Never a group to rest on its laurels, Metallica, the only old-school metal outfit that still truly rocks, releases a November album for the third consecutive year with S & M, a live recording of the epic concert they held with the San Francisco Symphony last April. It's a risky experiment, but the double disc, which sprawls over 21 tracks, shows that the gambit paid off. The sheer lyrical power of the orchestra blends seamlessly with Metallica's music to staggering effect, as the booming brass and ghostly strings give songs like "Wherever I May Roam" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" eerie new dimensions. Blistering epics like "Bleeding Me" and "The Outlaw Torn" become even more grandiose in scale, while melodic ballads such as "Until It Sleeps" and "Nothing Else Matters" are made even more haunting and vibrant. The highlight of the album is the group's anti-war classic "One," which is elevated into an intricate piece of resonant beauty.

Far richer and more satisfying than Garage Inc., last fall's covers album, S & M is Metallica's ultimate creative venture. The casual metal listener or non-Metallica aficionado may not understand what all the fuss is about, but still, consider yourself rocked to the bone. A