchestra incredibly well. 5/5 can't wait for the fantasy draft.

great music, poor execution. no idea what they were thinking.

Ngl, I was pissed at first when I saw this was a 2 hour long Metallica live album that I'd have to slog through. The SF Symphony Orchestra popped off though. Shout out to the legend Ennio Morricone for a little Ecstacy of Gold starting the album off. Surprisingly good overall

Kaks mutta ne on tosi kuuluisia ja kaunis tapahtuma jee jee ne soittaa jee fanit jee orkesteri jee jee nii kolme siks.. Annetaan juhaln vuoksi.. heh... Vinkki ylioppilasjuhlin ja lahjasummaan.. heh älä anna 50 euroa.. älä vittu anna 50 euroa... anna 52,50 euroa... Sano.... Sano tässä on bensa tankkauksesta ylijäämä&tossa ja

The original songs are good. I don't really like the mix with the orchestra.

Chills, wonderful

oh god, a live with classical orchestra, decidedly not one of 1001

There is something amazing about the very idea that a metal band would collaborate with an orchestra, and their execution of it is remarkable. I'll be honest, I'm not that into Metallica but what they achieved here with the San Francisco Symphony & Michael Kamen is special.

Right off the bat it has two strikes against it from me, simply for being a live compilation album, and for being way too long. It is also comprised of a fair amount of their more forgettable material. Being a live album you have to listen to all of James Hetfield's ad libs throughout, which completely pull you out of the moment each time "Thank You Baby! Yeah!" And did they really have to mic the fucking audience? Check out those professional reviews listed on Wikipedia. This was NOT critically acclaimed in any way. Everyone knew this was a self indulgent stunt made as an entertaining stop gap during a creative nadir. It's a novelty, not something for the ages. The success of that novelty is certainly subjective, but to my ear it just makes them sound laughably melodramatic. And feast your eyes on that album cover. It looks like they paid $30 to someone on Fiverr for the design.

I'm sure it was a good show, and while I'm not a huge Metallica fan I'm sure fans absolutely loved this album. You can tell they care at least, I'm sure the symphonic element elevated it a ton. As a not a huge fan, I really don't think I'd go back and listen to this though.

I’m really really not into live albums, I don’t want to hear audience screaming for 20 minutes. Orchestra is great, songs are classics, but the audience ruined the vibes for me.

I’ve always liked the combination of a symphony & a rock band. This collaboration is one of the best

Epic songs

Even with my distaste for long albums AND live albums, this was no pretty good? You really get all the big Metallica hits here, and the symphonic arrangements are generally pretty cool and add to the songs. It does end up running a bit long for my liking anyway, but like. It's all good so I won't complain too much. Performances are good, and I'm sure this would have been an awesome show to be at. 3.5/5

i find metallica incredibly one dimensional so this is clearly the best thing they've ever produced because an orchestra has come in with some new sounds. that said i couldn't imagine sticking it out for 2 hours. half an hour was more than enough of hetfield doing exactly the same thing over every fucking song.

This hilarious record is like a hungry anus looking for a black rubber fist dildo to fuck it into the year 3000. A moronic attempt at something different, which fails so spectacularly, that I'm currently fisting my granddad as he pleas for mercy and pisses his linen trousers. The nurses do not look happy.

What a load of wank.

Cool concept, but most songs don't work nearly as well as No Leaf Clover.

Jeg var vild med det i gamle dage, men nu synes jeg egentlig kun enkelte sange holder. Resten af tiden bliver orkestret bare distraherende. Hetfield lyder dog fantastisk.

Not my thing.

I like Metallica, but not like this. The orchestra adds an extra layer of noise that I don’t want or need, and the fine detail beauty of strings are generally lost under the drumming, guitar and tired Hetfield vocal. I have always enjoyed air guitar and air drumming. I had no urge to air-violin or air-cello. Still don’t after listening to this. Let’s consider if Nirvana pulled this crap? Or Slayer? This is GMC/Hummer releasing a subcompact economy car. Or McDonalds serving lobster tail McNuggets.

A very interesting, but puzzling choice to include this album on the list of greatest albums. As a kid, being interested in metal music, Metallica was very influential in developing my musical taste. I understand it is now a bit of cliche to say that Metallica ended at "Black Album", but this is my opinion as well (at least the band changed their musical style, and at the same time I grew up and my taste changed as well). And here we have a live album with majority of songs from the second era, pretty entertaining, but completely uninspiring and very one-dimensional. To make things worse, I absolutely don't understand what the addition of symphonic orchestra brings to the table. It is at best distracting, it doesn't create any atmosphere. The whole symphonic section sounds like a mash-up of two different bands played at the same time, hoping for a better result. The only time it works, is at the beginning of the album - Ennio Morricone's cover sounds brilliantly, which tells you a lot. Only cover that was supposed to be played with orchestra sounds good. On the very top of issues - I really think that Metallica doesn't sound good live. They simply just don't sound good (I've been to their concert couple times, nice experience, but nothing special). The summary - Metallica is a legendary band, that simply deserves to have multiple albums on this list. S&M shouldn't be one of them. Okay album, but rather a thorn in their crown.

I can think of few things worse than having to listen to this. "Metallers like classical" shock! I blame Jon Lord...

I'm not a fan of Metallica. Much of their music gets lost for me in the band's posturing. Lars is a difficult personality for me too. Surprisingly, this album was good enough. It's a great live recording. I did not like every song, but the orchestration was great support for the band and music. James Hetfield speaks to the audience a few times which makes me think he wasn't completely comfortable with playing with the orchestra, which is too bad because the ablum works. "The Call of Ktulu" was my favorite track, but "Nothing Else Matters" and "Enter Sandman" were also good. There are tracks that I would skip during a second listen. Metallica stepped up to Prog Rock, and it was good.

Mediocre rock opera

I love an orchestra - they make this almost bearable. I admire thé effort that went into these arrangements, although they teased me with an Ennio Morricone opening which made me think it was going to be better than it was. I quite like some of the melodies, in parts. I do not like the vocals at all. But I absolutely hate 2 1/2 hours of S&M in all senses. They may have thought the play on words was funny, but it just accentuated the torture for me. I’ll just repeat in a shouty way - Two and a half HOURS!!! It really will only be Once in my lifetime - I can’t go through that again.

I love Heavy Metal and Metallica. I love Michael Kamen and musical arrangements. I love Orchestra Music. This mix of genres and instrumentation is fun and entertaining. I would probably enjoy this recording more if I'd actually seen it performed live. I have no connection to this album and it's nothing really new. Overall, this is just meh. It's a kind of so what... sort of like Disney creating all their cartoon classics into live action movies... I don't hate it but I don't need it either.

I feel like this should be a 5 but it doesn’t quite get there for me. The combination of the sweeping arrangements with the audience yelling/singing along felt like a bit much at times. And the whole thing went on too long. It may have gotten really great at the end but I fell asleep.

I was skeptical about this from the get-go. I'm sure it was an awesome spectacle and a fun night out for everyone performing and in attendance, but it failed to translate to the record. I was finding it difficult to distinguish one song from another — no doubt partially because I'm unfamiliar with the material — but it spoke to the rather flat dynamic of this endeavor. James Hetfield might not make my list of favorite vocalists, but he's a powerhouse. That said, this exposed a similar cadence and melodic tendency inherent in Metallica's songwriting.

On the plus side, I'm impressed at how well the instruments are blended. I can't imagine how hard it is to get the sound levels right with electric instruments and orchestral ones. So props on that front. Also, James Hetfield sings really well throughout. On the downside, I don't really see how the orchestra adds anything vital to these songs. Just a lot of bloat. Also, two-plus hours is two-plus hours too long. I really don't see why this needs to be on the list.

White guys wanking their guitars. Ew.

