ALBUM REVIEW: S&M2 – Metallica

There is no denying the legendary status of METALLICA at this point in time, and the fact the band simply keep adding to their already unimaginable legacy is truly incredible. Whether it be headlining Glastonbury or releasing an epic double album, METALLICA have never been ones to rest on their laurels, and a band as classic as them running at such a high gear is amazing stuff. With the success of their groundbreaking S&M record back in 1999, the question of whether a return to this format has always been on the lips of fans, and despite the awful state of 2020 as a year, one good thing to come out of this is the long awaited S&M2. And this epic collaboration between one of the greatest metal bands ever to be and the San Francisco Symphony is still one of the best collisions of worlds there’s ever been. 

With bands like DIMMU BORGIR and NIGHTWISH proving that symphonies and metal belong together, the punk attitude of thrash metal has always made it a distinctly boxed in genre, with very little added extras being done for fear of breaking the sacred and brilliant sound. METALLICA blew that concept out the water back in 1999, and they are fully back to hammer home the point even further.

Opening with the classic The Ecstasy of Gold before bleeding into the epic The Call of Kthlu the record opens beautifully. With huge expansive soundscapes highlighting the excellent and progressive writing METALLICA have always had in their DNA. For Whom The Bell Tolls drops the ball following on, with the version on S&M1 proving itself to be the superior rendition. This time round the songs feels like everything but the kitchen sink has been thrown at it, and it makes the whole song a huge platter of sounds that don’t work as well as they could do. 

However, with so many new songs since the last S&M record there is plenty more to make up for any lacking found throughout the record. The Day That Never Comes, Moth Into Flame and Halo on Fire all providing the absolute pinnacle highlights of this record. Moth Into Flame especially plays excellently off the orchestra, as flourishes of flute play the verse guitar line with finesse and beauty. Ultimately, these three cuts all prove the success of this pairing, and should also give other bands the courage to try and attempt moments like this for themselves. 

Taking the time to allow the orchestra to have their own moments of glory with the pieces Scythian Suite and Into the Iron Foundry help to truly set this record aside from its predecessor, but the curious exclusion of Human, the second song written exclusively for S&M, is a strange decision. No Leaf Clover still sounds epic, but the biggest gripe to be found with S&M2 is with its setlist, with a large chunk of this album being made up of songs already performed with an orchestra. With the sheer scale of the METALLICA back catalogue there was massive potential to make this an entirely unique setlist and for it to still hit an absolute home run. Whilst this does further cement the legacy of METALLICA, it’s fair to note the missed potential of hearing something as utterly savage as Fight Fire With Fire or All Nightmare Long fused with the grace of a symphony and performed by a band that has grown even tighter in the 20 years since the last collaboration. 

Ultimately, S&M2 represents the near endless creativity of METALLICA and adds a further notch into their illustrious and incomparable history. When the band hit their highs, this album provides some truly magical moments, but at its worst it is a poor copy of material already done to a sensational standard on the first S&M record. Ultimately, this is another hefty slice of METALLICA that anyone even vaguely interested in the band should experience, because collaborations of this scale are rare and need to be appreciated for the wonderful moments in time they are. 

Rating: 7/10

S&M2 is out now via Blackened Recordings.

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