Which additional ensemble performs on Metallica's “Nothing Else Matters” from The Black Album?

The London Symphony Orchestra performs on Metallica's “Nothing Else Matters” from The Black Album.

The song is track eight on the standard album and is one of Metallica's best-known ballads. Its orchestral arrangement was created by Michael Kamen, who also worked on the band's later S&M project with the San Francisco Symphony.

“Nothing Else Matters” began as a private song James Hetfield wrote while on tour. He initially did not intend it for Metallica because he considered its subject too personal, but the band developed it into a full recording. The orchestral parts add breadth to the song without changing its central guitar-led identity.

The London Symphony Orchestra's participation is sometimes confused with the San Francisco Symphony because Metallica later recorded S&M with that ensemble. The two collaborations are separate: the Black Album track features the London Symphony Orchestra, while S&M was a later live project involving the San Francisco Symphony.