Metallica & San Francisco Symphony - S&M2 (2019) User Reviews

How do they still sound this good?!

[zane_ibrahim · 10/10 · 13 October 2019]

It's simple. This is Metallica. The biggest, most badass band around.

It has been 20 years since the release of Symphony and Metallica, and now we see the band going for round 2 with the San Francisco Symphony. Of course, Michael Kamen sadly passed away in 2003 (has it really been so many years already?) and we see conductor Edwin Outwater at the helm, with special appearances by legendary SF Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.

I wasn't sure what to expect. Were they just redoing the original setlist? Would they play some different material? And would they still sound as good, twenty years later? Oh my God, yes! They sound just as good, and at times even better! James' vocals have not changed a bit and in many cases, he sounds even better than ever.

I loved that they played some of the better songs from the '99 performance, but also played some of their new stuff. My favourite song from '99 was always The Outlaw Torn - I just loved James' vocals on this - so I LOVED that they chose to do it again for S&M2.

The tribute to Cliff Burton gave me goosebumps. Wow. And don't get me started on the rendition of Unforgiven III. Truly amazing. The symphony even gets a chance to shine on it's own with a "rock-free" performance. Truly, S&M2 offers everything. I can't wait to own a copy of this and watch the two back to back.

Twenty years on and their music hasn't aged a day.

So glad I watched this in the theater

[jamie_ryan_wright · 10/10 · 10 October 2019]

I watched this with such an energetic crowd. Applause after each song. The setlist was great. The cliff tribute brought tears to my eyes very unexpectedly. The unforgiven III was very risky and memorable and I was so proud of James. The outlaw torn luckily makes a return. What a song. Incredible!

Metallica does it again

[mafunzalow · 9/10 · 10 October 2019]

Killer show. The bass solo tribute to Cliff Burton was incredible.

Really amazing

[alliadal · 10/10 · 12 October 2019]

This was so good. The way it was shot, the songs, the Cliff tribute! And oh my god what they did with unforgiven III was amazing. If you're a metallica and you liked s&m '99 this is gonna be a treat. Dont miss this!

A Total Blast

[akila-38124 · 10/10 · 12 October 2019]

Well done show with best in the business. Fast phase with an excellent tribute to Clif Burton. Best tribute for the rock and deat-metal.

Sublime

[sam_picot · 10/10 · 9 October 2019]

Sublime concert, beautifully captured. A great Metallica moment.

Pure rock

[serdargoksin · 8/10 · 9 October 2019]

This movie shows you that, why Metallica is the biggest one of the rock n roll history.

It's so satisfying for every meaning.

This converted me into the Church of Metallica

[keezo9uno · 10/10 · 12 October 2019]

Totally awesome concert-film. Felt like I was there! Just a shame this wasn't in IMAX because this totally deserved the bigger format. Can't wait to see what they do next!

JUST WOW

[calin-imbrescu · 10/10 · 12 October 2019]

It's one of the best concerts they've ever had. I saw a dark Hetfield through his playing, he had something heavy pushing on his soul, and it gave me the impression that at this concert he remembered who he was and the old hetfield emerged a little bit but in combination with his nostalgia about the golden youth days. maby that's the reason he went again for rehab, it was something about him at this concert, it was a very silent hetfield compared to other live performances, even the unforgiven, it was about him that part. i hope he gets well because for me as a fan, any version of hetfield is ok. if the golden days are behind, i am totaly fine with the happy james as long as he is still playing.

Screw the haters

[owenesp · 10/10 · 12 January 2020]

It was a great time at the movies and hoping it will be as fun if there's a blue ray release. Any of the turds that gave it low ratings are the same turds that quit being fans if Metallica 20 years ago. If your a lifer, you'll enjoy !

Pure amusement!!!

[ruienf · 10/10 · 13 October 2019]

A live proof that music is simultaneously individual and universal, unique and global, property of no one and each one of us... Fantastic concert, beautifully performed by Metallica and the SFS, impeccably caught on camera (great sound mixing, by the way), fulfilling its base purpose: generate energetic emotions on the viewers... Like many, many other things throughout the world, a perfect example of how magnificent can be the things made by the human race (The All With My Hands intro brought me to tears...).

A product that comes from God

[bokyez · 10/10 · 14 October 2019]

I was there live was the most incredible combination that ever happened to music history. No words could describe it. And then on the big screen....was a few hours of exultation...Can't wait to buy on blu ray

Awesome!!!!!

[jimmy-govea · 10/10 · 31 October 2019]

If you are a Metallica fan, you need to live the experience, don't hesitate.

an instant classic of the genre

[dromasca · 8/10 · 13 October 2019]

Our local cinematheque took part in the worldwide launch of the film of the June 2019 "S&M2" concert of Metallica together the San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra this weekend. So I had the opportunity to be among the first viewers of the film in a crowded cinema hall where most of the viewers were declared Metallica fans. Their enthusiasm was certainly contagious, but I would probably have benn contaminated anyway, because the film is up to the concert - an event that will probably not only become a reference in Metallica's already monumental career, but also in rock history.

The history of collaborations between rock groups and symphony orchestras is not very recent. The pioneers were 'Deep Purple' half a century ago, followed by 'Emerson, Lake and Palmer' shortly thereafter. Metallica, the heavy metal group that is approaching four decades of activity, created one of the most famous events (and albums and films) of the genre 20 years ago. The concerts (there were two) of June 2019 celebrated the 1999 event, tried, successfully in my opinion, to surpass it in scale, artistic quality, and of course, volume. The collaboration with the orchestra was excellent in this case, a meticulous preparation was visible, with symphonic arrangements written especially for each song, and with the orchestra located in a ring surrounding the stage. Basically Metallica played surrounded by the symphonic sound, and the audience heard it as one complex sound fabric. If the first part of the concert looked more like a Metallica concert with the orchestra added to the instruments, in the second part the musicians and conductors of the Symphonic Orchestra had a more active role and presence, becoming equal partners in the performance. From a musical point of view, for the lovers of the heavy metal genre but not only for them, the show was impressing.

Director Wayne Isham's career is as long as Metallica's, and his filmography includes numerous filmed concerts, documentaries and videos that follow the main events of the history of rock music in the last 35 years. The filmed concert in 'Metallica & San Francisco Symphony - S&M2' looks and sounds perfect. Not only are we immersed in the atmosphere and sound of the concert, but we can see and probably hear better than the spectators who participated in the live concert. The only problem was for me the lack of song names that I think would have helped those, many, who will see the movie without being fans or detailed connoisseurs of Metallica's music. I would have also edited out the 'talking heads' side from the beginning - I think that for such filmed events the music and the images in the shows are sufficient. Anyway, the two and a half hours pass quickly and intensely, and I have little doubt that this filmed concert will become a classic movie in the future.

Metallica

[robinbilal · 10/10 · 14 February 2020]

Watched it in cinema. Simply one of the best things i've ever heard and seen.

What a disgrace...

[ronnybee2112 · 2/10 · 6 December 2020]

My oh my...what a sad joke. This is guaranteed to offend SF symphony fans and also guaranteed to disgust any (pre- 'and justice for all') metalica fans as well. At one time,the mere title of this abomination would have been warning enough to stay away. Talk about selling-out!