#97 Metallica, 'Master of Puppets' (1986)

Previously #167

The unrelenting ‘Master Of Puppets’ is Metallica’s Thrash Metal masterpiece. On their third record, the already veterans of the Metal scene were all but 23-24 years old each. ‘Master Of Puppets’ follows a similar formula to their previous release, ‘Ride The Lightning;’ opening with an acoustic guitar intro, before segueing in an up-tempo Thrash Metal number, followed by a lengthy title track, with an epic ballad in the number 4 spot. If it ain’t broke, right? The music throughout features varying time signatures, often within the same song and huge guitar solos. The playing is fast, for the most part, and most of the songs are extended; not one track less than 5:30 minutes long. In fact, the average song length is about 7 minutes.

Themes on the album deal with manipulation and conflict. The band was heavily dependent on drugs during its recording, and you might argue that the drugs, in fact, were the master and the band the puppets. My favourites on the record are the title track and ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium).’ The production is incredibly layered, not leaving much room to breathe. This collection of songs isn’t for everyone; it’s an aural assault, albeit a dexterous one performed by musicians at the top of their game. It’s Metallica at their best. It became Thrash Metal’s first platinum accredited release and it pushed Metal into the mainstream. During the promotional tour in September 1986, the band suffered a bus accident in which bassist, Cliff Burton was thrown from his bunk through an open window and crushed by the bus. ‘Master Of Puppets’ would go down as one of the greatest Metal records of all time.

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