On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of
S&M
, the 1999 extravaganza where
Metallica
played highlights from their catalog with the support of the
San Francisco Symphony
conducted by
Michael Kamen
, the band decided to celebrate by holding two new concerts with the orchestra. Appropriately called
S&M2
, the 2019 event was a very different affair.
inaugurated San Francisco's new arena The Chase Center, whereas the original
was held at the relatively smaller-scale Berkeley Community Theatre, and then there's a question of personnel.
parted ways with bassist
Jason Newsted
after
, hiring
Robert Trujillo
as his replacement in 2003, the same year that
Kamen
died. This, along with the passing years, means that the band feels slightly different on
than they did in 1999, a shift that can also be partially ascribed to their new collaborators of
Michael Tilson Thomas
and
Edwin Outwater
, who respectively are the music director for the
and its conductor for this show.
MTT
Outwater
encouraged
to push their musical limits, including asking the band to play "Iron Foundry," a 1927 piece by the Russian futurist
Alexander Mosolov
. That "Iron Foundry" feels right at home on a set list that leans heavily on the set list from the original
speaks to the success of the symphonic
concept both in 1999 and 2019. The intricacies of
's compositions can be reminiscent of suites, and the arrangements don't merely sweeten the group's songs with strings. The orchestra spars with
, who seem invigorated by playing at a scale so grand it can seem to verge upon the ludicrous. What makes
so absorbing and entertaining is how all the musicians involved embrace both the ridiculousness and seriousness of their endeavor, creating a glorious overblown noise impressive in its ambition, heft, and unspoken absurdity. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine