Artist: Metallica
Label: Elektra
Release Date: 11/23/99
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Title: S&M Artist: Metallica Label: Elektra Release Date: 11/23/99 |
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Abyss's Review:
Trying to go into a Metallica review with an open mind is not an easy thing to do nowadays, but I'm trying my best. S&M is a live album consisting of Metallica and a symphony orchestra. The San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Kamen, joins the Bay Area Bashers (God, it just doesn't seem right to call them that anymore, maybe I should use that phrase to describe the orchestra) through a selection of Metallica tunes, new and old. Some will look on this as an ambitious endeavour, and others will look on it as a gimmick. This is for the individual to decide, so that's all I'll say on the matter. Since most of the material is already well known, the big question is whether these different worlds can collide in a constructive and mutually beneficial way. The short answer is, not really. Unlike the most easily comparable discs by Apocalyptica, the symphony seems to distract from the band rather than complement them. This is much more evident in the heavier, older material than in the more recent songs. Yes kiddies, that's right, I said the new stuff on this disc is more successful than the old classics. In this regard, fans of the newer, more polished Metallica will probably be pleased with this effort. In thrash songs, the orchestra seems out of their element completely, with the arrangements, while played well, just don't fit the songs. Rather than it sounding like a metal band encompassed within a symphony, it comes across as two separate entities competing for your attention. Nowhere is this more evident than in "Master of Puppets," which is probably the biggest disappointment on the disc. The guitars seemed lowered, yielding to the strings, which takes away from the force that drives that song deep into your skull. On top of that, Mr. Hetfield's vocals are horrendous throughout the song, choosing to sing rather than force the words from his mouth like he used to. "Battery" suffers from the same disjointedness, but with improved vocals (although it doesn't really come together, it's nice to know they haven't forgotten some of their heavier moments). Where this album manages to succeed, to a degree, is with some of the more symphonic numbers. "The Call of Ktulu" is one of the most interesting on the album, and the orchestra seems to complement the song quite well. But the album's best moment, in my opinion, is "Bleeding Me." Yes, I know it's on Load, and no the song isn't the best they've ever done, but I believe it's closest to the vision these guys had in mind when they came up with this idea. Two previously unreleased tracks are probably the biggest reason many deprived Metallicatz will pick this disc up. To be honest, neither is all that good. "No Leaf Clover" is probably a better song than "-Human," and while both are relatively successful incorporating the orchestra (possibly because they were written with this project in mind), neither really sticks out. If you like new Metallica, you'll like them, and if you don't like new Metallica, you'll hate them. Which is probably the way most will look at this album, but if you're in the company of the latter and are looking for this to be the vehicle for the band to pull you back in, it ain't gonna happen.
"If you like new Metallica, you'll like the new songs, and if you don't like new Metallica, you'll hate them."
Death's Review:
First of all, a little context. My name is Death, and I am a Metalliholic. Try as I might to purge myself of a seemlingly limitless curiousity to stay abreast of each successive Metallica development, I continue to attend each tour and purchase each new release. Disappointment after disappointment I endure, always working to find something likeable about my fallen heroes. You see, Metallica has been with me for over half of my life, and, to be honest, in many ways no single band has meant more to me over a longer period of time than they. That's why their sellouts hurt so much. And that's why, against my better instincts, I keep getting up off the mat and coming back for more.
So it was that on November 23, 1999, fifteen years after their music first "discovered" me, thirteen years after Cliff Burton and company made Ozzy look like a washed up fool following perhaps the greatest live set I have ever witnessed, twelve years after I attended the first North American date with Jason Newstead, eleven years after I first saw the video for "One" on MTV, nine years after I spent way too much energy trying to like the Black Album, eight years after their live show had become so dumbed-down and rote they honestly weren't that much fun anymore, six years after they spiced things up a bit with an interesting set list on the "Binge & Purge" tour, three years after one of the top ten most disappointing experiences of my life occurred upon my first listen to Load, two years after the fluke theory was discounted with the equally awful Reload, a year after my faith was mildly rewarded with decent Mercyful Fate and Black Sabbath covers, ten months after that hope was annihillated by watching the absolutely horrid and completely disrespectful mangling of many classics ("Fight Fire With Fire," etc.) on the Cunning Stunts DVD, I decided to go down this tired road one more time. Presented with an opportunity to attend Metallica's performance of S&M at Madison Square Garden, from the front section on the floor no less, I seized the moment and headed for the show.
"My name is Death, and I am a Metalliholic."
