It’s great to see cinema halls now offering music lovers a chance to watch Live concerts on the big screen, bringing with it all the excitement and sound right in front of you. INOX Laserplex at Nariman Point and INOX Malad, screened Metallica's Live concert recording of their collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony. The concert film was also screened at INOX multiplexes in 8 cities in India.

The band first performed with the San Francisco Symphony in 1999 recording orchestra-infused renditions of the band’s hits for Metallica’s ‘S&M’ album and when it was time to work out a second concert of the legendary collaboration, it was decided that the mega event would be held with the opening of San Francisco’s brand new Chase Centre.  A second time round, things would surely be much much different, in terms of technology, social media interaction and the band members ageing.

But fans were in for a surprise when the band members namely, founding member and songwriters Danish born drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, along with longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hamment and bassist Robert Trujillo, took to the stage once again to prove that even years later, a band of four can fuse heavy metal and classical music together and make it sound awesome.

The concert film starts with a short documentary section detailing how the first show emerged, with viewpoints from those who were involved in the making and production of the 1999 show. The band also talks about the All Within My Hands Foundation with short visuals and videos showing the work the Foundation is doing. There’s also Lars giving a detailed account as to how the band’s second show idea came about and how they fused heavy metal and classical music together.

All members in short interviews explain what one could expect on the second installment of the Live concert. It was interesting to hear the inside story on how such a mammoth event took place, not once but twice. It served as a great introduction to what the audience was about to witness.

From then on it was one ride of 20 top hits played by Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony. The Orchestra conducted by Edwin Outwater began with The Ecstasy of Gold and soon after you had the band join in. They went back in time and began with the atmospheric The Call of Ktulu a gem from 1984. Once they were off, there was no stopping them, the songs followed and the San Francisco Symphony played on with them sharply, with cellos, violins, double bass, clarinets, trombones, trumpets, percussion instruments, and lots more.

The haunting rendition of The Memory Remains stood out as did the masterpiece in The Outlaw Torn. Others that you couldn’t miss were Wherever I May Roam and No Leaf Clover.

After a short break, the second part began with the Orchestra led by Michael Tilson Thomas. The beautiful symphonic version of The Unforgiven III with James Hetfield pouring his heart out with the orchestra gently backing him up, was a piece de resistance, to wonder the greatness of this singer who can rock stadiums. This solo with the orchestra alongside him, was one of the highlights of the concert film and a takeaway moment. 

There also was also an amazing collaboration with bassist Scott Pingel doing a solo gig, with mind-blowing Pulling Teeth performance, a tribute of Cliff Burton. He was later joined by drummer Lars Ulrich.

As time rolled, the bigger hits of Metallica came out of the box and you had songs that Metallica is known for like One, Master of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters, and the rocking Enter Sandman that concluded the film. With or without the San Francisco Symphony, the band rocked it, with gripping drum solos, ear shattering guitar riffs and power vocals. During last half hour you knew that it was more a rock show, than San Francisco Symphony making its presence.

Mention must be made of the San Francisco Symphony’s rendition of Scythian Suite and the hard-hitting Iron Foundry (originally conceived by the Russian composer Alexander Mosolov). Metallica played into the classical edge of the song so seamlessly that they literally moved out of their comfort zone to mix with the San Francisco Symphony.

The newly built stadium that had around 18,000 strong audiences, who sang along to every song the band played, singing even louder at every chorus. At the INOX Audi, it was a bit different, you had fans dancing in the aisles and pumping their hands in the air while rocking away to Metallica’s monstrous hits. Some things just get better with age as they say, and as this concert film showed, that Metallica still rocks harder four decades later.

Surely Metallica fans are a happy lot to find their band take on a new project, taking chances at new things, taking challenges, still trying to grow and appeal to a newer audience and making sure they garner new fans.

The almost full Audi at INOX Nariman Point had a very satisfied audience who came with T shirts that splashed Metallica all over. You knew they were diehard fans. The concert film which was recorded in San Francisco’s Chase Center between 6^th and 8^th September, debuted in cinemas for a one night only in theaters worldwide on 9^th October in 96 countries and 3698 theaters. For those who didn’t have the chance to listen to Metallica in San Francisco, they surely got their money’s worth. Even though India got to view it over three months later, the action still remains. The film clocking 150 minutes was certainly a no miss.

Looking forward to more such concert films from INOX.

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira