Which orchestra performs on Metallica's studio recording of “Nothing Else Matters” from The Black Album?

The London Symphony Orchestra performs on Metallica’s studio recording of “Nothing Else Matters” from The Black Album.

The orchestra appears on the album version through an arrangement by composer and conductor Michael Kamen. Its strings broaden the song’s emotional scale and help distinguish the recording from a standard rock ballad.

“Nothing Else Matters” was unusual within Metallica’s catalog at the time because it centered on clean guitar, orchestral color, and an openly vulnerable lyric. James Hetfield wrote the song and initially considered it too personal for the band to record.

The London Symphony Orchestra connection also became important to Metallica’s later work. Kamen and the orchestra returned for the 1999 live album and concert project S&M, where Metallica performed songs with the San Francisco Symphony rather than the London Symphony Orchestra.