METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony‘s September 6 & 8, 2019 “S&M²” concerts were historic on multiple levels: They served as the grand opening of San Francisco’s Chase Center, reunited the band and Symphony for the first time since the 1999 performances captured on the Grammy-winning “S&M” album, and featured the first-ever symphonic renditions of songs written and released since those original “S&M” shows.
The sold-out concerts were rapturously received by the 40,000 fans who traveled from nearly 70 countries, as well as the media: Rolling Stone raved “the group proved that anything was possible,” Variety noted an atmosphere “buzzing with excitement,” while the Mercury News witnessed “a concert that fans will be talking about for decades to come,” and Consequence Of Sound hailed “a true celebration of METALLICA and their musical prowess.”
On August 28, “S&M²” comes to life once more with the release of “Metallica And San Francisco Symphony: S&M²”. “S&M²” will be available in a staggering array of formats, ranging from a digital album on all leading streaming outlets, to 4LP vinyl, 2CD, DVD and Blu-ray versions, to a limited edition color vinyl 4LP + 2CD + Blu-ray Deluxe Box featuring sheet music, guitar picks, poster and more, all the way up to a Metallica.com exclusive Super Deluxe Box, limited to 500 copies, each featuring actual sheet music used by the Symphony during the shows and hand-signed by all four band members (in addition to including everything in the Deluxe Box). With this long-awaited Blackened Recordings release, “S&M²” can be fully experienced by others beyond those who squeezed into the Chase Center over those two unforgettable evenings.
“S&M²” is a landmark release in the METALLICA catalog, both sonically and visually. Produced by Greg Fidelman with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the “S&M²” live album captures more than two and a half hours of James, Lars, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo joining forces with the nearly 80-strong San Francisco Symphony, legendary music director of the orchestra Michael Tilson Thomas, and conductor Edwin Outwater. The concert film is a brand-new edit done by Joe Hutching (“Through The Never”) and both the audio and visuals have been taken to the next level from the October 2019 theatrical version that played in over 3,700 cinemas worldwide.
The three-hour concerts were split into two parts and included a rendition of “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)” from METALLICA’s debut album, “Kill ‘Em All”, performed as a solo by the Symphony bassist Scott Pingel in tribute to METALLICA’s late bassist Cliff Burton.
Ulrich told Kerrang! magazine: “The ‘Anesthesia’ bass solo was incredible. The way the fans reacted to that was goosebump-city. I loved the dare of playing ‘Iron Foundry’. I loved revisiting songs we don’t play so often like ‘The Outlaw Torn’ and ‘The Call Of Ktulu’.
“I loved how Edwin brought one sort of dynamic when he was conducting the more rock stuff, and how Michael Tilson Thomas — the maestro, the elder statesman of his world — brought in some different pieces and encouraged the fans to understand where the symphonic and rock worlds overlap.
“Most of all, though, the fact that there was no barricade stood out. When was the last time you went to a rock show of that size without one? What does that barricade do? What does it mean? It’s a safety thing, but in essence it’s something that separates people. I loved just being able to walk out with the fans. At one point, I leaned back and let myself go into their embrace. That was a great moment.”
“S&M²” is available for pre-order now, preceded by the “S&M²” versions of “All Within My Hands” and “Nothing Else Matters”, both now available across digital platforms.