I expected nothing. Heck, I expected less than nothing. I told myself I was going because it was an "event," better than working late or watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or whatever else I would otherwise do that night. And when I found myself surrounded by luminaries like Howard Stern, that part of the bargain was fulfilled. But little did I know that I would actually have an awesome time that night, and that much of that could be attributed to what was happening on stage.
"The band gets props for the concept, which they pull off surprisingly well." Metallica delivered what was probably their best perfomance of the 1990's. This was most likely attributable to the convergence of the following factors: (1) the setlist ("Call of Ktulu," "Battery," "The Thing That Should Not Be"); (2) no between-song, drunken, country party band banter -- in fact, no between song banter at all!; (3) the band was focused -- this was a big time one-off (or two-off, actually) event, in New York City, in front of media and critics, etc., not stop number seventy-eight of a hundred-plus date tour in Des Moines, Iowa playing the same tired set; (4) the songs were played with precision and all the way through -- no bullshit riff-o-rama or stopping halfway through "Master of Puppets" here; (5) the orchestra was killer (one violinist had longer hair than anyone in the band!). But whatever the reasons, I had a great time. Which inspired me to run out the next day and pick up S&M.
What I found listening to this record was a mixed bag. Generally, it is a good record. The band gets props for the concept, which they pull off surprisingly well. The first disc's opener, "The Call of Ktulu," is absolutely amazing, and probably surpasses the original. This is the way the song was meant to be performed, with the orchestra enhancing the drama of this otherwise relatively simple, but killer, tune. Two other songs, which I totally disregarded in their Load/Reload incarnations, "Bleeding Me" and "The Outlaw Torn," are delivered here with a passion and intensity that forces me to never again deny their deserved place in the hallowed Metallica catalogue. If Metallica had gone further in the lonely, bitter classic rock direction of these two tracks with the balance of the Load records I would not have objected so strongly, notwithstanding their lack of any progressive element. Both tracks shine on S&M, enhanced by the orchestra just subtley enough to display the intended majesty. I still can't get out of my mind the awesome vision from the concert of James backlit with red lights standing stage center with his arms dangling as if he was on a crucifix during the pause in "Bleeding Me" (just before the final riff kicked in). A truly transcendent live moment for sure.
The new songs are solid. "No Leaf Clover" is, for my taste, the better of the two. While still new-era Metallica, the song features a combination of minor-key stylings, and most importantly, dynamics, which has been missing from the Load/Re-Load era. I like this song. "- Human" is a downtuned and heavy "Sad But True" retread, and doesn't make the impression of "No Leaf Clover" for me, but at least the riff is heavy.
The album runs into problems with some of the faster selections. First off, while the intro to "Master of Puppets" is cool, James' constant "oh yeahs," "yeah baby's," and "uh-huhs," together with his annoying sing-songy aesthetic, which, altogether considered, are for the most part surprisingly absent from this set, are nevertheless readily apparent on this song. At times it's as if James isn't comfortable with the metalness of the track. Disappointing. And "Battery," while a great choice and cool selection to see them dust off, really doesn't work in the orchestra setting. The intro is cool, but the strings just get in the way of the all-out Metallicattack the rest of the way. Finally, I could do without "Fuel," "Hero of the Day," "The Memory Remains" and probably "Devil's Dance" as well (I would have added "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)," "Trapped Under Ice," "The Four Horsemen," and "Fade to Black" instead).
"Is this my addiction talking, or have Metallica turned a corner? Time will tell." Still, there is a lot to like on this 21-song set. Believe it or not, Lars seems to have rediscovered the joy of playing drums (see "Wherever I May Roam" or "Battery"). Kirk's leads are spot-on throughout and played with a fire I haven't heard from him in ages ("The Call of Ktulu," "One"). And, while perhaps you needed to see this live to appreciate, the sight and sound of the cellos and other strings digging in on the descending riff at the beginning of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" or the end of "One" is something truly special to behold. Even James has his moments, turning choice moments of "Until it Sleeps" into a venomous attack of hatred with his inspired delivery.
All-in-all, I have enjoyed S&M. Is this my addiction talking, or have Metallica turned a corner? Time will tell. While I refuse to trash the record as some form of twisted vengeance against Metallica's past sins and instead am rating this album on its own merit, I must succumb a bit to the meat-eating bloodthirst inside me and stop short of giving this a higher rating, even though I have enjoyed this release over the past week a bit more than several others I've reviewed on this site. Three skulls is all Metallica really deserves at this stage of the game, even for one of their finest moments of the 90's. It really has come to that.
