10 Flawless Live Albums In Rock Music
2. S&M - Metallica
In the world of rock and roll, the idea of classical music almost feels like a dirty word. Since this was the kind of music that was meant to rally against the more straight forms of society, why the hell would you want to put in the works of Bach and Beethoven on the same stage that you'd find acts like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin? When you break the music down into its bare essentials though, Metallica found a lot more in common on S&M.
Working with arranger Michael Kamen for this outing, this was one of the most original ideas that Metallica had during the '90s, taking their typical thrash masterpieces and playing them alongside classical instrumentation. Considering how much former bassist Cliff Burton was a fan of classical music to begin with, the transition works incredibly well, even when setting the tone on the entrance music Ecstasy of Gold.
Along with the chilling takes on One and Master of Puppets, there's actually a lot more that goes into the more radio friendly side of Metallica, with low lights like Until It Sleeps and Devil's Dance actually getting a fair shot at glory as well. After dominating the world for almost a decade, it was nice to see that Metallica hadn't run out of ideas just yet. With St. Anger not even in sight yet, this feels like Metallica reaching the peak of their legendary phase.