S&M is the sound of two spectacular musical forces working in perfect harmony. The presence of the orchestra has driven Metallica to even greater heights on the evidence of this performance. However, much of the credit for the final product must be due to Michael Kamen who has interpreted the Metallica live show perfectly and scored it with imagination, flair and ingenuity.

At times the orchestration fits in so well you hardly notice it. Which is not to say the San Francisco Symphony sound timid. Not in the slightest. In fact on those tracks you might expect them to take a frightened backseat, such as 'Fuel' or 'Battery', they really make their presence felt. On the former they quite simply rock! To single out individual songs is pointless as the whole set is awesome. Suffice it to say that on those songs which allow them the space to work the orchestra sounds magnificent.

Metallica's performance is virtually flawless. The enormity of the occasion has resulted in a supercharged set. Each and every one of them play out of their skin. It's as if they had decided that no orchestra was going to eclipse them on the night!

Just a quick word on the sound quality which manages to bring the classical and hard rock disciplines together without compromising either. Everything sounds clean, clear and bright. The one casualty is Jason's bass which at times is a little muted but Lars' drums sound tremendous. In fact the whole mix leaps out of the speakers, so much so that on first listen it's almost to much to take in.

This release marks a milestone in the band's career and is also deserved of noteworthy inclusion in the annals of rock history - it's that good. No Metallica fan should be without this.

Quite simply, I don't know how Metallica are going to top this one - then again I think I might have said that when they released "....And Justice for All".


A MUST HAVE INVESTMENT FOR ANY TRUE METALLICA FAN   February 22, 2000
Sean de Sa' (Wappinger, NY)
32 out of 33 found this review helpful

This boxset rules! There's no two ways about it! First of all just the box it comes in is killer. Two it comes with the S&M cd recessed in the first layer of the box which looks amazing! C, it comes with a deck of playing cards in which each ace has a characterature of a member of the band on it. Fourth, theres a nice poster, a black T-shirt with 'S&M' on the front right brest and on the back it says 'SOLOIST'. It also comes with a desk calandar which has all the lyrics to each song on S&M on each page. The box is also lined with a white satiny cloth which just completes the mood of the symphony. This set is a must have for any true MetallicA fan! Only 1,000 we're made.


How did they do it?   November 24, 1999
P. Macouzet Jr. (Kennewick, WA)
32 out of 34 found this review helpful

Quoting the words of James Hetfield, "Did you hear the one about the rock band that wanted to play in a symphony?" Better yet, of all the possible choices, can you imagine that band being Metallica? A year after releasing Garage Inc., the boys from San Francisco are back with their first live album since the Binge & Purge set. S&M - get your mind out of the gutter - brings us a compilation that no one could have expected.

Just how do you put the voice of lead singer/guitar James Hetfield, the amazing solos of guitarist Kirk Hammett, the head-banging of bassist Jason Newsted, and the thumping of drummer Lars Ulrich together with the strings of the Michael Kamen's San Francisco Symphony? Forget about how it was done - just prepare to be amazed.

The album was recorded back in April when the two groups met for a performance in Berkley, CA and contains material from the band's previous albums including Enter Sandman, Master of Puppets, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and One. The group complements these classics with two brand new songs, No Leaf Clover and Minus Human, both highlighted by great melody from the symphony.

The first of the double-CD set features an opening with Ecstasy of Gold and The Call of Ktulu, featuring a great instrumental performance by the symphony. The `Tallica boys soon turn things up with Master of Puppets, Hero of the Day, Fuel, and The Memory Remains, along with other familiar tracks from Load and Re-Load.

In the second half of the set, we are treated to classics like Wherever I May Roam, Sad But True, Nothing Else Matters, and One. Other works from the self-titled album known as Black, Load, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All of finish off the performance.

S&M will satisfy both long-time Metallica fans, as well as the newer ones. There may not be many new songs, but the performance with the symphony shines a whole new light on the classics.