Bit fuckin long

This was really cool. The heaviness of Metallica's music is perfectly heightened by the San Francisco Symphony, who adds a level of intensity and urgency to an already powerful setlist. I'm writing this as I'm listening to the guitar solo in One, which sounds even more amazing side to side with a huge orchestra in the background. But although the music is severe, it's not abrasive or offensive. It sounds so clean too, you only remember that it's a live album when you hear the audience applaud or sing along with James Hetfield. Did every song from that concert have to be on this album, which ends up clocking in at over two hours long? Not really, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy nearly all of it. Standouts are Master of Puppets, No Leaf Clover, Devil's Dance, Bleeding Me, Wherever I May Roam, and Enter Sandman.

Love this. It's overblown and a bit silly, but also pretty wonderful and lots of fun. Listened while driving to Tunbridge Wells and back to watch Garth Merenghi, and was tge perfect soundtrack. So much music is conditional, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in other situations...but great driving music...and probably good for housework too.

In the concept it was a good idea. But that was a little much.

Interesting experiment that almost works. Sometimes the strings don't add much to the songs

If I'm going to listen to Metallica, this is how I would. I'm not a big fan, but I can appreciate their talent and musicianship. A couple of songs are good, I just don't want to listen to this for over two hours.

intercourse...

People who poop on 90s Metallica deserve to be pooped on. And thems is fax.

Having only listened to one Metallica album before this, I don’t exactly think this is for me…yet. And while I enjoyed it fine, I’m not totally sure how tall it stands as an essential live album. Cool idea. And ton of respect out to Metallica for going for it and actually pulling it off. I can only imagine how awesome it would have been in person! But here, via Spotify, in the background while I work on this ordinary Thursday afternoon, and with little-to-no context for what most these songs sound like sans orchestra, it doesn’t quite achieve what I’d hope. This one’s kind of a shrug for me. I’d rather just listen to the original versions of these songs. But I’ll go 3/5 just for being so unique and envelope-pushing. The quieter moments are the ones that really stood out to me. Like “Hero of the Day” and “Nothing Else matters.” A lot of the rest kind of blended to together for me besides a few “oh yeah I know this song” moments. I’m a sucker for some Ennio Morricone too.

Live albums are basically un-reviewable. In the past I've given them either 1 star or 5 stars, based on what side of the bed I woke up that morning. There are some exceptions. There are songs that are only truly captured live. Things that represent a significant moment in time. But, for the vast number of live albums, they are red meat for fans. They're enjoyable only with the significant context of the band's other music, and this makes them a categorically different listening experience than studio albums of fresh music. Context is half of everything in music, and the context required to enjoy a live album is missing. "Oh, you should listen to their other albums first." Exactly. And to make it worse... this is my first Metallica album I've ever heard! Not a good start for a band that– my loss– I've ignored. This one IS different. It's a genuinely ballsy attempt at mashing Metallica with an orchestra. Sometimes, that's amazing! It's a category I actually love. But the missing context is tying me in knots for this one. Therefore, I must regress to a rough point system: Starting at a neutral 3: -1 points for being over 2 hours long +1 points for sheer enormity of the balls required to do this +1 points for the orchestra being really pro and sometimes really enjoyable to listen to -1 points for many of the arrangements sounding like Super Bowl intro music. (but... what else could they have done?) -1 points for Robert Dimery thinking this was significant enough to put on the list So... 2/5? That's satisfactory. An ultimately confusing listen.

This album features a live concert performance by Metallica, accompanied by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The album begins with the powerful track "The Ecstasy of Gold," which sets the stage for an epic journey through Metallica's music, arranged in a symphonic style. The album features many of the band's greatest hits, including "Master of Puppets," "Enter Sandman," and "Nothing Else Matters," all of which are given a fresh new sound with the addition of the symphony. The performance of Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is truly special. The two entities merge perfectly, creating a cohesive and powerful sound that is unlike anything else. The symphony adds an extra layer of depth and emotion to the music, elevating it to different heights. One of the best examples of how well these groups mix on the album is "One," which features a hauntingly beautiful introduction by the orchestra before launching into the familiar heavy metal riffs of the song. The addition of the symphony creates a chilling experience that leaves you feeling pretty wowed. ”S&M" is a very special album that showcases the incredible talent of Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The combination of heavy metal and classical music is truly unique, and the result is a powerful and hard-to-forget listening experience.

Intense

This is a slog. No way am I making it through all 2 hours. I'm a Metallica fan and fan of the symphony but combined it's just not working.

As an album... Too long and a bit over done. Some songs work well.

What a mess. The good ones sound like Bond themes. The bad ones sound like South park movie songs.

What a contrast from Missy! But that's what makes this list special. Metallica is band that most of my friends assume I really enjoy and honestly, I'm not a fan of the majority of their work. I saw this was another long ass album and was hoping to be surprised, like the Pumpkins. Not so, outside the use of the symphony, it was pretty much what I expected. The symphony did increase my listening pleasure though. There are a few songs I do like to rock out to on an occasion and those are Enter Sandman, way overplayed on the radio and probably my favorite song, Sad but True. I've always wanted to try this song with karaoke. Maybe next Sienko get together. The studio versions are a lot better than this live, but still enjoyed. Another song kind of lost in my music collection I really like is Hero of the Day. Great tune. Sentimental favorite, Fuel. Remember Hot Wheels racing video game? I do and this song will always hold a little special spot in my heart. A little long for me, mainly because I'm just not a big fan. But some very good tunes with a unique sound with the symphony. Probably better if I saw live. A little torn with this one. Going to go with a 3. May take the time to add a couple of my favorites to my spotify, but probably won't earn their own spot/title. 3

I love this idea! I wish every band ever would do a symphonic greatest hits album. The additional instrumentation adds so much depth and texture to Metal Licka's music. It is a little gimmicky but that's not always a bad thing. I don't think 100% of these songs translate super well but like 90% do. They released a sequel to this a few years ago which I think is the better version of this, which isn't terribly hard to believe. Really cool concept and mostly well executed. 4.5

3.5 I’m not much of a Metallica fan, but I was really curious to check this one out when I learned it’s an orchestra-accompanied live album. I don’t believe I’ve heard anything live by these guys beforehand (no less with an orchestra), so I went in with an open mind, hoping to expand my perception of the band - even with that daunting 133-minute runtime (longer than Mellon Collie… and I think our longest so far). First off, I loved the usage of the The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly score to start the show. I know they’re not the only band that’s done it (Green Day played it at a show I was at… and I think The Ramones used to do it before either band did), but I can’t fault the band at all because it’s an incredibly epic way to start a concert and never fails to build hype. Once the actual Metallica set started, it was immediately clear how much the orchestra added to the performance - and that’s as someone who has never even heard The Call of Ktulu prior. As it transitioned in Master of Puppets, a song I’m much more familiar with, the added dynamics of the orchestra completely validated its usage to me, and I was completely sold for the rest of the show. I definitely don’t think any of the tracks here are the definitive versions of the songs by any means (well except for the new songs No Leaf Clover and Human I guess), but I do feel like new life is breathed into them, and the band’s catalogue is both complemented and rounded out because of it. Speaking of No Leaf Clover - “the new song” a near 20-year old band introduces at their concert is actually the most popular one here? How often does that happen? While I don’t think it quite turned me into a Metallica fan, I had fun, and I could definitely see this being an all-time favorite live album for someone who is a bigger fan. And honestly, the more I thought about the runtime, the more I was okay with it. How many live albums out there do you see that are 40-ish minutes? Like what? Was it a short set? Or are we only hearing the “best of”? And even then, in person, a lot of bands don’t venture much further than that 90-minute mark (*cough* *cough* blink-182 *cough* *cough*), so I have to imagine both the fans present here and the ones that listened to this album were very content with this performance.

What? The? Fuck? I made it four songs into this 2h 13m disaster and had to switch over to Kill 'Em All to cleanse that shit sandwich from my palette. What an abortion. You'd have to be into S&M to subject yourself to this in its entirety. It felt like some real self-congratulatory bullshit. "Look how big and famous and special we are. We can play with the SF Orchestra now." Eat a dick, Metallica. Oh and meanwhile, they were suing kids for downloading their songs from Napster. Dicks.

