S&M

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.

Hell yea

4

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)

Obviously won't be listening to 2 hours of this so I checked out a few tracks. Cool mix, definitely makes them sound better than their usual boring music. But... still not good.

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

I’ve got to admit I was a bit intimidated by the time, but I had a fun time

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.

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.

I'm not joking when i say this, S&M is not only my favorite Metallica album but also my favorite live album period. I always knew going into this album that it was going to be something really special since i love the combination of metal and orchestral music but this album managed to surpass even those lofty standards. This is a show that starts explosive and remains explosive throughout all of it's 2 hour runtime. I genuinely can't think of anything that this album does wrong as it executes everything so perfectly. This is definitely a huge favorite of mine and is 100% going into the top ten of the albums i have done here.
Best Song: No Leaf Clover
Worst Song: Hero Of The Day
Side note: Last Metallica album, here are the rankings:
1. S&M
2. Metallica (Black album)
3. ...And Justice For All
4. Master Of Puppets

Better than Coldplay

Too long
Too repetitive
I don't like the mix. Can't hear that orchestra

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

I know this album gets mixed thoughts from fans- but the epic wall of sound that is this album will never be able to be touched by another one of their albums or metal band. A truly unique album that sounds fantastic and presents the full 2+ hour concert rather than just 35 mins cuts.

I'm opposed to live albums being on the list because most of them aren't very good and they feel like a compilation album, which I think is cheating to have here. But S&M is very different and unique. How often do you see thrash metal and an orchestra perform together? I can let this one slide.

I can let this one slide especially because it's very good. Songs like The Memory Remains and Wherever I May Roam are better than their originals with the orchestra, and whilst this isn't the case for every song, they're still very, very good and ones I'll definitely be coming back to. James is on form as ever, as are Jason's backup vocals. Even the drumming ain't bad, lmfao.

However, it is still a live album and still has those elements of a live album I dislike, such as the production, even though Metallica are a very good live band. It's also over 2 hours long. Anything gets a bit old by then. There is also a distinct lack of AJFA songs on here which makes me a bit sad. In the end, a high 4.

Who is this for?

Still not a live album guy

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

My most unexpected 4 stars yet

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

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