“Metallica And San Francisco Symphony: S&M²”
Deluxe Box (limited edition 4LP color vinyl, exclusive photobook, 2CDs, Blu-ray, sheet music, five guitar picks, poster, download card)
Super Deluxe Box (all of the above + original sheet music signed by the band. Limited to 500 via Metallica.com)
Black 4LP set w/photobook and download card
Color 4LP set w/photobook and download card (exclusive to indie retail + Metallica.com)
2CD set w/36-page booklet
2CD/Blu-ray set w/36-page booklet
2CD/DVD set w/36-page booklet
Blu-Ray
DVD
Digital Album
Digital Movie
Track listing
CD 1
01. The Ecstasy of Gold (Live)
02. The Call of Ktulu (Live)
03. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)
04. The Day That Never Comes (Live)
05. The Memory Remains (Live)
06. Confusion (Live)
07. Moth Into Flame (Live)
08. The Outlaw Torn (Live)
09. No Leaf Clover (Live)
10. Halo on Fire (Live)
CD 2
01. Intro to Scythian Suite (Live)
02. Scythian Suite, Opus 20 II: The Enemy God And The Dance Of The Dark Spirits (Live)
03. Intro to The Iron Foundry (Live)
04. The Iron Foundry, Opus 19 (Live)
05. The Unforgiven III (Live)
06. All Within My Hands (Live)
07. (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth (Live)
08. Wherever I May Roam (Live)
09. One (Live)
10. Master of Puppets (Live)
11. Nothing Else Matters (Live)
12. Enter Sandman (Live)
DVD / Blu-ray
01. Menu (features “Moth Into Flame”)
02. Intro (features “Wherever I May Roam” and “All Within My Hands”)
03. The Ecstasy of Gold (Live)
04. The Call of Ktulu (Live)
05. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)
06. The Day That Never Comes (Live)
07. The Memory Remains (Live)
08. Confusion (Live)
09. Moth Into Flame (Live)
10. The Outlaw Torn (Live)
11. No Leaf Clover (Live)
12. Halo on Fire (Live)
13. Intro to Scythian Suite (Live)
14. Scythian Suite, Opus 20 II: The Enemy God And The Dance Of The Dark Spirits (Live)
15. Intro to The Iron Foundry (Live)
16. The Iron Foundry, Opus 19 (Live)
17. The Unforgiven III (Live)
18. All Within My Hands (Live)
19. (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth (Live)
20. Wherever I May Roam (Live)
21. One (Live)
22. Master of Puppets (Live)
23. Nothing Else Matters (Live)
24. Enter Sandman (Live)
25. Credits
26. Behind the Scenes: Making of the Show
27. All Within My Hands Promo
LP 1 / Side One
01. The Ecstasy of Gold
02. The Call of Ktulu
03. For Whom the Bell Tolls
LP 1 / Side Two
01. The Day that Never Comes
02. The Memory Remains
03. Confusion
LP 2 / Side Three
01. Moth Into Flame
02. The Outlaw Torn
LP 2 / Side Four
01. No Leaf Clover
02. Halo on Fire
LP 3 / Side Five
01. Intro to Scythian Suite
02. Scythian Suite, Opus 20 II: The Enemy God and the Dance of the Dark Spirits
03. Intro to The Iron Foundry
04. The Iron Foundry, Opus 19
05. The Unforgiven III
LP 3 / Side Six
01. All Within My Hands
02. (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth
03. Wherever I May Roam
LP 4 / Side Seven
01. One
02. Master of Puppets
LP 4 / Side Eight
01. Nothing Else Matters
02. Enter Sandman
Digital Film
01. Intro (features “Wherever I May Roam” and “All Within My Hands”)
02. The Ecstasy of Gold (Live)
03. The Call of Ktulu (Live)
04. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)
05. The Day That Never Comes (Live)
06. The Memory Remains (Live)
07. Confusion (Live)
08. Moth Into Flame (Live)
09. The Outlaw Torn (Live)
10. No Leaf Clover (Live)
11. Halo on Fire (Live)
12. Intro to Scythian Suite (Live)
13. Scythian Suite, Opus 20 II: The Enemy God And The Dance Of The Dark Spirits (Live)
14. Intro to The Iron Foundry (Live)
15. The Iron Foundry, Opus 19 (Live)
16. The Unforgiven III (Live)
17. All Within My Hands (Live)
18. (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth (Live)
19. Wherever I May Roam (Live)
20. One (Live)
21. Master of Puppets (Live)
22. Nothing Else Matters (Live)
23. Enter Sandman (Live)
24. Credits