Liked the classical element to it, nit really my cup of tea though. Clearly a good band with some bangers

Great version and well curated album. Really enjoyed it

I love Metallica and like classical music and the idea of combining the two (like Apocolyptica) is a master [sic] idea. However, i feel like the strings need to be under the original music a bit more. I know nothing and feel bad for making these comments but it just feels like the merging of the two styles is a little off. After saying all that, i still love it.

I like Metallica, Iv already given the black album and master of puppets 5 stars already through this project. But I’m not sure this album needs to be on the list, yeah it’s enjoyable and abut different but I’d rather listen to the original studio albums. Also 2 hours is far too long for an album, appreciate a 2 hour concert is something different. Probably being overly harsh here because Iv already given 2 of their other albums full marks, but the best songs from this live album are on those 2 albums. So this only gets a 2.

Please don't make me listen to stodgy stadium metal. Please don't make me listen to a stodgy stadium metal live album. Please don't make me listen to a stodgy stadium metal live album that aggrandises itself with an orchestral window dressing. OH GOD IT'S MORE THAN TWO HOURS LONG. 1*

Very good production

I'm not a Metallica fan in any way, but this album is pretty cool. The symphony adds such a cinematic layer to the band that keeps the songs interesting. The originals would probably only earn 2 stars from me, but the twist for this performance bumps it up to about 3.5. I'll round down for the auto-tune on James' voice.

Heard it before. Over dramatic per usual.

A perfect encapsulation of Metallica in 1999: bloated and unnecessary.

Sounds immense. Should it have worked? Idk, but it did. Still as fresh as the first time I heard it. Nothing heavier in metal than a brass section. Unreal vocal performance. Plus my son just said it sounds like Bowser music from Super Mario. No more notes needed.

Every song was solid. The orchestra could be good sometimes, but ultimately I never felt that the orchestra really enhanced a song that much. It certainly wasn't bad, but I would have no preference between the originals or the S&M versions.

I was honestly very much vibing with this album until the second half started when I heard his voice and couldn’t push it out. I think at the beginning the music was really impressive and recognizable and I was able to push the singing away but after awhile it’s hard to ignore. I really like the first few songs and live aspect, but his voice is just so difficult to get through.

Ok ok adding classical orchestra to heavy rock music... I've heard it before and I pretty much loathe Metallica but let's give it a shot.... .... This is kind of like - work with me here - attempting to take a very high-end waxing product, or like a Lemon Pledge maybe? Something to use where you want to buff something up and...yes - POLISH it for general viewing or consumption, that's it. A polish. Anyways think about a butler, using said polish. Wanting to improve everything around them - make things more palatable, say. And then think of them attempting to use said polish on a gruesome item, something organic and wasteful. Perhaps - as distasteful as it may be - a human feces. Yes ok - think of someone attempting to use said product on said human waste. I believe it is not possible. You would not do this. You cannot do this. But if only there were some catchy and/or crude phrase in the English vernacular for such a theoretical action. That phrase would apply here. 1/10 1 star.

I don't think I'm going to enjoy this!

Phenomenal. Felt like I was at a the concert. Unbelievably surprised the mix of an orchestra and rock worked so well. Stellar album

Enjoy the music but prefer studio recordings of these songs. This would have been an epic show to go to though.

Yawn.

Normally I’m a huge fan of Progressive Rock, whose internal mantra seems to be that it must be, at all times, as maximalist and pretentious as it possibly can in a musical sense. And in a way, S&M is prog-adjacent, with the addition of a full symphony orchestra with the heavy thrash metal of Metallica. But I don’t like it nearly as much as any prog record I own. First issue lies in the length (Over 2 hours! “Tales From Topographic Oceans” isn’t even that long!), where the more memorable songs (The epic “Call of Klutu”, with an immaculate segue into “Master of Puppets”) are dragged down by a lot of mediocre filler (Has any non-Metallica fan even bothered to listen to “Load” or “Reload”? Seriously…) which makes sense, given that those were more recent albums that Metallica released. But for once, I maintain that this album could be saved if we “trimmed the fat” and cut down on the sheer amount of filler. If it was the just the hits from the Black Album and before, I feel that many more fellas could enjoy this album. But until then, this album is only worth the first 30 minutes (Unless you’re a die-hard Metallica fan, in which case you’re eating well) until its novelty wears off. The San Francisco Orchestra though, nothing bad to say about them. 10/10 execution and direction, unfortunately dragged by mid-tier songs to fill the void.

Incredible live album, metal and a symphony is wild but super good

Metallica was my first true love as a 14 yr old girl in 1984. I have never stopped loving them, although there were phases when I just COULD NOR with them, St Anger, I’m looking a lot you. If this is your first intro to Metallica it is a pretty epic one. The orchestra along side the screaming guitars is a little slice of heaven.

I owned this album in college. It's great. The songs are too long for good radio play and it's a live album. These prevent it from being a staple.

I'm sure this was an amazing concert experience and really great for Metallica fans. As for me, it's a cool concept but I'm not sure many of these songs were improved by the addition of the orchestra and I didn't stick around for the full 2+ hours of this album, but it was interesting enough!

This was a really fun listen for me. Loved hearing the live recording. That said, being 2+ hours I don't see myself coming back to it. I'll just listen to the studio versions of the songs.

I love an orchestra mixed with metal. I think it sounds awesome and mixing genres is a cool concept. I think if I saw this live I’d lose my marbles. But in an album it falls flat and all kind of mushes together.

The orchestra is excellent. The band are fine, and might be better if they weren’t relying so heavily on the not terribly beloved Load and Reload.

Not a fan of Metallica, and definitely not a fan of a 2+ hour Metallica album.

Cannot believe how many Metallica songs I know. I like gimmicks so this generally works for me

Not the best met album

This didn't need to be made, and I didn't need to hear it before I died. Mostly feels like Metallica playing while an orchestra is also playing. There's no real interplay between them. Some cool moments, but... meh. Maybe if it was made in '89. 5/10

Long

Not a big heavy metal guy so this was exhausting for me. But, production is great for a live album, I like the idea of a symphony with heavy metal, and appreciated the energy.

Sounded like cheesy film score. The songs were good, of course, but the potential was totally missed. A dissapointing record.

I friend burned me a copy of this album as a kid I probably haven’t heard it since I was 11 or 12. It’s so cinematic from the top. this must’ve been an awesome concert to see live. It’s like a greatest hits and I think all these live orchestral versions are probably all better than the originals. The songs new to this album like No leaf clover are really good too. Their writing is pretty solid. They did some cool arrangement things with enter sandman. The orchestral arrangements are so great throughout. Kirk Hammett is great and has some cool moments but for the biggest metal band in the world I kind of want my face melted a bit more- the wah wah thing is cool but can get a little noodley sometimes. Would love some more sustaining soaring guitar melodys or crazy technical shreddy lines. I always liked the intro to One and I like their harmonized lines at the end and the orchestra adds so much. James hetfield kinda scares me when he gets everyone chanting “hey” but then he seems like a nice enough guy later when he addresses the audiences. I really enjoyed this the whole way through. I know it would be fun listening to and I liked it way more than I thought would. Good job Metallica! 4? 5?

I loved this! I honestly enjoyed this way more than any Metallica studio album I’ve heard. The orchestral versions work so well, the whole thing is like an intense soundtrack. This would have been so great to see live, I’m sure there’s a video of it and I’m definitely going to watch it.

OMG the beginning of Human and Wherever I roam are perfection. I will listen to this album over and over again

I can imagine that listening to this live, must have been something out of this world, very epic. But, making it a two hour album, doesn't really work very well with me. Also, I don't really see how the orchestra enhances the music in a particular way on the recorded version. It just doesn't make it any better, sounds like any other Metallica album. I am a big metal fan, having listened to metal most of my life, but this album didn't live up to my expectations. I may also have been biased that I don't particularly like Metallica, though I tried to abstain from that.

честно, люблю их но епт вашу мать, что с записью?? почему так плохо сведено. Это крутой эксперимент и я хотел бы быть там и послушать вживую, но чет не могу слушать это просто так

Симфоническая Metallica, ещё и в лайве. У меня были ожидания как от Apocalyptica на максималках. Но... Пацаны уже написали, я подтверждаю: что не так со звуком здесь? Пришлось даже бас в эквалайзере убрать. Вдобавок, иногда какая-то хрень со стерео происходила. И показалось, что все низы и середину сожрали электрогитары, из симфонического было слышно только скрипочки и колокольчики. Хз, мне симфонические лайвы Би-2 (кажется, первая российская группа, у которой фетиш на оркестровую музыку появился) намного больше нравятся, чем вот это вот. Может, проблема в том, что Металлике и не нужно ничего, кроме них самих?

Я признаю все величие и влияние Металлики, но если я захочу послушать этот альбом, я сделаю это отдельно. Больше 2 часов не самого качественного лайва не самого любимого жанра это жепа конечно. 2+. (Прошлому альбому 3, я дурачок, соре)

If there's one thing I love in music it's when metal is done a little different. Unplug it, or you know, add a symphony.

sonzeira diferenciada em uma nova proposta

so fun

Real TSO vibes.

It really wasn't that interesting and the orchestra wasn't providing a ton to the show 2/5

Sick live album. It’s a bit long but these tracks rock.

I was skeptical about the whole concept of this album but, holy shit does it work. Picture some epic fantasy tale where flawed heroes battle demonic armies across desolate landscapes, and this is the Academy Awards nominated soundtrack.

This is definitely for a specific group of Metallica fans

I expected this to be a lot worse given how panned it was from a critics' perspective. It wasn't terrible, it was just way to fuckin' long. I get it, it's just a live setlist, but still, calling a 133 minute live performance "must listen" is a bit of a stretch, but honestly, the performance was pretty cool/novel and Metallica sounds pretty tight live (this was recorded around 2000). If anything, this made me want to see them in a normal context. Unsurprisingly, all the Metallica songs I already liked were the standouts for me. That being said, every song on this album is like 9 minutes long so I'll probably avoid putting them on any of my playlists. Standouts: Master of Puppets, Fuel, Wherever I May Rome, One

För mig låter det som ett soundtrack till en Bondfilm. Filmiskt, men alltså i en snäv och tråkig mening. Ett hedersomnämnande till den som faktiskt lyssnar igenom alla 133 minuter.

Har aldrig riktigt fattat Metallicas storhet. Med eller utan symfoniorkester.

Goog, hope the rest of the really good Metallicas albums do appear here.

Fantastic. Some songs don't need the symphonic backup, but altogether the experience is fantastic. Some songs are amazing.

Exceptional!

Orchestral versions of normal songs it’s okay

8/10

Listened to it twice while working. It works well.

It's just so soaring and majestic.

I got this album when it came out in ‘99. Of the two originals on the album I like No Leaf Clover best. Sometimes the orchestra adds something (like in No Leaf Clover), but most of the times I’m quite dissatisfied with the lack of effort by Kamen to actually add anything new to the already existing songs. I really liked the album in ‘99, nowadays I’m more ambivalent towards it.

Schlockingly bad.

Yes, Metallica, we're all very impressed with how you gamed the system by using an orchestra to win me over into actually liking this. Take your stupid five stars and go home.

This feels like a really good idea executed very poorly. Metallica and even the crowd often overpower the orchestra in sound, causing them to become background noise you forget about. Perhaps if it wasn't live this would be a lot more impactful, but the constantly cheering crowd is never not slightly heard in the background, and really bothers the sound for me. The intro with Ecstasy of Gold really feels like the most self indulgent thing ever, too, get over yourself. None of my criticisms are towards the orchestra itself, of course, they did great for what they could, and maybe S&M 2 would sound better, but no way am I trudging myself through another two hours of a live metal album anytime soon if I can help it. I'm sure this was awesome live, but the only thing keeping it from the lower stars, despite my pretty negative reviews, is the rare moment when a song works, or when they do something original to the concert so the crowd isn't screaming all the words.

great album

A good way to experience Metallica. Too bad it's a live session.

This is a live album? Skip! By Metallica in the late 1990s? Double skip!

De här e de skitet dom spelar i skärselden för att klura ut om du far ti himlen eller helvete om du gillar de far du ti helvete Sä&Msta sångaren nånsin, orkestern förstör den gnutta sås som finns kvar, varför e de här på listan de känns legit som att robert bara satt de hit för att trolla I guess de får en att uppskatta annan musik mer

Before listening to this album, I was actually somewhat looking forward to hearing how the album sounded. The idea of a thrash metal band backed by a symphony orchestra seemed like an interesting concept with lots of potential for something unique to come out of it. The first thing that quelled my enthusiasm was realising that the album was 40 minutes longer than I’d previously thought. The other was hearing the music. What you might cynically suspect a collaboration such as this would sound like, this does. Overblown, with neither party adding much substance to the other. More often than not, they fit so poorly together that they honestly would both sound much better separated. A “teilkunstwerk”, if you will. The only time the fusion is successful is on the slower ballads, which are so few and far between I’d recommend you just listen to them by themselves rather than having to sit through the whole 133 minutes of runtime. One positive I can cite without hesitation is the quality of the live recording. The technical team did a fantastic job capturing each instrument of the orchestra and of Metallica. This makes for yet another thing wasted on what is ultimately a waste of creative potential and my time.

Det här känns ärligt talat som den sämsta albumupplevelse jag någonsin haft. Vissa av skivans dåliga egenskaper är ganska tydliga och lätta att sätta fingret på, som James Hetfields pinsamma röst som inte låter uppriktig, den genomsnittliga Metallica-låtens tonårings-lyrics, Lars Ulrichs hemskt dåliga trummande, hela paketets machismo och ytlighet... För att inte glömma att skivan är en och en halv timme längre än den någonsin borde vara. Det som dock är lite svårare att peka ut är vad som får musiken att låta så själlös, om det ens är rätt ord. Jag undrar vem som genuint gillar det här, och vad Metallica försökte uttrycka eller förmedla för känsla. Musiken låter mycket ren, orkestern får det hela ibland att låta som en disney-soundtrack, andra gånger som en kitschig final boss theme, andra gånger som att en orkester spelar sin grej i ett rum medan Metallica spelar sin grej i ett annat, medan du står i dörren mellan dem. Så vad är det här menat att låta som? Episk JRPG stridsmusik (en av de mest själlösa genrena nånsin) passar kanske in på några av låtarna. Men resten låter antingen som en uppmjukad version av ett metalband, utan att det någonsin är poppigt eller catchy, eller ett mediokert metalband med lite stråkar som man ibland kinda hör. Musiken rör sig just och just framåt och känns allt annat än dynamisk. Det är som en portion mat, gjord med skicklighet och dyra ingredienser, men utan salt och kryddor. Jag kan inte förstå vad tanken var då de skapade det här konceptet, så länge samarbetet med en orkester inte bara var ett cyniskt sätt att få folk att köpa metallicas skivor. Jag har aldrig varit mer intresserad av vad ett musikstyckes skapares mål varit, samtidigt som jag aldrig varit mer uttråkad och frustrerad med att lyssna på produkten av deras kreativa val, vision och verkställande.

As a concert, idea, performance and recording this is an easy 5/5. A great set list stuffed full of classics, a loud and enthusiastic crowd, and brilliant performances by both Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra adds musicality, notes and embiggens some already huge music. This may be how I listen to Metallica from now on. That said, as an album it would benefit from some editing down. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Sad But True Date listened: 09/01/23

So. i used to love this as a kid when it came out. Nowadays, i'm not as fussed. I'd rather hear the original of every song on it

The bands killed it, Hetfields singing was a little too extra for this set but I guess its fitting for the dramatic orchestra.

There's at least 3 Metallica albums I'd give 5 stars and this is not one. This is pretty bad, like most 90's Metallica. Perhaps live would have been interesting but the recorded version sounds like a muddled mess. 1.5 stars but I'll be very generous and round up to 2.