For those who still harbor hope, for those who remain curious, for those who still enjoy the search for signs of life from the former legends, S&M is worth the $20. For the rest of you, ask yourself if they could ever win you back. If the answer is no, then of course, save your cash. If the answer is yes, but only with a miracle release appraoching Master Part 2, this ain't it. If the answer is, "sure, if they stopped the bullshit and just got down and delivered the goods," you may want to take a chance. I did, and I had some fun with it. Perhaps you will too.
Hel's Review:
I find it impossible to listen to Metallica at all these days without the metallic taste of bitterness in my mouth. Even the old favorites have lost their glow at this stage in the game. Ever since James started taking vocal lessons and learned to sing... That is probably the most obvious reason those old songs don't sound as cool. So when I found out that Metallica has once again re-packaged old material with just a couple token new songs, I certainly was not trembling with anticipation. How many ways are they going to come up with to make money without creating an entirely new product? Do you realize that they've only put out one real studio album since the black album? That Load, and countless re-treads, b-sides, and other such tripe. Just because it's live, we're somehow supposed to be fascinated. They won't earn any bonus points here for re-hashing old material. Is S&M anything more than that?
OK, so the idea of adding a symphony is intriguing, but hardly original. They stole it from Apocalyptica. [ed. note: And Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, and the Beatles, and Queen, and Yes, etc.] Some thanks that band gets for their tribute to Metallica. Personally, I think Apocalyptica is better than the original these days. Fortunately, they did not limit themselves to Metallica songs on their last album. Wise choice.
"This is my general beef with Metallica. They never lost their edge, they got lazy." Anyway, I liked the symphonic aspect then, and I still like it now, regardless. However, with the band also playing, it highlights a couple of things. The first thing that stands out is that the members of the orchestra are FAR better musicians than the members of Metallica. Second, it's a damn shame they don't rake in the dough like their less talented stage-mates.
The orchestra adds a dimension to these songs that would be wonderful, if: a) the newer songs were good, or b) the old songs weren't mutilated by James' singing. I wish he would remember how to growl... There are points during S&M, such as the intro to "-Human," when the orchestra is the sole focus of the music and the music is good. Then Metallica starts to play.
"-Human," of course, is one of the new songs on the record and can be summed up in one word - sucks. Yeah, there are promising parts, but as a whole it doesn't come close to impressing me - except for the orchestra. The other new track, "No Leaf Clover," is equally unimpressive in the end. My hopes were raised as the song began, but by the end I was conviced that it was another half-hearted try from the laziest band in rock.
This is my general beef with Metallica. They never lost their edge, they got lazy. And they found a new set of fans that would accept that, sold them a lot of boxed sets and live albums, and kept being lazy. I can't even get into the topic of the lack of actual metal in their recent songs. I still respect Jason as a metalhead, but not the rest of them.
I don't take any particular joy in ripping Metallica apart. It's much like trashing the person who broke your heart - it makes you feel a little better for a little while, then the pain returns just as before. My heart breaks every time I hear them play an old tune and James sings instead of growls and when I hear how fluffy and generally lacking heaviness the new songs are. I'm not at all convinced they care anymore and it hurts.
"I don't take any particular joy in ripping Metallica apart. It's much like trashing the person who broke your heart." The one good thing that I can honestly say about the album is that the orchestra is much easier to hear than when I saw this live. Yeah, I paid the huge cash and went because my best friend wanted to go. I thought it might be cool, but it was only as cool as I thought it would be, and Metallica has to do WAY better than that to get back into my good graces.
I need to make a couple of comments about that live show. First, it is abundantly clear that Jason is the only metalhead. I would love to see him grow his hair back out and give the 12 year olds an elementary lesson in headbanging. It just doesn't look as impressive with short hair. Keep thrashing, Jason. Kirk did grow his hair back out, so at least there's one guy in the band with long hair. Remember how James used to stand rooted to one spot, looking fierce and growling the lyrics? He doesn't. He's not at all scary with that shit-eating grin and those random "hey, hey, hey"-s, not to mention the stupid head bob he does now. The simplicity and non-thrashy-ness of Lars' drumming on the new songs is sad. It was a truly frightening moment when they fucked up during "For Whom the Bell Tolls." And I was saddened to see how hard it was for them to pull of the old greats. Another sign of their laziness, I suppose. They don't even practice anymore? All in all, I'm not sure that (while it's still a fine show - clam down, metallifans) they are the showmen they used to be. The energy comes mostly from the audience now - even in this, Metallica's gotten lazy.
To all the old fans who are embittered by Metallica's recent lack of heart, I'm sorry to say there's nothing here to ease your pain. To all the new fans that loved Load - knock yourselves out. Shit & More earns 1 skull purely because of my respect for those awesome musicans - the orchestra.
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