Good stuff. That guy's really good. It's the original Metallica, not Apocalyptica in the background, though, as the description claims, so you know the cello is really him. If you like that I highly recommend this. It's actually Apocalyptica's video, covering Rammstein's Seeman much better than even Rammstein sings it (Nina Hagen is singing). One of the best recordings of all time, in my opinion (which will soon be also your opinion!).

That's OK. I despised the S&M release from Metallica, however. The mentioned video is alright.
For me, the best part of any Metallica concert is/was the (by far most awaited) tune of the night, which is/was always "Creeping Death". There's just something about 35,000 Metallica fans chanting Die!... Die!... Die!... Die! along with James that's strangely... relaxing.

/me puts in the "Mexico City - Live Shit: Binge & Purge CD" and relaxes...

I don't have all of S&M, but I like Nothing Else Matters with strings. The Ecstasy of Gold makes a great opener, but it doesn't nearly compare to the Morricone original "L'estasi del Oro" on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly soundtrack (one of the best soundtracks ever). I never have and never will go to a Metallica concert (don't care for the crowd, and don't want to give money to the band especially after Napster), but the chanting I bet is really cool to participate in. The biggest problem with Metallica is that their songs are too long.

If I could pick one musician, past or present, to attend a single concert, it would be Jimi Hendrix (one of the good ones, where he was high, but not too high to remember the songs).

By the way, that Apocalyptica video is amusing (Nina Hagen cracks me up), but it's the song as performed by Apocalyptica and Nina Hagen that is great.

OMG Professor if you prefer Apocalyptica and Nina Hagen over Metallica and if you think their songs are too long, then you are beyond redemption.

They used to be the very best performers on stage and their shows are still worth the ticket.

And if you knew anything about them you would pick up For Whom The Bell Tolls from S&M, cause it's most powerful and one of the few that survives the numbing string and horns overflow.

As a bonus if you ever change your mind and go to one of their shows before they're in wheelchairs, you will be able to complete the title of this thread in true Hetfield fashion!

De gustibus non est discutandum, Sun Tzu. For one sporting such a name, you sure are prejudiced.

Forum moderandum non est negotium tuum, toshiro-chan.

Non moderavi hoc forum, scripsi opinionem meam. Et quod scripsi, scripsi, Sun-kun.

Agreed, Sun Tzu, FWTBT on S&M is OK, perhaps the only one I bothered to import into iTunes.

As a sad commentary, when was the last time you heard "Some Kind Of Monster" or "St. Anger" on the radio? Never hear them anymore. I'll confess to not wanting to buy the album.

<sigh>

Quick note to Sun Tzu: Seeman is a Rammstein song. Apocalyptica's Metallica covers are interesting and very good, but not the same. Their original songs are better, and their cover of Seeman is by far the best. It impressed Rammstein so much they invited Apocalyptica to tour with them.

I love Metallica (pre-St. Anger), but I get my fill of them very quickly. If they would leave out a couple choruses on most of their songs, they could cut their average from (rough estimate) 6 minutes per song to about 4, and the songs wouldn't get old so fast. Still, I can't get tired of Nothing Else Matters.

I prefer to listen to Alice in Chains, Cake, Emilíana Torrini, Hendrix, Massive Attack, Muse, Queen, Rammstein, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc., all of whom are better than Metallica (though Metallica is good). This is my opinion, but soon all will know that my opinion and fact are the same.

@ LeberMac: you were lucky enough to hear them on the radio. In France it has become almost impossible to hear decent metal or even rock music on the radio. They're all techno and rap. But as Brits say, France has done as much for rock music as Attila the Hun for peace in the world. So we get what we deserve.
I buy any and all Metallica CDs that ever come over here (incl those Japanese stuff that they fancy for some reason). I agree that St Anger is hardly worth the price. If you want to buy anything 'recent' from them, the St Anger and Frantic EPs are very cool: the first one has three head-banging Ramones covers and the second has four great old-school live songs.

@Prof Chaos: I don't think you have a valid point about the length of their songs. Of course you may find some songs too long to your liking but you cannot generalise. They made songs that are much shorter or longer than the standard radio format and that is fine as long as it fits the artistic purpose. You mentioned Hendrix, he's a good example of how radio formats can truncate great pieces of music. "Little Wing" cut to 3-4 minutes, bah!
A few 'objective' arguments to convince you that Metallica is (or perhaps was) way ahead of most of your listed artists:
- They are exceptional live performers. If you don't believe me, please go and see one of their concerts. I brought there many friends who don't listen to heavy metal and the typical reaction is "woah, that IS rock music!".
- They were influential on the 80-90's rock music: they resurrected metal from its ashes, brought it to another artistic dimension and they managed to break the video/radio standards and bring metal music to the larger audience. Bands like NIN, Tool or RATM would not have existed or been the same without them. Even if they have their musical roots from prior bands, they would not have had that large an audience.
- They are one of the very best cover groups. They have this incredible ability to take other people's songs and make them sound like their own while remaining truthful to the original. If you haven't already, listen to "Astronomy", "Stone Cold Crazy" or "Stoned Dead Forever". And they are not afraid to acknowledge and put forward their influences and tastes. You often hear some Led Zep, Black Sabbath, Hendrix or even Oasis when they're on stage. And you can find echos in their own songs. Listen to "One" and "Machine Gun" for example. In other words: they're true musicians.
I have records of almost all the bands that you mentioned in your list so I won't dispute that they're good or that you prefer them over Metallica. But honestly, only Hendrix and Queen are artists of that dimension.

@toshiro: having opinion on the subject is one thing, having an opinion on somebody's opinion unrelated to the topic in discussion is another and it's called forum moderation in my book. Also trying to infer what people should say or think on the basis of their forum name is a big no-no.

While I did not directly comment upon the topic, I did so indirectly by posting the reminder that tastes are different. Professor Chaos' opinion on the topic partially coincides with mine.

My opinion is THE OPINION! AGREE!!!

NEVAH!

And here is a good news if your wife/girlfriend is awaiting a baby: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=69008

Not a problem for me, since I live in the US.... that's actually a pretty interesting article.

I like the name Muse better, if you're going to name your kid after a band (even though I don't think that couple did, if I read correctly). Flogging Molly would be a funny band-homage name, as would Guess Who, or just Who. Massive Attack? Or just name it Massive? Sigur Rós is named after someone related to a band member. Except my wife doesn't like it, I'd want to name a daughter Emilíana, after Emilíana Torrini (my favorite singer, has an amazing voice; you must hear her cover Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) by Melanie Safka, or singing Gollum's Song on the LOTR:TTT soundtrack).

What would be the worst name you could name a kid paying homage to a band, I wonder?

dude, how'd you find Lay Down?

I don't remember, but Emilíana's performance is simply amazing. She can wail those high notes like none other, and still has that smoky husky quiet voice as well, in the same song.

EDIT: Also, Melanie Safka is a big influence on Emilíana Torrini, and she sings other songs by her as well; Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) is by far the best of those covers, though.

Massive Attack is amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSxui0uFr3g

I fucked your girlfriend last night
While you snored and drooled, I fucked your love..
She called me daddy and I called her baby
when I smacked her ass..