Metallica tease ‘S&M2’ box set

Drummer displays box art on TV

Metallica is prepping to release a box set of its Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M² concerts from last year. Drummer Lars Ulrich made the announcement on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he surprised a pediatric ICU nurse on the frontlines of COVID-19.

Ulrich invited Tracey Bednar, Kimmel’s latest “Health Care Hero,” to a concert with special VIP treatment including dinner and drinks — when we get beyond our new normal — before presenting the vivid artwork to S&M2 on the screen.

“This is our next release called S&M2, which is coming up in August,” he says. “You will have the first signed copy of this special box set from me and the fellas coming your way shortly.”

No further details were revealed, but the packaging appears to be in line with its deluxe box reissues of the group’s first four albums.

2019’s S&M² concerts featured Metallica reuniting with San Francisco Symphony for the first time since the original S&M performances in 1999 documented by the GRAMMY-winning live album S&M –plus the first-ever Metallica/SF Symphony renditions of songs written and released since those shows. Filmed over the two sold out Metallica shows that opened the Chase Center — the new 18,064-seat arena in San Francisco — Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M² captures more than two and a half hours of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo joining forces with the nearly 80-strong SF Symphony, with a special appearance by legendary conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.

Following the initial run of screenings worldwide, the film achieved a significant global screen average of $1,500 with 460,000 admissions. The box office in North America saw the film reach $1.2 million. On the first day of release, the film reached No. 4 at the North American box office and number three at the UK box office. The film has cemented itself as the largest ever global rock event cinema release having earned $5.5 million at the box office across 95+ countries in 3,700+ cinemas worldwide when released last fall, earning a second showing.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn