It was 1999. The world was terrified of Y2K, nu-metal was wearing baggy JNCO jeans, and Metallica—the biggest heavy metal band on the planet—decided to play with a 100-piece orchestra.
People thought they’d lost their minds.
Honestly, the idea of a thrash band teaming up with the San Francisco Symphony felt like a punchline to a joke nobody asked for. Metal purists were already annoyed by the "Load" era haircuts and experimental rock leanings. Adding a bunch of violins and oboes? That felt like the final nail in the "selling out" coffin. But when the first notes of "The Call of Ktulu" hit the air at the Berkeley Community Theatre, something shifted.
Basically, Metallica S&M wasn't just a concert. It was a 133-minute argument that heavy metal is, at its core, modern classical music with more distortion.
The Ghost of Cliff Burton
You can’t talk about this album without talking about the guy who wasn't there.
Cliff Burton, the band’s legendary bassist who died in 1986, was the "gateway" to this whole concept. He was a massive fan of Bach and Beethoven. He didn't just play bass; he composed it with a classical ear. James Hetfield has often said that the seed for the project came from Cliff’s love of those epic, sweeping structures.
Then came Michael Kamen.
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Kamen was a heavy hitter in the film world—think Lethal Weapon and Robin Hood. He’d already worked with the band on the "Nothing Else Matters" arrangement for the Black Album. When he approached them at the 1992 Grammys about a full-scale collaboration, it took seven years of brewing before it actually happened.
Kamen didn't want to just "accompany" the band. He wanted the orchestra to be a second lead guitarist. He spent six months studying their riffs—the equivalent of scoring three full movies. He wasn't looking for "pretty" strings; he was looking for power.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Setlist
A lot of casual listeners think S&M is just the "hits" with some strings tucked in the back. Not even close.
The real magic happened on the deeper, weirder cuts. Songs like "The Outlaw Torn" and "Bleeding Me" from the mid-90s albums finally found their true forms. In their original studio versions, they were long-form bluesy rock experiments. With the San Francisco Symphony behind them, they turned into cinematic epics that felt 50 feet tall.
The Standouts and the Strange
- No Leaf Clover: This wasn't a cover or a reimagining. It was a brand-new song written specifically for this show. It’s arguably one of the best things Metallica has ever done.
- The Call of Ktulu: This instrumental won a Grammy for a reason. The brass section added a layer of Lovecraftian dread that a four-piece band simply couldn't achieve alone.
- -Human: The "other" new song. It’s heavy, sludgy, and weirdly industrial. It’s the one song that really showcased how the orchestra could sound "ugly" in a beautiful way.
There were moments of friction, too. You can hear it in the mix. Sometimes the strings and the dual-guitar attack of James and Kirk Hammett fight for space. Lars Ulrich’s drumming—often criticized for being "too much" on this record—was a necessity to keep a 100-piece beast on the same beat.
S&M vs. S&M2: The Battle of the Eras
Fast forward twenty years. 2019.
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Metallica does it again. S&M2 opened the Chase Center in San Francisco. But is it better?
It’s complicated.
The original 1999 performance has a "lightning in a bottle" energy. It was the final album to feature bassist Jason Newsted, whose backing vocals were essentially a second lead singer. The 1999 mix is lush, polished, and feels like a studio record.
S&M2, on the other hand, is raw. James’s voice sounds deeper, more seasoned. They brought in Scott Pingel to do a tribute to Cliff Burton’s "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" on a distorted upright bass. It was a tear-jerker. But some fans argue the 2019 mix is muddled, and the setlist relied too much on repeating the 1999 tracks.
If you want the "perfect" version, go with the original. If you want the "emotional" version, go with the sequel.
The Legacy of the "Unholy Union"
Before 1999, "symphonic metal" was mostly a European niche. After S&M, everyone tried it. Scorpions did it. Kiss did it. Even Satyricon did it.
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But nobody quite matched the scale of Michael Kamen’s vision. He saw the brutality in the cello and the thrash in the timpani. He didn't try to make Metallica "classy." He made the symphony "metal."
It’s easy to look back and see the flaws—the autotuned vocals on certain tracks or the sheer "Spinal Tap" absurdity of it all. But honestly? It shouldn't have worked. The fact that it’s still the gold standard for cross-genre collaborations 25 years later says everything.
How to Experience It Now
If you’re revisiting this, don't just stream it on your phone speakers. This is a "good headphones" kind of record.
- Watch the DVD: The 41-minute documentary is essential. Seeing the look on the faces of the orchestral musicians when they first realized how loud Metallica actually is? Priceless.
- Compare the Instrumentals: Listen to the original "Master of Puppets" and then the S&M version. Pay attention to how the violins take over the harmony parts usually played by Kirk.
- Check out the Vinyl: If you can find the 3-LP box set, the dynamic range is significantly better than the compressed digital versions.
The impact of this collaboration hasn't faded. It proved that "heavy" isn't just about volume; it's about the weight of the composition.
To get the most out of your listening session, start with "No Leaf Clover" and then jump straight into "The Outlaw Torn." It’s the quickest way to understand why this weird, ambitious gamble actually paid off. No further investigation required—just turn the volume up until the neighbors start complaining.