S&M

by Metallica

Overview

After 1988's ...And Justice for All, Metallica pared down its progressive, heavy metal sound. During the '90s, the band's studio releases grew slicker and more produced, resulting in mostly radio-friendly, good ol' boy metal. By the end of the decade, Metallica was established as the pioneer of modern metal, but the band hadn't done anything innovative, arguably, in ten years. In April 1999, the group performed two concerts with the San Francisco Symphony, and the result was S&M, a two-disc collection of the concerts. Overall, the album successfully pairs violin strings with guitar strings, but it's no surprise that the best tracks here are the older songs; their multi-layered, compositional style works well with symphonic arrangements. "Master of Puppets," "Call of the Ktulu," "One," and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" sound richer and fuller with violin, trumpet, clarinet, harp, trombone, and flute accompaniments, but "Sad but True," "Devil's Dance," and especially "Of Wolf and Man" range from haphazard and melodramatic to uninspired. S&M definitely has its moments, and not just with the pre-Black Album material: "Fuel" surpasses the furious pumping energy of the studio version, "Hero of the Day" stays poignant throughout, and "Until It Sleeps" has a wonderfully sinister feel. James Hetfield maintains his madman persona from beginning to end, laughing maniacally and grunting and growling at all the right moments. Overall, the symphony adds a macabre, ghoulish atmosphere -- it all sounds like a Broadway freak show or a revved-up Danny Elfman nightmare. Which is exactly what a Metallica album should sound like, even if every song isn't the best (or most appropriate) in the band's catalog. ~ Gina Boldman

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2015
Label:	Virgin Emi
UPC:	0602547243072

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Metallica   Primary Artist
San Francisco Symphony   Primary Artist,Ensemble,Orchestra
Andrew McCandless   Trumpet
Ray Froelich   Percussion
Catherine Down   Violin
Richard Andaya   Violin
Frances Jeffrey   Violin
Michael Kamen   Conductor
Bruce Roberts   Horn
Daniel Kobialka   Violin
Jeremy Constant   Violin
Paul Renzi   Flute
Julie Ann Giacobassi   Oboe
Marc Shapiro   Keyboards
Douglas Rioth   Harp
Melissa Kleinbart   Violin
Michael Gerling   Violin
Chris Gilbert   Bass
Don Ehrlich   Viola
Anthony Striplen   Clarinet
Christina King   Viola
Paul Brancato   Violin
John Engelkes   Trombone
Laurence Epstein   Bass
Stephen Tramontozzi   Bass
Jeff Budin   Trombone
Yukiko Kamei   Violin
Artie Storch   Percussion
Thomas Hemphill   Percussion
Jonathan Ring   Horn
Judiyaba   Violin
James Smelser   Horn
David Teie   Violin
Paul Welcomer   Trombone
Sheryl Renk   Clarinet
Tom Hornig   Trombone
Naomi Kazama   Violin
Philip Santos   Violin
Victor Romasevich   Violin
Douglas Hull   Horn
Luis Beez   Clarinet
Steven Braunstein   Bassoon
Rudolph Kremer   Violin
Anthony J. Cirone   Percussion
Peter Wahrhaftig   Tuba
Geraldine Walther   Viola
Anne Pinsker   Violin
Stephen Paulson   Bassoon
Daniel Banner   Violin
Catherine Payne   Flute
Linda Lukas   Flute
Chris Bogios   Trumpet
Bruce Freifeld   Violin
Florin Parvulescu   Violin
Enrique Bocedi   Violin
Eugene Izotov   Oboe
Chumming Mo Kobialka   Violin
S. Mark Wright   Bass
William Ritchen   Bass
Eric Achen   Horn
Charles Chandler   Bass
Yun Jie Liu   Viola
Nanci Severance   Viola
Glenn Fischthal   Trumpet
Kirk Hammett   Guitar
Craig Morris   Trumpet
Lars Ulrich   Drums
James Hetfield   Guitar,Vocals
Diane Nicholeris   Violin
Barara Bogatin   Violin
Joshua Garrett   Horn
Connie Gantsweg   Violin
Gina Feinauer   Viola
Seth Mausner   Viola
Jill Rachuy Brindel   Violin
Yasuko Hattori   Violin
David Gaudry   Viola
David Herbert   Timpani
Robert Ward   Horn
Kelly Leon-Pearce   Violin
Pamela Smith   Oboe
Rob Weir   Bassoon
Peter Shelton   Violin
Kum Mo Kim   Violin
David Goldblatt   Violin
Jason Newsted   Bass

Technical Credits

Mike Gillies   Digital Editing
Paul DeCarli   Digital Editing
Brad Warnaar   Orchestration
Randy Staub   Mixing,Engineer
Michael Price   Music Preparation
Michael Kamen   Arranger,Producer,Liner Notes,Orchestration
Bob Rock   Engineer,Producer
George Marino   Mastering
Anton Corbijn   Photography
Eicca Toppinen   Arranger
Darren Grahn   Assistant,Digital Editing
Ennio Morricone   Composer
Dave Mustaine   Composer
Andie Airfix   Design
Bob Elhai   Orchestration
Leff Lefferts   Assistant
James Brett   Assistant,Music Preparation
Bruce Babcock   Orchestration
Jonathan Sacks   Orchestration
Blake Neely   Music Copyist,Orchestration,Music Preparation
Billy Konkel   Assistant
Steve McLaughlin   Assistant,Recording
Geoffrey Alexander   Orchestration
Billy Bowers   Digital Editing
Kent Matcke   Assistant
Kirk Hammett   Composer
Chris Boardman   Orchestration
Lars Ulrich   Composer,Producer
James Hetfield   Composer,Producer
John Vrtacic   Technical Assistance
Vic Fraser   Music Copyist
Ted Allen   Orchestration
Cliff Burton   Composer
Pete Anthony   Orchestration