10 Times Metallica Did Whatever The Hell They Wanted
6. 1999 - Symphony & Metallica
Although not the first to use the concept, that honour goes to Deep Purple in 1969, Metallica’s decision to work with The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 1999 would be the first time an overtly Heavy Metal band would attempt to mesh their visceral sounds with that of an orchestra.
Following a suggestion by composer Michael Kamen at the 1992 Grammys, Metallica took Kamen up on his offer seven years later to play two live shows with a full orchestral accompaniment.
Taking songs from almost all of their back catalogue, as well as debuting the crushing No Leaf Clover and the sort of not terrible -Human, the shows were a perfect marriage of the fury of Metallica’s output with the sheer majesty afforded by the symphony.
Naming the endeavour Symphony & Metallica (provocatively shortened to S&M with all the connotation therein), the lush instrumentation and inventive fusion of the two disparate soundscapes was rightly regarded as a triumph by the metal press.
Sadly the last album to feature long suffering bassist Jason Newsted, this would be one last high point before everything started to go very south for Metallica.