Ugh. Adding a symphony to your music rarely elevates it. It feels like a desperate search for validation as a musician. Or just self-indulgent. I like Metallica when they sound like Metallica. This, no thank you.

This should only be for completists or hardcore fans. These versions do nothing to make the songs better. This is a very long record without much of a purpose.

I don't understand this album at all. The symphony does nothing, and even if it could, it's pushed so far back in the mix you can't hear it most of the time. Essentially you're left with a bad Metallica live album with some annoying symphony things you hear occasionally. This is not good.

I enjoyed this a lot more than expected. Double album though, so a lot to chew through. Nothing wrong with a bit of metal in your life

I still don't love Metallica but combining their music with a symphony does give it a sense of place that I had not expected.

Not a fan of Metallica. Not a fan of Heavy Metal music. I liked parts of tis album. Never really dislikeed it. I don't know how fans of the bande feel about this album but it seems like a place where non fans might be introduced to their music. 3 stars

“Oh wow, how terribly cultured and mature of the them” 🥱 - “Alright, that was actually tight as fuck and truly epic” 🤘😝

Such a peculiar musical exercise made by Metallica. I have put this band in the attic for years, tired of their constant strive to release a record that make everyone happy and all the drama that surrounds them. I have to admit that it is interesting to revisit their work from time to time, and what is better than an album generator to do so? I have to confess that I enjoyed 90s Metallica- please don’t stone me!- and it is quite curious how one can tell by the setlist that the songs that worked best with the classical arrangements belonged to that highly criticized Load - Reload phase. In my opinion, this is not the most revolutionary album. It is a list of songs (most of them previously released) with a different musical treatment (which helps to some of the songs. It sounds unnecessary in others) and moderate influence ascribed to the change of century. However, it is a fun one, the one you listen to while bbq’ing in your backyard.

The shtick of layering metal music with a symphonic orchestra fades rather quickly, and then we’re left with an album of averages: Metallica’s better songs are made worse by this “innovative” interpretation, but their lesser songs have been made better. Lucky for us, Metallica’s portfolio tends towards the lesser side.

I Like Metallica.The albums basically a Metallica’s greatest hits album with an orchestra.I like the orchestra adding a different sound and since I like all the songs it’s a great album.I’d rate it a five if it wasn’t for the amount of filler.Like half the songs are the new material that haven’t aged as well.

An interesting concept to have a symphony with Metallica as they play some of their best songs. It feels like it’s trying to be James Bond and John Wick but significantly less cooler. This album is two genres that don’t mesh well and sound better on their own. An interesting concept but poor execution. 4.6/10

Cypress Hill already did it in The Simpsons

Only had time for half the album but it was brilliant. The resonance echos works well with all the layers of instruments.

Tja, een album dat begin met Ennio Morricone kan sowieso nooit helemaal slecht zijn. Het duurde wel even voordat ik erin kwam hoor, maar dan ben je uiteindelijk wel in de flow. Goede en originele combi van brullende gitaren en het orkest van filmcomponist Michael Kamen, die wederom bewijst (na de Finse act Apocalyptica, dat Metallica op cello speelt) dat de grens tussen heavy metal en klassieke muziek (gek genoeg) soms flinterdun is. Enige klacht van mijn kant is wellicht de lengte, ruim twee uur zware metalen is voor mijn ongeoefende oren aan de lange kant.

Een muziekvriend van mij zei altijd. "Een muzikale basis is goed als het ook overeind blijft in een heel andere uitvoering". Test geslaagd. Dat is duidelijk. Toch vraag ik mij af. Zou Metallica ook zo groot zijn geworden als ze de nummers direct met orkest hadden uitgebracht? Ik denk het niet. Natuurlijk is dit een leuk en knap project. Tof dat dit gedaan is. Maar het is niet dat de muziek van Metallica iets miste. In deze uitvoering 3,5 ster.

Er zijn 2 albums die ik de afgelopen jaren veelvuldig heb gehoord als ik op het werk arriveer in de vroege ochtend. De eerste is een liveconcert van Volbeat en de ander is dit album (of het concert) van Metallica. Mijn broertje vindt dat nogal relaxt om de ochtend mee op te starten. Op vrijdagmiddag gaat er dan vaak genoeg foute NLtalige muziek aan, helaas. Doe mij dan dit maar.

If you’re a fan of the band or classic metal, then this is still a great album, almost a greatest hits of one of genre’s best bands. However, not sure this combination works for this genre. It definitely enhances the band’s ballads and slower songs, but plays minimal effect, almost feeling awkward on the heavy guitar and fast tempo songs. The novelty also wears off by the time you make it through the over 3 hour run time. James Hetfiled absolutely kills his vocals, incredible.

Always tough and almost unfair to rate a Live album against studio albums due to their "best of "-nature. This specific one pits Metallica with a whole orchestra, something that definitely works well in general but nonetheless becomes a bit of a gimmick and just sort of "it's there but doesn't improve anything"

Ok, a good idea but a bit samey, not Metallica's best stuff A bit disappointing really as I was hoping for more

I mean it's beyond epic really isn't it? Can you imagine how amazing it must have been to be there!? Its the kinda gig I'd probably cry at cos it's too good. I like a live album. Having an orchestra just gives already mega songs even more grandeur. All the highs and lows just get to be even more. Will listen again and again, or you know partially again cos its Metallica and every song and album are stupidly long. But it's good, so you're allowed 😉 Trumpet tootle

Ridiculously epic. I never realised what this album was (as in with an orchestra). It's long though.

not my favorite metallica album

A fun gimmick at first, however, the charm of adding the symphonic orchestra quickly wears off. Doesn't sound bad, doesn't particularly invite to a further listen, either.

Mix innego gatunku z orkiestrą symfoniczną, to to co tygryski lubią najbardziej.

Really amazing, but 2 hours and 15 minutes long

Gah, so much baggage with these guys. Their music didn't go in the expected direction, they were (too?) fiercely protective of their music and Lars is...well, Lars. It's easy to be hard on them. But expectations aside, even the stuff after 1988 is still good stuff. Yeah, it lacks the rawness of their early stuff. But a lot of their post-'88 catalog is still really great...some of the songwriting is actually better, with more depth to it. I'm not a big live album fan, but the symphony addition is unique and makes this worth listening to. I think true symphonic metal bands have a more epic sound with this format, but it goes well with Metallica's sound. I'd think it took an adjustment for them to play a completely arranged format for over 2 hours, but they nailed it.

Live album 😬

Storslaget och coolt på det sättet, men det tappar edgen från Metallicas eget sound.

Starts off with a quick instrumental track and gives movie soundtrack vibes. The rest is a mix of what I would call power ballads and some heavier classic metal tracks I normally struggle to get in to metal but this is one I could see myself coming back to. Have to be honest and say I hadn't spent a lot of time with Metallica prior to this so I can't really comment on whether the symphony enhances the original tracks or not

Symphonic metal wasn’t something I ever thought I would divulge in, but the concept of it did intrigue me. This live album did exceed my expectations of what it would entail. The music is absolutely epic and cinematic. The addition of the orchestral band takes Metallica’s songs to new soaring heights, whilst still remaining faithful to the original material. Some of the re-imagined tracks can easily be featured in a soundtrack for a film, that’s how good they are.

