Master Of Puppets

I'd be hard pressed to find an album I've listened to more in my life. The live shot of the stadium from behind Lars on the back cover was the 1st time I saw them in concert. Day on the Green 1985. One of the best days of my youth. Of the 400+ albums I've listened to from this project, this might be the best one so far. It's a masterpiece. Fuck it all and fucking no regrets. 5 stars all day.

A classic. Enough has been said about the self-titled track, but I just want to call to attention how brilliant of a piece Orion is. One of only a few Metallica instrumentals, and simply stunning.

My personal favorite Metallica album is still Ride the Lightning, but objectively this is probably their most cohesive work. Both are classics.

Man they really took themselves serious back in the day huh? 8 songs in 54 minutes attests as much. There’s a certain churning pleasure to be found here, and when it gets chunky it gets good. But I don’t know if long and repetitive necessarily equals masterful. And this from a man who actually likes Tool. I’m giving it 3 stars because I gave Black Sabbath the same and I like this better. From henceforth let’s imagine I gave Black Sabbath 2 stars, okay?

The distillation of all the best bits of Metallica across 54 minutes of brutal, aggressive, tight and polished musicianship (though there’s also a lot of subtlety here too). I listened to this a lot when I was a teenager, and many years after my wasted youth this album still can't be rated anything less than a 5.

An easy 5. I don't like all of Metallica's work but this album's hard to argue with. Excellent music.

i've been eyeing this one, too. fantastic album, and it takes me straight back to the days of bmx bikes and climbing cliffs and hanging out in sketchy attics with sketchy people. damage inc is an awesome way to cap off any album there is, too.

Thrash metal hits its peak. Growling ginger walrus gargles hate and anger while gurning midget smashes the drums. Solid album. Best Tracks: Battery; Master of Puppets; Orion

A very busy weekend which meant I didn't get around to listening to this and, frankly, I'm relieved. I did my time with this and other Metallica albums in my teenage years. I don't need to go back there.

If you'd have asked me even 10 years ago I would have given this an enthusiastic 5 and gushed about it being an enormously influential classic of the genre, which is still is. I'm not in the same place, so I don't enjoy them as much now, but it's still a great album

It's technical but not really enjoyable. After a while it all just sounds like the same screech. Not my cup of tea.

Classic. Perfect.

Arguably Metallica's magnum opus. An amazing, inventive, and powerful set of prog-infused thrash metal tracks, full of tasty riffs and fun solos.

Power Rangers music

Really not as great as I thought it was. Pretty bland.

Masterpiece. an album I have listened to more than others.

The GOAT of metal

THE perfect metal album. To be fair, I am already a really big Metallica fan that has seen them live and enjoys pretty much everything they have released outside of most songs on Load, Reload, and St. Anger. While I would personally take Ride the Lightning or AJFA over Master of Puppets, I cannot deny that this is the masterpiece that made them legends today. The vocals, guitar, bass, and drums are all as strong as can be within the metal genre, but the songwriting and composition make this album insanely hard to beat. I feel that Cliff Burton played a huge part in making this album what it is, and you can tell that this was easily their most mature and sophisticated album up to that point (most would argue they never reached these heights again, but I feel AJFA has amazing moments that prove them wrong). Every song structure here is crafted so tightly that it makes the whole album feel cohesive but unique with a mix of lightning fast and slow paced songs: for every insane track like Damage Inc., you have a somber track like The Thing That Should Not Be that creates a great pace throughout the listening experience. I feel that there is not a dud on this entire record and that every single track has a unique element that makes it stand out from the rest. If I had to choose particular songs, I would say Disposable Heroes and Master of Puppets are my favorites. The anti-war message of the album is most strong through these tracks, but the entirety of the record features pounding aggression and softer moments that really let the lyrics and emotion stand out. This is one of the only hard rock albums I can think of where the songs would work just as well as orchestral versions, especially the instrumental track Orion. For that reason alone, I would say that this album is amazing, but having that aspect combined with top notch performance from every single member makes this flawless. 5/5.

I can't say that I've ever been a fan of the members of Metallica as people, but goddamn their early work is just stellar. Intense and loud while still remaining incredibly melodic and intricate, this may be their best album. I just wish that they could have gone the Slayer route more and just stick to their metal roots rather than following the course of popular rock 'n roll. At their peak, Metallica may have been the greatest metal band of all time, bar none. 4/5 (but very close to 5)

Reaction when this one popped up was “not now.” Reaction after listening was “not ever!” Now that we’ve listened to multiple Metallica albums I can say this is not their best and that is a very low bar.

Hell yeah. Love me some 80s Metallica. I'm a sucker for thrash anyways.

