Put simply, this is stunning. Of course, that is a personal opinion, and I’m sure I could find plenty of Metallica fans who would disagree with me, possibly violently. But it depends on why you like Metallica. A lot of people hate anything from Metallica (1992) onwards, claiming that they sold out under Bob Rock. More people like only anything from Metallica onwards, claiming the rest was noise. But there is a third, and sadly smaller group of fans who like Metallica for another reason. Their music, pure and simple.
The problem I have often had with Metallica is classifying them. ’’Heavy Metal!’’ I hear you shout. Perhaps, but then listen to S&M. The reason I like them, and I consider myself part of the third group of fans, is because they know how to write music. They have some amazing tunes, put very basically. Their music can be angry to the point of abandon, depressing to the point of suicide, uplifting to the point of oblivion. They express emotion through their music so well, whether it was over a decade ago in One (And Justice For All), half a decade ago in Hero of the Day (Load) or last year in No Leaf Clover (S&M original). This is why S&M works as an album.
Since it came out, I have heard many of my friends mock Metallica for ’’doing a Spinal Tap’’ by performing with Michael Kamen (from movie score fame, with Highlander as one of his many credits) and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. But, and everybody has to concede this, you can’t perform with an orchestra if your music is nothing but noise. I may not know the technical terms, but Metallica’s tunes have meat, they have proper, stirring tunes behind them whether performed with drums and guitars or violins and cellos. This is proof positive, as if it was needed, that Metallica are a proper band worthy of respect.