That was ill advised. There were only a couple of songs the suited or synced up with the symphonic accompaniment. This album was a struggle

I've always been a huge Metallica fan, although I mostly lost interest after Reload. I dunno what they were thinking in the late 90s, but I don't think it's much of a coincidence that their "experimental" phase is one I like the least. I get it: thrash metal was dead, replaced by groovier stuff (and eventually nu-metal) that Metallica never went near. The black album arena-metal vibe was dated, I guess due to (admittedly VERY tenuous) associations with the likes of Motley Crue. Load and Reload had that grungier edge that survived in 1996, but they were bloatfests and even by 1998 that style was gone too - where were Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains by then? Broken up, out of the spotlight, irrelevant. So Metallica was left almost alone in the mainstream metal world apart from a few bands they'd never had much in common with anyway (eg. Pantera, Machine Head). So my theory is that Metallica had some kind of identity crisis about this point. It started with 1998 and the Garage Inc album - all things considered a good album, even if it was 100% covers. It was a "yeah we're safe enough to release 80s thrash metal songs in 1998, but we're also covering Nick Cave to show you we're HIP WITH THE TIMES"; it's a bait and switch. One of those little cringey things that bothers me to this day is the amount you'll hear Metallica's cover of Whiskey in the Jar if you pay enough attention. It's everywhere. Then this came out. It's alright at best. The setlist is varied enough to keep the old-school fans and the rockin' dads happy at the same time, although it skews towards the Load/Reload. The band plays very well and the orchestra obviously knows what it's doing. The production is crystal clear. But it also begs the question: did we ever actually need this shit? I'd argue that no, we didn't. I'll give it a couple of passes: first, some of the songs do work with the orchestra. Call of Ktulu is the obvious example, and it's no surprise it's right at the start of the album. The songs that were written for the album (No Leaf Clover especially) work well as Hetfield clearly left breathing room for an orchestra when he wrote them. Outlaw Torn works well too, I guess by virtue of being a longer, not so "busy" song. But then, why the FUCK would anyone want to hear Battery, Sad But True or Master of Puppets given this treatment? I feel that they only included some of the older tunes (also One, For Whom the Bell Tolls, even Enter Sandman) simply because they *had* to. Including an orchestra didn't help those songs at all, and for most of the others, they didn't really ADD anything beyond extra notes I don't care about. After this point Metallica fell apart and even though they've staged a "comeback" long ago now, the charm is gone. St Anger was a complete turd (as everyone agrees), Death Magnetic was boring, the Lou Reed album was possibly even worse than St Anger, and Hardwired was listenable enough but still just a slower knockoff mix of their thrashier work and Alice in Chains. They're old now and it's a moot point, but I think S&M (and its huge commercial success), although not the CAUSE of their midlife crisis, was a big part of why they've been so flip-floppy ever since. Then, even the fact that it's a band I like aside: this is a live best-of album full of songs that are already on other albums on this list. And it goes for TWO FUCKING HOURS. I'll give it a 3/5 because it's still miles better than yet more UK techno or new wave, but ugh.

Live-optræden, hard rock, et par bangers, men simpelthen for langt

-I love any rock/metal+orchestra -Songs from Metallica I knew where it was cool to have the orchestra added: "The Call Of Ktulu," "Master Of Puppets," "Fuel," "Nothing Else Matters," For Whom The Bell Tolls," "Wherever I May Roam," "Sad But True," "One," Enter Sandman," and "Battery" -I wish they had mic'd the audience a bit better as the audience sings many lines from the songs. Small critique. -New Metallica songs I have been turned on to via this album: ""The Thing That Should Not Be," "The Memory Remains," "Devil's Dance," "Bleeding ME," "Human," and "The Outlaw Torn" -Cool chorus in "Devil's Dance" -"Human" really stood out to me on first listen -Overall a great assemblage of familiar and unfamiliar Metallica with cool orchestra to back it up!

I like orchestration and i like Metallica but i feel that the orchestration was a bit to experimental for the songs.

Kai se on hyvä kokeilla uutta, mutta onhan tää nyt ihan perseestä. 2/5

Tää on ihan ok metallia, mutta onhan nuo orkkasovitukset vähän korneja. Ja ihan liian pitkä tietenkin. Outo valinta listalle.

Äh ei jaksa kyl kahta tuntia Metallica-pippelöintiä. 2/5 miks tää on listalla.

I am very familiar with Metallica, and this album. I have listened to it many times before, and can't wait to give it another spin today!! This album is a collaboration between Metallica, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Kamen. Many people would be surprised how well orchestras and thrash metal fit together. I watched a documentary one time called Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. It traced the roots of metal music back to opera and classical music, and notably, composers such as Vivaldi and Bach. They had the same flare seen in many metal bands today to make louder music, and provide spectacle for the observers. Some composers even used cannon fire to amp up the bass sections of their operatic pieces! The melding of the overreaching operatic performance, laced with the heavy, fast, traditional Metallica sound is amazing. This is a double live album, so the run time is quite long (over 2 hrs), but it is an amazing listen all the same. If you want a better experience, watch the live film of the performance. It would have been amazing to have been there in person to experience it! Overall, a phenomenal album. I've loved it for years, and still love it. This made for a fantastic Saturday! Favourite songs: For Whom the Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, Battery, No Leaf Clover, Of Wolf and Man, Hero of the Day, Master of Puppets, Sad But True, One, Fuel, The Memory Remains, Enter Sandman Least favourite songs: The Ecstasy of Gold, The Call of Ktulu, Outlaw Torn 4/5

Not my genre, but it was decent with having the San Francisco orchestra.

29th November 2022 Listened while working from home. Went to Dunkertons to watch England Wales with Barnett, Jimmy and Matt C-S. Very dramatic, if Metallica did a bond album.

71/100: This is one of those albums that I feel I can't fully review fairly and thus won't give it the credit it deserves. I think the concept of combining heavy metal with a symphony orchestra in a live concert is absolutely fantastic. It's a stroke of artistic genius that Metallica clearly handled with observable mastery; however, I fear the beauty of this album is wasted on me, someone who has never and can clearly still not get into heavy metal. There were a lot of really beautiful orchestral bits of this album, and the version of "Enter Sandman" on this album might be my favorite I've ever heard (besides whenever it was played in Yankee Stadium, of course), but I couldn't help but view this album as simply an action movie soundtrack. Like I said, it's a beautiful album, but I can tell I'm not fully appreciating it's beauty; however, I'm not grading on a curve here. I review albums based on my perspective and how I enjoyed listening to them. I didn't really enjoy this album unfortunately, but I can easily see how one might.

What a difficult one to come to a solid conclusion on. There can be no understating how good Metallica are or their influence on metal and alternative music spanning many decades. But they are also capable of making huge missteps, St Anger for example where the snare sounds like someone hitting a wheelie bin with a shovel. Despite being a big fan I'm finding it really hard to figure out if this is Metallica pushing their stuff in a different direction with mostly good results or if this is the product of hubris and no one telling them to stop. The concept of Metallica backed with a symphony orchestra is awesome, I'll give it that, what a spectacle they managed to pull off, being there would have been quite something. The problem comes that the melding of the two styles is very inconsistent. It works great with some of their more epic slower stuff, the version of The Thing that Should Not Be is absolutely spectacular. Similarly it works quite well with some of their more mid 90-s Nu-metal type stuff with a wonderful rendition of Fuel. That being said, one of my favorite Metallica moments is the chanting in The Memory Remains which is usually absolutely chilling live being sung by 80,000 people but falls flat here with an orchestral part crowbarred in. Similarly Master of Puppets which to this day remains one of the most dynamic and exciting songs you can possibly listen to just really doesn't work which is a real shame because I think if they had nailed that it would have elevated the whole thing to the next level. I think some of the problem here is that its all got a bit over the top. I feel like a much more stripped down orchestra would have worked much better. When the slower numbers are backed by strings, wonderful, when you have those horns backing up some of the more powerful bits, amazing. But the more cinematic flute stabs, rumbles and bell chimes just come over a bit forced. It could have definitely benefitted from a more refined setlist as well but I do understand that everyone involved wanted to get their moneys worth and a long set really is the easiest way to do that, maybe a shorter release edit would have been a good idea. No casual browser in a record shop is buying this to hear "Hero of the Day" (as much as it is actually a really good version). The production on the record is great, the mixing is a bit dodgey if you are listening to it expecting studio quality but its a live album and it does a really good job of recreating the Metallica live experience, slightly stilted overly practiced James Hetfield crowd work included. The problems can be summed up in 2 points I think 1. Overly ambitious orchestra work which all too often doesn't mesh with the vibe of the originals and 2. They haven't nailed all the hits in the way they should have to really make this record shine (How did they not nail One! A huge swing and a miss). Its pure unabashed Metallica though, fully committing despite the obvious flaws and I'd defy anyone to say it didn't hold their attention throughout.

