20 years later, they did it again; who could have imagined that the strings of an orchestra could align perfectly with the heavy sounds and power of rock and metal, a strange combination? hard to believe but back on 1999 Metallica created a collaboration with the San Francisco Orchestra and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that event S&M2 was released on August the 28th 2020.
Revisiting songs from the first S&M such as The Call Of Ktulu, Master Of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters and the song created specially for the combination with an orchestra “No Leaf Clover”. S&M2 has that good taste of the past but also bringing the possibility to listen new songs in orchestra version from more recent records like The Unforgiven III & The Day That Never Comes from the 2008 “Death Magnetic” or their 2016 album “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct” with Moth Into Flame, Confusion and Halo On Fire. All of them good choices for this combination.
From the 3 studio albums after 1999 only one song represents the 2003 “St. Anger”, the chosen one was All Within My Hands where not only the orchestra was present but James and Kirk were playing acoustic guitars during that specific performance to bring an even more different and unique version, touché.
Of course, 2 of the most beloved tracks; classics of the band that stood out not only on the first S&M but on this too are One & Enter Sandman as the combination of the strings and fast rhythm of guitar solos, the riffs power and the combination with the orchestra is something that creates an intense but melodic atmosphere in One with the warlike sounds and in Sandman with the suspense while singing “I tuck you in, warm within, keep you free from sin Till The Sandman he comes, Sleep with one eye open, Gripping your pillow tight, Exit Light, Enter Night, Take My hand, We´re off to never-never land”
SM2 celebrates not only the 20th anniversary of a combination between genres that probably we never thought could go well together and proved us wrong, but how one of the most important metal bands of all time still seeks, destroys and kills it!
