Michael Kamen arranged the orchestral parts for Metallica’s album track “Nothing Else Matters.”
The song appears on Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album and became one of the band’s best-known power ballads. Its central guitar part was written by James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich received co-writing credit. Unlike many Metallica recordings, Kirk Hammett does not play on the original studio track.
Kamen’s arrangement added orchestral color to the song without changing its identity as a Metallica recording. The studio personnel also included the London Symphony Orchestra, with Randy Staub credited for tambourine. Kamen’s work helped establish the song’s expansive, emotional character.
Kamen later became closely associated with Metallica’s symphonic projects. He arranged and conducted the orchestral material for the 1999 live album and concert project S&M, which paired the band with the San Francisco Symphony. That later collaboration is why some listeners incorrectly remember the original album version as a live symphonic recording.