I like Metallica but the symphony was just doing too much

Awesome that a band can rework their own songs in such a creative way, do it live, and record such a great album.

Brilliant ! An easy 4*

Great. I think whilst it was an interesting thing to do (metal band and symphony orchestra) and works really well for some songs, it can become overblown on others.

I thought this was an amazing collaboration.

It's refreshing to hear the classic songs played differently. While it's certainly interesting, I don't think Metallica's music profits too much from an orchestra.

An incredibly cool concept executed really well. Metal has been associated with precision and intricacy as well as gothic themes - what better mash up than with classical instruments. The stadium rock and audience involvement heightened the dramatic nature of this whole performance. The biggest letdown for me is the singing, I have never liked that style. Mixing could have been better, would have liked to have heard more of other instruments not just strings. In general I would prefer if they arranged it with more breakdowns where the guitar drops out and the orchestra carries the melody (think end of memory remains, start of no leaf clover). That being said, this was fantastic and I loved it. Fav song - Fuel

it's a fantastic and super unique idea - thrash metal with symphony orchestra?! the amount of creativity that went into this project must've been insane. production-wise i think the orchestra could have been emphasised more because all you could really hear was the violins. since the he strings and guitar compliment eachother so well, i think the lower timbers (brass section mainly) could've enhanced lars ulrich's drumming really nicely. i do love live albums and hearing the audience interaction, 90s metal scene was sick and this is a nice window. i'm firmly on 3.5/5, can't decide whether to round up or down Fav song: battery, it's a song that's so heavily metal and the orchestra adapts to this sound. amazing as an album ending because of that massive build of tension

Really fun album, very unique sound that was still distinctly Metallica

ma de...em nisam fan metallice, em ovo traje do iznemoglosti. u jednu ruku nije loše, ali sad baš da slušam cijelo...teško.

ABSOLUTE CLASSIC

Loved this. Whewwww

Is this why KISS did a live album with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra? Considering they've spent their entire career chasing trends, I'm going with a resounding "YES" while docking this album a point for appealing to Gene Simmons in such a way. I'll take this over their studio albums for the most part. But not the version of Enter Sandman found here (imagine Mariano Rivera coming out of the bullpen to this version instead of the original studio recording, he'd never have made the Hall Of Fame). It's not as interesting as Lars and Company think it is (that honor goes to "Lulu", Metallica's collaboration with one Lou Reed). For what it's worth, KISS worked with Lou Reed before Metallica did, on the equally interesting "Music from The Elder". Jesus, what if those bands just existed to inspire each other? Or maybe Lou Reed just needed the money.

its a nice to hear a hardrock band backed by a full orchestra but somehow there is something off that I can't put my finger on. It does prevent this from being a match made in heaven however.

Too long

Fun, interesting mix

Mixing could have been better. I would have liked to hear a studio version. Crowd engagement with “Master of Puppets” was amazing.

I think it works, and the orchestra does for me enhance the listening experience. I still don't love Metallica, but much of this does sound epic

Cinemascope

Lo conosco bene quest'album, è nella mia libreria materiale di album :) Originale perché orchestrale, non potente come il loro classico metal ma il loro sound si presta a questo esperimento. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" ha la resa migliore.

Yes, it is too long. But it's an absolute pleasure to listen to. Favorite track: Master of Puppets

Fuck Metallica

This is so insanely long. Big fan of the orchestra and had to be pretty sweet to see all of this live. Some good songs but ultimately just kinda heavy for my liking

T3B 1. The Ecstasy Of Gold 2. Devil’s Dance 3. The Outlaw Torn Orchestra metal!? I never thought of it, but what a combo. Really enjoyed listening to this. Solid 4.

Amazing album, the only Metallica album I still listen to.

notes - Name stands for Symphony & Metallica - Some songs work far better with orchestra than others - The songs where the orchestra is doubling and beefing up the existing melody works best - When they do too much and add random bits it makes the songs messy and bloated - could be wrong but james sounds super autotuned - whoever mixed this did such a great job of balancing the band and the orchestra Fav - No leaf clover Least fav - Bleeding Me - Quite long and overindulgent, if it was half as long it wouldnt be in my bottom spot really cool listen, cant see myself listening to the whole thing front to back again 3.5/5

Talk about two of my worlds colliding. This absolutely kicked ass. Favorite track: Master of Puppets

i find it a wee bit funny that it’s a metallica album immediately after a megadeth album. personally, i’ve never been one for live albums, and this one still doesn’t do it for me. rip jason newsted (not dead, but this was his last album with metallica)

Okay I get it now leave me alone

too long

The Ecstasy of Gold - Classic song The Call of Ktulu - Has some nutty guitar solos Master of Puppets - One of Metallica’s best songs Of Wolf and Man - Pretty decent, not sure how much the orchestra help The Thing That Should Not Be - Love the drums in this, again not huge on the orchestra Fuel - Enjoyed the song, again not sure how different it would be without orchestra The Memory Remains - Decent song again No Leaf Clover -

On paper, live metallica + full backing orchestra is a hilarious idea, but also symphonic metal is absolutely a guilty pleasure of mine, so I was excited to hit play on this. Even though the runtime on this one’s over 2 hours, it’s pretty fun overall. I stand by my original complaint with Metallica, though--every individual song overstays its welcome by half

Pretty strong 4. I like the concept. I do kind of prefer some of the originals though, but still cool.

Asså d e ju king

this isnt streaming?

Metallica is lame.

Ouains, Je trouve que l’orchestre est mal utilisé. Le band band joue les tounes comme ils le font habituellement et l’orchestre vient en ajouter une couche et rempli les endroits où il se passe moins de choses. Je pense que le jeu du band aurait du être ajusté également et que tout aurait du être réorchestré ensemble. Sur quelques chanson ça fonctionne tout de même très bien.

whatever

Very captivating

"You know what this thrash metal needs? A string section." — no one ever

Definitively Metallica is a band to be enjoyed in live sessions. However, this one is even more special due to the mix of metal and classical music! It's always a combination that I enjoy a lot, and I can't give them less than five stars.

Like a drive on a nigth road. Sounds cool, you exited, but close the end you really feel the fatigue

Adding strings to something doesn’t improve it. You can polish a turd all day long but all you’re left with is a shiny shite.

15 years ago this album was on repeat non-stop via Youtube in my room at home. A lot has changed since then, but the sound quality still sounds like someone ripped a DVD and converted the audio track to an mp3 file. The mixing and volume levels are all over the place. Everything is incredibly bloated - I mean, I've listened to Grateful Dead live bootlegs from the 70's with better sound than this. Then there's the setlist which is atrociously bad. Hetfield's voice is very rough on the first handful of tracks, and often time it feels as if the band and the orchestra are playing two different songs entirely. A few tracks like 'Call of Ktulu' and 'The Thing That Should Not Be' actually grow to something else entirely with the added orchestration, and both band members and audience seem to be having fun. Lastly, if this Metallica record is on this list, I will be very disappointed if the first four albums of their discography isn't on it as well.

I really want this to be good. But it just isn’t. Let’s start of with the wrongs. Only few of their early songs really benefit from the addition of a string orchestra and while some tracks off of Load and ReLoad benefit quite a bit, I still don’t really care about many of songs in the first place. Which might be why the second half of disc 1 seems so long. Just an overload of the (Re)Load-era. Who’s honestly happy to see “Devil’s Dance” here? Dishonorable shoutout to a hopeless rendition of “Fuel” by the way. Who got the idea of adding strings to that? I also don’t enjoy the tone the often obvious autotune adds to Hetfield’s vocal. It always feels kinda off. Just listen to “Wherever I May Roam”. Jesus… On the other hand the new song “No Leaf Clover” is among the best post-Black Album 90’s stuff Metallica did - absolutely incredible. The same goes for the S&M-rendition of “The Memory Remains” and “The Outlaw Torn”; possibly one of the most underrated Metallica songs ever. Would I have loved to have been there? For sure. The atmosphere in the room must’ve been awesome. But listening to it at home? Except for a few tracks, I’d much rather listen to the original studio recordings once again.