I have loved this album for decades and have no issues listening to it again. It stands the test of time and for me is probably Metallica's best album (or neck-in-neck with And Justice For All). Also the tracks really follow well if you listen in order. Note too that I saw Metallica play half these songs live and it was probably the most high-quality, fan-oriented live show I've seen.

Orion

#3 Metallica after Justice and Lightning. Brilliant.

This one is a classic for me. One of my favorites from Metallica

Solid album... not even my favorite from them, but I can't go lower than 5.

I guess this is technically impressive but the style leaves me cold, and it all sounds a bit silly and pretty fucking irritating. The band seem like dickheads, to make it even less attractive

The goat

Classic

An absolute classic

One of the greatest albums of all time. What else needs to be said?

Terrific!

No bad tracks

Another rock and metal heavy hitter for day 4! This album kicks ass straight from the get go and is handily Metallica’s best and most consistent release rivalled only by the higher highs but lower lows of Ride The Lightning. This album is the definition of all killer no filler, no second is wasted on this album and it remains one of the most influential and important metal releases of all time. Battery is the best opener to a Metallica album full stop and maybe the best thrash metal opener of all time. Not a lot to be said about the individual tracks that hasn’t be said a thousand times, Master of Puppets being the stand out closely followed by Battery and then the rest. The thing that stands out to me about this record is the level of consistency achieved throughout even on the instrumental track Orion. Another thing that should be noted is the production and mixing on this album, which is maybe uncharacteristically great with everything slotting into place perfectly creating a menacing, unforgiving and sometimes evil sound that Metallica rarely found again after this release.

Perfect! The band that made thrash popular, perfecting the sub-genre! Made even better by the lesser than music they released starting with their self titled album.

The album that made Metallica and, by extension, made people consider heavy metal (and speed metal) to be more than a momentary diversion? Yeah, that’s a five star rating. I still can’t play Battery on Rock Band.

When I saw this album pop up, I couldn’t help but celebrate—it’s a personal favorite, so I’m not approaching this one as a fresh listener. Metallica has been a staple of my music rotation for a long time, and this album is a key reason why. The rhythm guitar work of James Hetfield is the standout for me. It’s incredibly precise, powerful, and drives the album with relentless energy. The songwriting is impeccable, blending aggression with technical brilliance, and it still sounds as fresh as ever. Metallica sits firmly at the top of my “bands to see live” bucket list, so my bias here is undeniable, but I honestly think this is one of the greatest metal albums ever made. Standout Song: Master of Puppets Score: 5/5

This is an album that I've heard many times before taking on this challenge, and it's for good reason. It's one of the best metal albums that has been made, at least in my opinion. Songs like "Battery" and "Master of Puppets" are still essential metal songs to this day, and just in general, I think this is a great gateway album for people trying to get into metal. Overall, amazing album. High 9

The best, most enduring, of metal albums. Back in the day, we called this \"thrash metal\" while Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden did everyday \"metal\". Now a days, Metalica doesn't sound as edgy, especially in comparison with other kinds of metal. Still, I love these songs, I love this level of rock perfection, I love how this album works, embodying the best of metal rhythm and of rock melody. 4.5/5

I'm glad I was able to listen to most of this album on some good speakers, it begs to be played loud. The title track is my favorite, but the rest of the album is pretty good as well. The guitar riffs are iconic and there isn't a whole lot of music with more of the (now-retro) metal energy than this. I think this one earns its five stars.

Spineless from the start Sucked into the part Circus comes to town You play the lead clown Please, please, spreading his disease Living by his story Knees, knees, falling to your knees Suffer for his glory You will Time for lust, time for lie Time to kiss your life goodbye Send me money, send me green, heaven you will meet Make a contribution and you'll get a better seat Bow to Leper Messiah Absolute classic and deserves to be on this list in every way. 5/5

Listening this time, I found myself liking the first half of the album more but there's no doubt about its status in the development of modern metal.

Easy 5. Absolute classic.

One of the best thrash albums of all time. Love every song.

Classic metal album from a rock classic band can’t go wrong with the basics

Honestly, Metallica just rules. They are an insanely good thrash metal band. I'm also impressed with their lyrics. Disposable Heroes is the stand-out for me, in that regard. The instrumental song helps break up the album quite a bit, tbh. And there's a decent amount of variety in songs/style, which is usually an issue for me with Metallica. Favorite Song(s): Master of Puppets, Disposable Heroes

Been listening to this since I was fourteen. It never gets old. I still remember the exact moment I first heard Metallica as if it were yesterday. Master of Puppets. Truly undeniable. One of modern music's greatest achievements, across all genres, and as far as greatest metal albums are concerned, only Slayer's Reign in Blood even comes close to this true masterpiece. There isn't a high enough number. Rest in power Cliff Burton.

