Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ one of the greatest metal albums

Metallica’s third studio album, “Master of Puppets,” released on 3rd March 1986. The album is widely regarded as one of the greatest metal albums of all time. The album is a masterpiece of thrash metal and shows off Metallica’s music & songwriting ability, and brutal sound.

“Master of Puppets” was a critical and commercial success. Peaking at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and selling over 6 million copies in the United States alone. The album received rave reviews from critics, with Rolling Stone calling it “a masterpiece of speed, thrash, and melody.”

The album’s title track is about drug addiction and the power that drugs have over the user. The song features a haunting guitar riff and lyrics that paint a vivid picture of the destructive nature of addiction. The album’s cover art, which features a cemetery with crosses, reflects the theme of death that runs throughout the album.

Metallica Merchandise

Many metal heads love the album including many metal musicians from well-known metal bands. Here’s what’s been said by metal heads throughout the years on their thoughts of Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’.

Corey Taylor of Slipknot tells Metal Hammer “Bar none, Master Of Puppets is the quintessential metal album. Metallica have melody and ferocious riffs in abundance and every riff, every vocal, every drum beat, every performance, every second of that album is fucking perfect. Top to bottom, it is probably in my top two albums ever made.”

Tobias Forge of Ghost tells Apple Music “This is one of Metallica’s darker songs. Almost more in line with death metal… Definitely not the norm if you listen to the catalog. It’s slightly different in tonality, which makes it stand out and makes it super heavy and evil. Very Lovecraftian lyrics. This song has been a huge inspiration of mine for over 30 years.”

Singer and bassist from Mastodon Troy Sanders stated to Guardian “We are literally here because they existed. I decided that being a bass player, feeling the rumble and living that lifestyle would be the coolest thing on Earth. So I taught myself to play by jamming along with Metallica’s records, they were like Bass Playing 101. Now, it feels like everything’s come full circle.”

In conclusion “Master of Puppets” is a masterpiece of thrash metal. A cultural touchstone that has influenced generations of musicians. Its themes of power, control and addiction are as relevant today as they were when the album was first released. The album is a timeless thrash metal album and will continue to influence young bands in years to come. Hell Yeah!