Which Metallica album track features an orchestral arrangement by Michael Kamen?
Answer
Nothing Else Matters
Answer
Nothing Else Matters
Nothing Else Matters features an orchestral arrangement by Michael Kamen.
The song appears on Metallica's 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album. James Hetfield wrote its initial guitar passage while on tour, reportedly playing it during a phone conversation. The personal idea developed into a song that became one of Metallica's best-known ballads.
Kamen arranged the orchestral parts, and the London Symphony Orchestra appears on the recording. The result expanded the song beyond the band's usual heavy-metal instrumentation while preserving its acoustic opening and emotional vocal performance.
Kirk Hammett does not play on the studio recording of Nothing Else Matters, although he appears in the music video and performs the song live with the band. This detail is sometimes confused with the album's other guitar-centered tracks. The song became the third commercial single from the album and demonstrated how broadly Metallica's songwriting could reach.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026