Michael Kamen arranged the orchestral parts for Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” performance with the San Francisco Symphony.
The collaboration appeared on S&M, Metallica’s 1999 live project with the San Francisco Symphony. Kamen arranged the orchestral material and conducted the orchestra, creating a symphonic setting for a song that originally appeared on The Black Album as a primarily rock performance.
Kamen was an experienced arranger and composer whose work crossed rock, pop, film, and concert music. His credits included collaborations with artists such as Pink Floyd, Queen, Aerosmith, David Bowie, and Bryan Adams. His background made him a natural musical bridge between Metallica’s guitars and the orchestra’s strings, brass, and other sections.
A common mix-up is treating Kamen’s contribution as part of the original 1991 Black Album recording. The orchestral arrangement belongs to the later S&M performance, not the original album version. “Nothing Else Matters” itself was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and other credited band members, while Kamen handled the symphonic arrangement for the live collaboration.