Riffiter listeners rate S&M 3.5/5 from 33 ratings.

What is the highest-rated track on S&M?

Master of Puppets, rated 4.5/5 by 312 listeners on Riffiter.

When was S&M released?

S&M was released in 1999 on Elektra.

How many tracks are on S&M?

S&M has 21 tracks, with a runtime of 134 minutes.

S&M is catalogued under Heavy Metal, Symphonic Rock, Classical.

S&M runs at a median tempo of 126 BPM across its tracks, most often in A# minor, measured from audio analysis.

What albums are similar to S&M?

Listeners of S&M also rate Rust in Peace by Megadeth, Nevermind by Nirvana, Toxicity by System of a Down.

S&M was produced by Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Michael Kamen. Bob Rock produced all of them.

Who wrote the songs on S&M?

S&M was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield wrote 2 of them.

AlbumE · 1999

S&M

by Metallica

S&M is a 1999 heavy metal album by Metallica. It runs 21 tracks across 134 minutes on Elektra. Riffiter listeners rate it 3.5/5 from 33 ratings.

prod.

Bob Rock

James Hetfield +2 more 27connections

Heavy Metal · Symphonic Rock · Classical

Best albums of 1999→

#19 in Best albums of 1999

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Write a review →

3.5 /5
33 ratings: 55 /100
7 critics: 21
Tracks: 134 min
Runtime: 126 bpm
Tempo: A# minor
Key

Ratings

33 ratings · avg 3.5

0.5★5★

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Reviews

1 review

3.5
Riffiter Jun 7, 2026
The orchestra gimmick that mostly works: S&M sets Metallica's catalog against Michael Kamen's symphonic arrangements, and the bombast suits songs that were always secretly cinematic — "No Leaf Clover" and "The Call of Ktulu" gain real scale. Occasionally the strings just shadow the riffs. As live documents go, audacious and earned.
Reply

2 people have played it start to finish

Critics

7 publications

Spin8/10
Entertainment WeeklyB
AllMusic3/5
Rolling Stone3/5
Collectors Guide to Heavy Metal5/10
Encyclopedia of Popular Music2/5
The Rolling Stone Album Guide1/5

Scores collected from the English Wikipedia ratings box (CC BY-SA). Ratings belong to the publications; follow a link to read the review.

S&M album cover

The S&M cover was designed by Andie Airfix and photographed by Anton Corbijn.

Design: Andie Airfix
Photography: Anton Corbijn

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Videos

2 videos

Ranked by listeners

top 5 · 15 rated tracks

According to Riffiter listeners, the best track on S&M is Master of Puppets — rated 4.5/5 by 312 listeners.

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About

S&M (an abbreviation of Symphony and Metallica) is a live album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Kamen. It was recorded on April 21–22, 1999 at The Berkeley Community Theatre. This is the final Metallica album to feature Jason Newsted as bassist.

In brief

Is S&M good?: Riffiter listeners rate S&M 3.5/5 from 33 ratings.
What is the highest-rated track on S&M?: Master of Puppets, rated 4.5/5 by 312 listeners on Riffiter.
When was S&M released?: S&M was released in 1999 on Elektra.
How many tracks are on S&M?: S&M has 21 tracks, with a runtime of 134 minutes.
What genre is S&M?: S&M is catalogued under Heavy Metal, Symphonic Rock, Classical.
What BPM is S&M?: S&M runs at a median tempo of 126 BPM across its tracks, most often in A# minor, measured from audio analysis.
What albums are similar to S&M?: Listeners of S&M also rate Rust in Peace by Megadeth, Nevermind by Nirvana, Toxicity by System of a Down.
Who produced S&M?: S&M was produced by Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Michael Kamen. Bob Rock produced all of them.
Who wrote the songs on S&M?: S&M was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield wrote 2 of them.

Credits

Produced by: Bob Rock James Hetfield Michael Kamen Lars Ulrich
Written by: James HetfieldLars UlrichKirk Hammett
Mixed by: Randy Staub
Engineered by: Bob RockRandy Staub
Played by: James Hetfield Jason NewstedKirk HammettLars Ulrich
Vocals by: James Hetfield Jason Newsted

Lineage

27 connections

Built from

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