Ladies with gentle hands, boys with curls, and taxmen and bureaucrats. I want to ask a question: why are you reading this? You probably need to know if Master of Puppets is one of the best, if not the best albums of all time.
It is. Cliché, I know, but there is no other way to put it. I can’t definitively call it the greatest album ever made, because saying that is like choosing your favorite son. But what I can say for certain is that it stands as one of the greatest metal albums ever recorded.
Released in March 1986, this was Metallica’s third studio run and the final album to feature bassist Cliff Burton before his tragic death. Out of that original three album run with Burton, this one received the most praise, and it deserves every bit of it. That is not to say that Kill ‘Em All and Ride the Lightning aren’t incredible in their own right. They are essential listening. But Master of Puppets is just such a massive jump in quality both in its heavy, polished production and its complex songwriting that it confidently steps right over the other two. It took the raw thrash metal they helped invent and turned it into something undeniable.
The Album In A Nutshell (If you are in a hurry)
- Release Date: March 3, 1986
- Label: Elektra Records
- Producer: Flemming Rasmussen & Metallica
- Runtime: 54:47
- Lineup: James Hetfield (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Kirk Hammett (Lead Guitar), Cliff Burton (Bass), Lars Ulrich (Drums)
- Essential Track: “Master of Puppets”
- Hidden Gem: “The Thing That Should Not Be”
Background and Recording
To get why this record sounds the way it does, you have to look at where Metallica was sitting in 1985. Their 1983 debut, Kill ‘Em All, essentially built the foundation for thrash metal. It was fast, angry, and kicked the doors down for the underground scene. Then came Ride the Lightning a year later, showing everyone they could actually write sophisticated songs, not just play fast. That record got them snatched up by Elektra Records. Suddenly, they were playing the Monsters of Rock festival to 70,000 people, sharing a stage with Bon Jovi and Ratt.
But Metallica didn’t want to be lumped in with the glam metal crowds. They wanted to make something that would floor both the critics and the fans. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich started hammering out ideas in a California garage, jamming riffs together until they started to sound like actual tracks. Once they had the skeleton, they brought in Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett to flesh it out. Notably, this was their first album without any writing credits from former guitarist Dave Mustaine. Mustaine still reckons he co wrote “Leper Messiah,” but the band maintains he only gave them a tiny section.
When it came time to actually track the thing, they hated the acoustics in the American studios they looked at. So, they packed up and headed to Ulrich’s home turf in Copenhagen, Denmark, hooking up with producer Flemming Rasmussen. They were taking it seriously this time around. Ulrich was taking drum lessons, and Hammett was getting pointers from Joe Satriani to tighten up his playing. They even stayed sober on recording days, which is massive considering their reputation for drinking at the time.
Creating a Classic Album
They completely ignored the slick, synthesiser heavy production that was dominating rock radio. The recording took longer than their previous stuff because they had developed a serious perfectionist streak. Hammett later said they just thought they were making another album, but admitted the band was peaking. You can hear it. It’s the sound of a group completely locked in and figuring out exactly how to work together.
They couldn’t finish the mix in time, so they shipped the tapes over to Michael Wagener in January 1986 to get it over the line.
Then there’s the artwork. Designed by the band and painted by Don Brautigam, it’s iconic. The cemetery field of white crosses being played like puppets from a blood red sky perfectly summed up the album’s whole theme: people being subconsciously manipulated.
They also had a good laugh at the expense of the PMRC the group trying to censor music at the time by putting their own fake warning sticker on the cover. It basically read that the only track to avoid was “Damage, Inc.” because of the F word, but otherwise, there weren’t any cursing anywhere else on the record.
For the gear nerds, they brought the heavy artillery. Hammett was running a ’74 Gibson Flying V and a Jackson Randy Rhoads. Hetfield was armed with a Jackson King V, pumping it through a modified Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp. Burton was laying down the bass on an Aria Pro II, and Ulrich was banging on Tama drums, even borrowing a rare snare drum from Def Leppard’s Rick Allen.
