completely amazing

this album kicks ass. The symphony in the background backs up the band (or the other way around!) to provide a truly mind-blowing experience. order it. appreciate it. bow down to it.

Metallica rules

This CD is a must-have for Metallica lovers. I know people who don't like it because of the orchestra; I myself am not a huge fan of classical music, but the heavy metal fused with the orchestra makes a very pleasing combo on this work. In fact, some of the songs I heard for the first time ever on this CD, and then when I hear the original on the radio I think, "That's rather boring." True Metallica aficionadoes will find this an "essential" CD for their collections.

Not bad but not great

In 1999, Metallica finally decided to release an official live album. They had not done so yet in their career, even though it spanned over a decade and a half (unless you count their Live S*it - Binge And Purge box set.) However, the band didn't want to make a typical live album - they wanted to do something different. They got together with Michael Kamen and his orchestra, and recorded something unlike anything in their career. Read on for my review of Symphony And Metallica - better known simply as S and M.

PROS:
-Metallica wanted to do something unique, and to put it simply, they did just that. Even if the band isn't what it used to be, there is no denying that this is a unique recording.
-The band plays many of its classics, as well as newer-era stuff, too.
-There are two previously unreleased tracks, as well as a take on the classic tune Ecstacy Of Gold. These new tracks employ the orchestra well.
-The orchestral take on a few of these songs is EXCELLENT. I'm not a big fan of anything Metallica did in the nineties and beyond, but I can honestly say this is THE BEST VERSION of The Call Of Ktulu ever recorded!
-This album is readily available in most major stores.

CONS:
-NOT EVERY ONE OF THESE SONGS NEEDED AN ORCHESTRAL TOUCH. This really hurts songs like the already mediocre Fuel, which obviously weren't written with such a concept in mind.
-James' voice change for the nineties makes some of the older songs sound downright terrible (which is the exact same reason I hate the Live S*it box set.) The band should've stuck to its newer material.
-VERY FEW of these songs are outstanding. Most are downright weak compared to their classic studio counterparts.
-Two discs means a higher price.
-This album ultimately doesn't succeed.

OVERALL:
As good an idea as this album was, it just isn't pulled off very well. To put it simply, if you're one of the people who only likes the band's eighties stuff (and that's MOST Metallica fans), you're not gonna like this. ONLY BUY THIS IF YOU LIKE THE BAND'S NINETIES MATERIAL!

The most underrated Metallica album...

True, it's basically a greatest hits CD. And not a great representation of the greatest hits, at that - it leaves off most of the greatest hits! In fact, the CD takes too much from Re/Load and the Black album (I wish they replaced those songs with tracks like To Live is to Die, or Sanitarium).



Still, this CD is easily one of my favorites of all time (in any genre). The symphony adds a whole new dimension to the product we all know and love. In fact, it adds a new dimension to what we didn't really love. I wasn't a big fan of "Until it Sleeps", but with the symphony backing it, it becomes one of my favorite Metallica songs ever. The symphony only strengthens the concert favorite Battery, and somehow, it actually makes Master of Puppets and For Whom the Bell Tolls better than ever before. The symphony helps that much...going back to listen to these tracks after hearing them on S&M is like hearing them with the headphones half plugged in - something is missing, because the symphony blends in to the music so well.



This isn't an album for thrash folks, and so many true fans of Metallica feel betrayed by the band's willingness to work with a symphony. But they're wrong for doing so. Maybe they have legitimate beef with the band for "selling out" with the Loads, but this is much different. You don't have to like rock, metal, thrash or symphony orchestras to love this. The music packed onto this album, which was all recorded live, is fantastic (do yourself a favor and check out the live performance). This is the only Metallica album I'd recommend to my friends and family (they wouldn't like the rest).



It would be a perfect album, except for the fact that they (IMO) picked bad songs to begin with. Check out the number of selections by CD:



Kill 'em All: 0

Ride the Lightning: 2

Master of Puppets: 2

...And Justice For All: 1

Black album: 5

Load: 4

Reload: 3

Other: 3



Don't let that discourage you, though. S&M will make you appreciate the Loads, at least a little bit...

Wagner would love this!

I have always believed that the best in heavy metal approaches classical. Unfortunately, I have been disappointed by previous attempts to integrate rock and classic instrumentation...That is until now.

This combination really is the best of both worlds. I must admit that I am a fan, but not a big fan, of Metallica. However, I am well on my way to wearing this one out! The band plays in a way that is far superior to anything they have done previously. In fact, I often have to turn off the studio version of some of the songs on this album, because they're just not the same.

There are two important details that make this such an exceptional offering - the energy that the SFO and the band deliver playing together (I only wish I could have seen the show in person!) and how well the SFO and band mesh together to deliver emotion unmatched in most music today - classical or heavy metal!

The first CD is a good warm up. It would make a good stand alone offering all by itself. However, the second set really hits home. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Until it Sleeps and several of the others are truly intense. The winner, however, is One!. This must be played with your speakers wide-open. The SFO delivers an arrangement behind that band that could not be better. The band itself delivers the music as if they were the subject of the lyrics themselves. As you sit and listen, you will likely find yourself jumping between visions of the band and SFO throwing sweat in every direction and pictures of a soldier fighting his last battle with his own battered body!

This really is how music was meant to be. I firmly believe that, if some of the masters themselves were alive and composing today, they would want their music to sound like this.

This is a must have CD for almost anyone who likes classical and rock, or even just rock!

WOW

Okay, first a disclaimer: I'm not handing out letter grades this time (save for the two new songs), because almost all the songs are remakes of studio tracks. Anyhoo, this isn't just an album, it's an experience. Metal music has always had this symphonic dynamic to it and this double live album proves it. Of particular note is that the crowd is VERY enthused with the performers and I think the feeling is mutual. Some of the songs ("Nothing Else Matters", "The Thing That Should Not Be", and the Re/Load material) sound so superior to their studio counterparts that I sometimes have a hard time stomaching the originals. Michael Kamen's (RIP) orchestrations for the Metallitunes are nothing short of genius--he truly had an ear for music. Now if only Metallica could crank out a studio album that evokes the same degree of awe and wonder as S&M.





THE REPORT CARD:



No Leaf Clover: A (proof that Metallica isn't out of ideas yet)

-Human: B (they could have at least put this on 'St. Anger')