One of my all-time favorites

phenomenal work

The rough edges of Metallica were starting to to get smoothed off with Master. Metallica were always at their best with either ballads or full on thrash. This has gems throughout.

Metallica at their best

Probably the best metal album of all time. Orion deserves more respect.

James Hetfield isn't the reason I play guitar, but he is the reason I play rhythm guitar - his playing on Disposable Heroes and Leper Messiah is some of the best rhythm playing ever laid down. Great album.

One of the best albums of Metallica (depending on the mood I'll switch between this one, Ride the Lightning and ...And justice for all). Every song on this album is fantastic. Sadly this was also the last album to feature Cliff Burton. This was Metallica at its peak.

I have to say I was not surprised this album made the list. I sort of spoiled it for myself when I went to the wikipedia entry for this list and saw "Trash Metal" as one of the featured genres. I immediately knew Master of Puppets was on the list. When I think of "albums that defined a genre", this is the first that comes to mind, and it's arguably the best the genre ever produced. This album will be, almost w/o a doubt, the Number 1 album on this list for me. That is, if Ride The Lightning or AJFA are not included. MoP is one of my top 5 albums. It's probably the one that I've listened to the most times back to back in my life. It's really special to me. More often that not, it transports me back to being 12-13 y/o and discovering my love for this sort of music.

The masterpiece that elevated the thrash metal from a simple 'get-fast-and-get-loud' type of music to practically an art. Carefully crafted, with lyrics that went beyond the 'rock and roll lifestyle' that was so common among their peers, full of classical influences and references, both musically and lyrically, and technically flawless

so good…. I love this album! Not really big on metal if I’m being honest but this one really did something for me 10/10 - RIP Cliff Burton

My favorite Metallica album. I think this is the one that defined their sound

A perfect metal album.

Classic and great headbanging fun. Arguably the most musically impactful album from a great band

This is my favorite Metallica album and has been for over 30 years. The only complaint I have is with The Thing That Should Not Be. I have always felt that it should be placed somewhere else on the album or maybe on a different album. After the one-two punch of Battery and Master of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be feels like too much of a slowdown to me. If I’m complaining about sequencing then that means I have no real complaints.

5 star no skips. the foundation for the vast majority of riff-led metal being made to this day. on a less positive note it is also, along with ride the lightning, the source of even more lead guitarists covering up how much they suck with a wah wah pedal.

Great album. Would have been cool to hear it for the first time like when it was released. Don’t have time to write. Standouts: Master Of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heroes, and Leper Messiah.

Great album start to finish.

It's Metallica what more do you want 🤘🤘🤘

I love this album

Absolutely phenomenal album, always worth listening all the way through

Metallica have been in my musical DNA from a very early age, thanks to my older brother. I fell in love with them hard, myself, when I was about 20. They were my gateway into metal and for the longest time they were my all time favourite band. They have since been surpassed by Coheed and Cambria, but Master of Puppets remains a top tier Metallica album for me, as well as being one of the greatest representations of metal at it's finest. I love all the songs here, with the exception of Leper Messiah. That song leaves a bit to be desired but every other song is a banger. They've all been reviewed a million times but the longer songs Orion, and the title track are the best for my money. Not to say the others are slouches. Battery may be the single greatest metal opener, alongside Angel of Death and Clenching the Fists of Dissent. My first live experience watching Metallica was Download Festival 2006. It was the 20 year anniversary of this album and they played it in it's entirety and I kid you not when I sat I had an out of body experience! I there my whole being, body and soul into that show and was lucky to make it out alive! Perfection, or close enough.

Greatest thrash metal album of all time.

Battery, damamg inc, Master of puppets - great album

A gold standard

What we are talking about here is in my opinion one of the most famous metal albums of all time, and for good reason. Diverse sounds, with all the stuff that is good about thrash at one point or another. Not even my favorite Metallica album, but their most prominent early one by far.

One of their best albums ever

Classic metal record

ну норм так то. Метально

Amazing. Legendary album.

Sólo por Master of puppets se merece el 5, pero es que además tiene casi todas buenas.

Pionero del metal de una de las bandas más contundentes. Todo un clásico con guitarras y batería poderosas

Great album with no bad songs. Battery, MOP, Sanatarium. Excellent guitar, drums and vocals throughout. Substantive, thoughtful lyrics yelled at you until you get it.

Klassiker

One of my favorite albums. Most Definitely my on ramp into metal.