The Tracks
Battery
I’ve talked before about how important it is for an opening track to start on the right foot. Hearing James Hetfield shout “Battery” over that onslaught of guitar riffs is the backbone of this song. Kirk Hammett’s shredding about two minutes in has surgical precision. It’s through these quick burst solos that the song gets its extra punch. Hetfield is in top form here intense but not overbearing. It’s unbridled thrash metal. It’s the kind of track you want blasting in your car, and every time you hear that title shouted, you can’t help but shout every syllable right back.
Master of Puppets
This is the undeniable, iconic Metallica anthem. People will always argue over their favorite song, but there is zero debate that this is their true identifier. Sure, “Enter Sandman” is the mainstream sing along, but Master of Puppets is what shows exactly how talented this band is on every level. Listen to the timing of the riffs in unison with the drums to create those descending notes. It is rhythmic and guttural. For over eight minutes, it feels like the song is resetting your own pulse to match its beat. It transcends just being a song it’s a battle cry.
The Thing That Should Not Be
I love where this sits on the tracklist. After two incredibly loud, fast songs, you get something heavy, deep, and completely driven by the riff and the drum work. This is where you realise Metallica was capable of so much more than just speed. It’s a shame when people only know the radio hits, because this track proves they knew how to space out a melody and build a massive atmosphere. It’s not just a scary bedtime story; it’s a mood.
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Lyrically, this is Metallica at their absolute best. This is exactly what fans are talking about when they say they miss the glory days. Think about the perspective here: someone literally suffocating from their surroundings, trapped by physical walls and mental illness. The music builds perfectly from morose and reflective to completely rebellious and vengeful. The gradual intensity in the bass and guitar is enough to make your fingers blister just listening to it. For me, this is the peak. Nothing else even comes close.
Disposable Heroes
If this came out today, “Back to the front!” would be the chant at every single metal gig. It’s a narrative about the draft, war, and death, and the rhythm is just extremely raw and abrasive. It slaps you right in the face. It takes its time to build the mood, delivering an amazing chorus that completely makes the song, bridging right into a killer guitar solo. It’s an eight minute epic that never feels long.
Leper Messiah
Musically, this might not be everyone’s absolute favorite, but lyrically, it is razor sharp. It tackles the idea of false prophets someone praying on the sick and helpless just to line their own pockets. It’s funny, in a dark way, how we still have leper messiahs today, just in different forms.
Orion
After six tracks of top shelf metal, it can be easy to zone out. Metallica solved that by doing something most bands wouldn’t dare: dropping an eight minute instrumental right in the middle of a massive record. This is the ultimate proof for all those parents in the ’80s who claimed metal was just noise and screaming. Orion is dedicated entirely to mood and musicianship. You can distinguish every single member’s contribution, but it’s Cliff Burton who truly shines here. When you hear the stripped down bass track, you understand why he was a prodigy. He showed off more skill here than most bassists manage in a decade. It’s a tragedy we lost him at 24, but he left on the highest note possible.
Damage, Inc.
The album leaves you with one final punch. It’s a quick shot of varying speeds, closing out with Hetfield whispering the title before the final heavy riffs kick in. It’s the perfect summary of a brutal thrash album. They don’t just fade out; they snuff their own album out as loudly and impressively as they started it.
The Verdict
In my experience, there are usually three types of Metallica fans. Type One will defend everything the band has ever done and fight anyone who criticises them. Type Two longs for the pre Black Album days, wishing they would return to their heavy metal roots. And Type Three just thinks Metallica is a vintage t shirt brand.
Regardless of where you fall, you have to appreciate a band that climbed out of a garage to play all seven continents. And the main reason they got there is this album.
I don’t think everything Metallica has ever done is perfect. I could spend twenty minutes explaining why St. Anger gave me a headache. But a bad record decades later doesn’t make Master of Puppets any lower in quality. If anything, it makes me appreciate the home runs even more. We can love a band even if they stumble, but when they create something this flawless, we have to hold onto it. It’s an album you have to experience over and over again.
The Quick Picks
- Best Riff: Master of Puppets (that relentless down picking)
- Best Solo: Disposable Heroes
- Best Vocals: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Hetfield at his absolute best)
- Top Cliff Moment: Orion (that bass run where he completely takes over)
- Most Underrated Track: The Thing That Should Not Be
Verdict: 10 / 10
To read more of my album reviews read here.