Meh. Strings cool at first, then just cheesy.

This album long af! I guess objectively though this is a pretty solid album musically. The orchestra is pretty cool too. Not my favorite though.

All Metallica should be played this way! Starts out with Good, Bad & Ugly then shortly heads into Master of Puppets - feels like an anthem album for (some of) the times.

I thought I would hate this album, since I'm not a heavy metal fan, but I was pleasantly surprised, at least by parts of it. The San Francisco Symphony really added interest to the music. There were still long, relentless stretches with pounding drums and no real tune, but once in awhile a tune would break out among the chaos. There were some good, kickass beats, too. Favorite songs: Hero of the Day, Devil's Dance, Sad but True

A pity that live albums are included on the list but this one is not so good anyway.

Get this live shit off the list pleazz.

It's an incredible album. I'm not sure how much the SFSO adds to it, but the energy was off the charts and all the songs were great. I don't normally like live albums so this loses a star for that plus the fact that it's so long, but still a solid 4 stars.

Decent, bit too metal for me

Great album, listened to this a lot when younger

Essential live versions of your favourites.

intro = goat Call of ktulu = perfect met symphony Machtig hoe je dit kunt combineren met elkaar. Voor mij was het net iets te lang voor een CD. ik zou dit perfect live kunnen uitzitten of met een DVD maar voor cd vind ik het wat te lang.

Amaaai die zijn toch graaf hé. Heerlijke live plaat. Duurt wel lang natuurlijk dus vooral goed voor op de achtergrond

A whole new way to listen to Metallica. I really haven't listened to them much since the Black Album so there was much in here I was unfamiliar with. A fun listen, but 2.25 hours worth was a bit more than I could take.

Not really into Metallica but not bad

*dæs* Þetta tók sinn tímann. Sko, ég elska alveg margt með Metallica, en þær eru almennt fáar "læv" plöturnar sem ég fíla vel. Oft er verið að draga lögin alltof lengi án þess að það sé tilefni til. Og í þessu tilfelli finnst mér sinfó ekki vera að gera mikið fyrir flest lögin. Best: Hero Of The Day. Og Yeah-in hans Hetfield eftir Battery. Get sjálf framkallað slík stundum. Gerði það einhvern tíman á kóræfingu og kórstjóranum dauðbrá :D

Super live album with the symphonic orchestra

Veramente molto bello come è arrangiata la discografia dei Metallica con l'orchestra sinfonica. Però lo considero più un concerto che un album? Lo si può giudicare solo come album? Minchia però, la chiusura è meravigliosa.

idk yet

i’m surprised that i liked this

Not my regular thing, but fun

Shit album name pun; utterly pointless album. Best Tracks: Master of Puppets; Enter Sandman; Battery

absolutely sick, feels like a final boss battle

Better if it wasn't live.

It was a weird moment when I listened to this album. However the music was making things better. I liked the strings with the metal sound, it really was an addition

5 very good.

Dramatic and deadly!

Only the softer songs work with the orchestra (Nothing Else Matters is great). For the harder tracks it somehow doesn't fit or add anything

an old favorite

I could only get about halfway into 'Master of Puppets' before I literally could not handle it anymore. My physical reaction to the cognitive dissonance was just too intense. I can see how this idea would've piqued music executive interests enough to back it, but the end result is as awkward as an arranged marriage. I really wish I had never heard this album.

Nee, Metallica vind ik goed, maar dat orkest maakt het rommelig en minder strak.

Geprobeerd, maar dit kon me echt niet boeien.

Groot zwak voor deze heren, maar voor had dat hele orkest niet gehoeven. Zit meer in de weg dan een toevoeging.

Metaliek is nooit mijn band geweest. En zo met een heel orkest erbij wordt het helemaal over de top bombastisch / kitch voor mij.

Het concept staat me best aan; klassiek vermengd met heavymetal. Het is alleen zoveel!

I know this has been around forever, but I've never listened to it because it always sounded more like a concept that came from a committee than from an actual good idea. "What if... See if you can follow me here, Ted... What IF... we took Metallica, right? And we had them play with a symphony. You know, because they're so opposite. Who conducts a symphony? I don't know, who's a symphony guy? John Williams? Can't get him? Okay, I don't know, just get somebody. And we could call it 'S&M'. Get it? Get it? No, it stands for 'Symphony and Metallica! Because that's what it is!" It just seems to be trying too hard from the get-go. But let's see. Having listened - I expected there to be more hits? As I haven't listened to much Metallica post-Black Album, a lot of this was like listening to a band that always has an orchestra behind it. Kinda like a movie soundtrack. But not much emotion here. Then 'Master of Puppets' hits and it sounds really weighed down. It's beholden to this classical music idea. It all really sounds lethargic. I stopped listening at One. I figured that was the one that would benefit the most from this treatment, but no. Dear god, when they hit "hold my breath as I wish for death" is just bloodless. That was a real slog for me. Just took all the juice out of Metallica. Not looking to hear that again.

I know this was a landmark album - and a bit like MTV's Unplugged series, would prove influential - but I don't really dig it. I've always been a little lukewarm on Metallica despite being a metal fan. A big part of that is James Hetfield's voice - it's the archetype of what a certain type of person thinks is 'badass'. In fact, beyond the first few albums, I've come to regard Metallica as a bit 'try-hard'. And there is no more try-hard album than S&M, which takes some pretty lean songs and makes them sound cluttered, soupy or downright comical. There's a bit of 'Hero of the Day' that sounds like Alfred Hitchcock going up to collect his honorary Oscar. Metal can be faintly ridiculous, which is part of the appeal. S&M takes itself far too seriously, and ends up seeming even more risible as a consequence. Not for me.

I kind of actively despise this. Good grief. I think you pretty much nailed it, Craig. If you went and saw Metallica play this show WITHOUT the symphony you would no doubt walk away thinking they had put together one of the worst possible set lists they had ever played in their entire existence as a band. It's like they're going out of their way to avoid playing their good songs here. And the only reason I can think that they would do that is to accommodate the symphony. Okay. Fair enough. That's the whole point of this terrible experiment, right? But then Jesus Christ the orchestrations suuuucks. Most of the time I don't even notice it because I'm too focused on whatever the hell James is doing to butcher the singing of these songs. But then when I do notice the other musicians I do not like what I hear. It's bad movie music. And you know how I know it's bad movie music? Because they open the whole fucking set with actual good movie music! It's all downhill after that. Actually, there is one thing I liked. If you listen closely, every now and then, you can hear Jason Newstead singing backups and it sounds like he is doing his damndest to add some gnarliness to the whole affair. It sounds kinda cool. Just not cool enough.

METALL!

It’s an interesting novelty, but it leaves me cold. The rough edges all get sanded off. It used to be that Metallica’s appeal lied in those edges.

So much Metallica. So very much of the muchness. I can handle them in small doses. This is a massive overdose with a symphony playing in the background.

Dit is zo'n live-album die wat oneer doet aan het live-gegeven. Waarschijnlijk veel imposanter als je het echt zag. Maar op CD komt dit precies niet over. Dit haalt niet weg dat dit een supercombo is

Yeah long as hell. Probably would have been tight live

7/10. This was pretty enjoyable, and seeing as it was a live album I can forgive the length.

Fell asleep three separate times during this album. 4/10

Over the top. Too long Cover art 0/5

I feel badly not liking this more. I am a big fan of the original material and think some of it is the best of the metal genre. It is not that the orchestra doesn't pair well. In fact, many of the earlier Metallica releases can be described as orchestral. Nonetheless, this doesn't work for me.

The orchestra adds a lot to this music. Much more interesting sounding than the Metallica I'm familiar with. I guess it's a full concert recording, but if it was half as long, that would have been enough for me.