Master of Puppets is the third studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Metallica. The album lasts a duration of 54:46. It was released on March 3, 1986 under producer Flemming Rasmussen and the record label known as Elektra Records.
Lineup:
James Hetfield: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, co-lead guitar on "Master of Puppets" and "Orion"
Kirk Hammett: Lead Guitar
Cliff Burton: Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lars Ulrich: Drums
The style of the album showed even more progression and maturity from the band. It has lyrical themes about the masses being controlled by the few. Despite its very aggressive themes and heavy music, Metallica manages to make a more sophisticated and polished release than their previous album. Hetfield's vocals have become more polished, and the guitar solos and riffs sound even better. The musical arrangements were more complex than anything in thrash metal genre at the time.
On a sadder note, Cliff Burton would tragically pass shortly after the album's release during a tour bus accident. The metal genre would lose one of its greatest bassists and song writers.
Master of Puppets reached 87 on the Billboard 200 by the end of 1986 and peaked at number 29. The album has since gone 6x Platinum in the United States and became the first thrash metal album to be certified Platinum. Here are my thoughts on each track:
1. "Battery" 5:12 (10/10)
"Battery" begins with a perfect acoustic guitar bit. This may be the best intro to a Metallica song ever. The guitar riffs are so powerful and will absolutely blow you away. The song then goes into a very fast paced and heavy guitar riff that is paired with Hetfield's aggressive vocals. The instrumental breakdown is perfectly placed in the song and sounds fantastic. Kirk Hammet delivers one of his best sounding solos he has ever done. This is the perfect way to open a thrash metal album.
2. "Master of Puppets" 8:36 (10/10)
"Master of Puppets" is an absolute epic guitar riff fest. The song is insane from beginning to end thanks to multiple tempo changes, heavy sections, and softer sections. Hetfield's vocals are amazing. Burton's bass is very audible as well. The drumming is also fantastic. The first softer guitar solo is a nice change of pace from the rest of the song and the second solo is even better. "Master of Puppets" is perfect.
3. "The Thing That Should Not Be" 6:37 (9/10)
"The Thing That Should Not Be" is a slower paced song than the first two tracks, but has one of the heaviest sounding guitar riffs Metallica has ever done. I love Lars Ultich's drumming during the track and Hetfield's vocal delivery. The chorus is fantastic and delivered perfectly. The guitar solo is awesome and uses a lot of cool whammy effects. I love this track and it is a great change of pace for the album.
4. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" 6:27 (10/10)
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is the album's ballad and man it is amazing. Hetfield's vocals sound fantastic and the guitar riffs are awesome here. The chorus is one of the finest from the album. Hammett's soloing is fantastic and James' softer rhythm guitar is perfectly utilized. The faster riffing in the song is also fantastic. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is among Metallica's finest songs.
5. "Disposable Heroes" 8:17 (9.5/10)
"Disposable Heroes" is fast and heavy. Its lyrical theme about the soldiers in the front lines is outstanding and memorable. The guitar riffing is so fast and hard hitting. Definitely the most memorable part of the song is the chorus, which may be my favorite from the entire album thanks to Hetfield's yelling of "BACK TO THE FRONT." The instrumental breakdown that is accompanied by Hetfield's chants is a nice touch. Then Hammett delivers another awesome guitar solo. "Disposable Heroes" is very memorable and is brutally catchy.
6. "Leper Messiah" 5:40 (8.5/10)
Now comes the weakest track on the entire album. "Leper Messiah" is still really good though thanks to its very catchy guitar riff. The drum beat is perfect to head bang to. The chorus is really catchy as well. Hetfield's vocals are delivered nicely. I love the guitar riff just before the solo kicks in and it is definitely my favorite part of the entire track. The solo is really good as well.
7. "Orion" (Instrumental) 8:28 (10/10)
"Orion" is the most complex piece on the entire album. It begins with some of those Cliff Burton signature bass effects that are soon met with a stellar guitar riff as well as drumming. This song makes my head bob every time I listen to it. I love so many of the guitar licks and solos utilized throughout the track.
Cliff Burton uses a great bass line about half way through the song that sounds fantastic that is soon met with some emotional guitar licks. This is my favorite part of the track as all of the instruments are working together in perfect harmony. I love "Orion" and it is definitely one of the finest pieces of music Metallica has ever written. It is definitely one of the best instrumentals of all time.
8. "Damage, Inc." 5:29 (10/10)
"Damage, Inc." ends the record on just as heavy of a note as it started. It begins with some really cool soft sounding effects but soon dives into another thrash fest. The guitar riffs are so fast and heavy and the drumming is on point. Hetfield's vocal delivery is fast and brutally delivered. The guitar riff that ensues before the solo is my favorite from the entire album. The guitar solo is fast and memorable. This is definitely the head banger from the album. What a way to end the album.
My Verdict:
Master of Puppets is considered by many to be Metallica's best album. It may just be. It is basically a flawless release that is just as aggressive and heavy as its predecessor, but it is more complex. The production sounds great and instrumentally the album is amazing. This may be the greatest thrash metal album of all time.