Yes please

Geweldig album van een geweldige band, gister led zeppelin en vandaag deze klassieker

A classic, definitely enjoyed my listen. The switch in the first song from acoustic to electric is killer, and Master of Puppets is an incredible song. Deserves to be on this list, 7/8,fav song master of puppets.

Metallica's best.

Incredible album - even for someone who doesn’t listen to metal. “The Thing That Should Not Be” is one of my faves.

Maybe the last great Metallica record?

Je vais être honnête, j'ai découvert Metallica sur le tard (genre fin des années 90) car durant les années 80, j'étais plus punk/post punk que metal, mais au fil de mes écoutes et de mes découvertes, mes goûts musicaux ont évolué et je me suis naturellement dirigé vers des courants musicaux dits plus extrêmes. Sorti en 1986, "Master of Puppets" est considéré par les fans du groupe comme étant un monument, un monstre, un chef d’oeuvre... Les Beatles ont leur "Sgt. Pepper's", Pink floyd leur "Dark Side of the Moon", Michael Jackson son "Thriller", Metallica a "Master of Puppets", c’est-à-dire une pièce unique et qui restera à jamais comme un tournant dans l’histoire de la musique. De la première note, à la guitare sèche de "Battery", aux derniers accords de "Damage Inc.", le groupe pond ce qu’il a de meilleur en termes d’inspiration, de solos, de rythmiques, de lignes de chant. Avec "Master of Puppets", Metallica confirme le son et le style qu'il a été défini sur l'album précédent. Un mélange de saturation ultra-compressé, de riffs épais ; des césures de chansons qui abandonnent la saturation pour des plages acoustiques qui viennent étoffer la chanson et donner à l’oeuvre une dimension épique. "Master of Puppets" est l’oeuvre maîtresse de Metallica, d'ailleurs le 23 mars 2016, il est le premier enregistrement de Metal à faire son entrée à la Bibliothèque du Congrès du fait de son importance historique et de son influence sur le genre. "Master of Puppets" est à écouter au moins une fois dans sa vie, mais ne soyez pas frileux sur le volume, car il doit s'écouter fort... très fort. Au final, ce sera un gros 4/5 pour un monument du metal, leur premier meilleur album qui sera suivi quelques années après par le "Black Album" (album éponyme sorti en 1991). Un gros 4/5 et je me suis longtemps tâté pour lui mettre un 5/5, mais ce n'est pas un disque que je réécoute aussi souvent que certains albums d'AC/DC ou de Sunn O))) pour ne citer qu'eux.

Probably one of my favorite Metallica albums

Now I get this genre. Full of brilliant riffs, clever band interplay (especially on Orion) and thankfully little of the cheesy posturing thrash often is known for. Only slight complaint is that it could've been tighter on some tracks.

Master of Puppets is one of my favorite metal songs of all time. There are moments when the album takes a more melodic, quiet approach which I really love. It's great if you're in the right mindset, but can be exhausting listening all the way through. I think Metallica is as heavy as I can take in terms of metal.

First full Metallica album I've listened to. I can see why 80's teens were into it. Complicated rhythms, edgy lyrics. Moms don't love it.

This album is even better than I remember it. Though that being said metallica may have better albums.

Metallica obviously have loads of talent. But honestly, after "Master of Puppets", each song started to sound a lot like the previous. I think I can only handle Metallica in small doses.

Not super into heavy metal, but I appreciate the artform. Solid album for its genre

These guys seem very angry not a great way to make music I personally think that you should always be in a positive mental space before you try to make music otherwise that anger is going to come out in the music which we would never want.

Finding this on my hard drive was a small pleasure: a slice of my adolescence before Big Black and Sonic Youth seduced me got caught on my sleeve. I quite enjoyed this! Apart from the first two and the last song, most of these had long left my memory, which was unsurprising as I was a half-hearted metalhead. Master of Puppets commits to its daftness, its countless passages and riff-shifts, and I salute that while realising I may never listen to this again. Simon, I look forward to the “Battery’ that you will undoubtedly deliver to them with this!

I have to say I liked metal as a kid but from revisiting seem to have definitely left it back then, and never got into or liked thrash metal, and all the trash albums on here haven't changed my mind. Metallica are better than the others in that I at least find it listenable, and some of the guitars are interesting and fit the song. But it's chug chug, all so darn serious, so earnest, so po-faced, so chug chug along. Yes the politics of war and mental health are important subjects and need platforms to raise awareness, but it lacks shade, lacks nuance, and just chug chugs along being baseline and I don't feel the epicness that 8 minutes a song implies, just not my thing if it's yours fine.

Surprisingly shit.

YEEEEEES! Once this album appeared, I knew, it will be a good day! 🤩