Credits:

Metallica

Description:

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 accompa