Master Of Puppets

100/10. Oh, HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL YEAH!!!!! When one thinks of a metal band, they likely think about Metallica. When one thinks of a Metallica album, they likely think about "Master of Puppets". This album is undoubtedly one of the most important albums in metal music. This album features a plethora of incredible guitar work, bass work, drumming, vocals, and lyricism. It has been a source of inspiration for both those who love metal music, and for those who don't. While I personally prefer Metallica's album "Ride the Lightning", I believe that "Master of Puppets" is the better album, in objective terms. The music could make one want simultaneously bang their heads while being in awe of the sheer musicianship. The lyrics explore various topics, and James Hetfield sung them a really raw manner. In my opinion, most notable aspect of this album is Cliff Burton's bass-playing. Sadly, this was the last Metallica album to feature Cliff Burton, for he passed away in a tour bus accident only a few albums after this album's release.

One of the best albums of all time for sure. They were at their prime here. Every track is killer, it flows well, just amazing.

Hvis jeg havde startet mit Metalica bekendtskab her, istedet for St. Anger, så havde jeg været fan den dag idag. Dinusauer gateway metal.

Tope

From what I know a big deal album for metal.

Favorite Track: The Thing That Should Not Be At the intersection of metal, punk, and hardcore, there's thrash. Some of these tracks sprawl past the 8min mark, with many movements and complex arrangements. It's refreshing to see an album with only a few well-fleshed-out songs. With 8 tracks and a total runtime of 54:52, this is not a record designed to do well on streaming. Slick licks, tight production, and lots of classical inspiration giving more than one would hope for in a "close reading" of the album, I don't see anything not to like.

Hell yea 😎 I remember listening to this for the first time and giving it a 3/5. What the hell was I on?? It's still not my favorite Metallica album, but its a damn close second. There are no skips on this album. Seriously one of the most consistent albums I've ver heard, every song is as good as the last. Makes it really difficult to pick a favorite from this album. Favorite track: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) 4.5/5

The best Metallica album, stone classic!

Master of Puppets is their best album and they've written some real bangers.

When it comes to the heavy metal I listened to in my teenage years, very little holds up. Some is downright embarrassing and I can't figure out what I saw in it in the first place. Not this album. Damn, this is still very good. What is it that made them so much more interesting than their peers? There's much more melody here than, say, Anthrax or Slayer. And Orion... I don't think I properly appreciated it at the time, but Orion is the highlight of the whole album for me now.

This is Metallica from before my era, and I wasn't a huge fan of it when I heard it as a teen in the 90s. I was, however, a huge fan of metal and hardcore in general. At the time, this just sounded like last generation's metal (even though it was only a few years difference). Now, I can appreciate it without trying to one-up the slightly older metalheads, and it's really good. I probably should have liked it back in the day as well.

For sure one of the greatest metal albums of all time. The only thrash album that can compete is Rust in Peace

fairly new to metallica but this is the first metal album i have listened to where i actually see why people call this one a classic. every song on this is full of thrashy goodness and the musicianship is really great. the highlight for me was the title track, which is thrashy and has a lot of great "change-up" moments.

5 star album. Fast, skilful and still ahead of its time. Battery’s intro mimics the acoustic intro to Ride the Lighting but instead of just have to sections, the guitars work their way into the song. Damage inc and Disposable Heroes are melt your face fast. Sanitarium follows fade to blacks nuances but adds a creepier, heavier dose minus the solo. The thing that should not be and leper messiah are amazing. Orion is the best instrumental they’ve done. Cliffs bass skills are on show but so is his composing talent. Ride the lighting and this album have a symphonic quality to them which is lost now. For me this quality helped to cover bad production and Lars’ rudimentary drumming but to be fair, lars is still fast af at this stage. Hatfield’s vocals are still piercing and Kirk shredding placed in high standings at the time of release. 1986 wasn’t ready for this.

I feel like I should've been listening to this while doing something useful like working out and not...working. But whatever, it was a kickass album. I feel like the only moments of chill were like the first 30 seconds or so of Battery before things go beserk. Master of Puppets is probably my favorite track (prob a boring take), but I also really love the instrumentals of Orion. Metallica is just the GOATed thrash metal whatever you want to brand them as rock band. Like everyone else...easy 5/5.

Metal in ya face! I feel like I have only listened to this album in its entirety a time or two in my life. It definitely rocks out. Damage Inc was a great way to end it. Hard to find any reason to go below a 5 here.

A top album for me in my life and could quite possibly be my favorite Metallica album. Always switches between this, Ride the Lightning, and Justice. Just absolute face melt shredding the entire time. Metallica has to be some of the best song structure creating band of all time. Sanitarium is such an intense song how it goes from slow to fast. And Orion may be one of the best instrumental songs I've ever heard Slam dunk 5 all day every day.

Let's face this, this is pretty much a masterpiece by any metric. There's not going to be an easy way for anyone who's even vaguely into the rock/metal scene to go into this album objectively as a first-time listener, and considering I have listened to this album enough to learn to play most of the songs front-to-back means you shouldn't come to me for an outsider's view :P Punchy, amped-up, with crunchy guitars and growling vocals, but not so overblown that it becomes unnecessarily wanky, there's a reason that millions of people still wear this album cover on t-shirts the world over.

A classic

Is there anything more to say than “Hell yeah!”? This is arguably Metallica’s last good record. Almost entirely straight thrash with only a little of the weird boring melodic bullshit that they leaned on heavily in later years. The title track on this album is objectively one of the best songs they ever recorded. “Welcome Home(Sanitarium)” is the only weak track. Everything else on this record fucking rips, and while it doesn’t catch the lightning in a bottle like “Kill ‘Em All” did, it’s still pretty great. If the band called it quits after releasing this one, I think they’d be up there as one of my favourite thrash metal bands ever. Fun to revisit this album, it’s been a while since I listened to it front to back. 4.5*.

That this is only 4 years removed from the primitive banging and flailing on that Venom album is remarkable. This is lightyears more interesting, more complex, and just all-around better. “Master of Puppets” and “Orion” are the standout tracks for me - both are beautiful, long songs with distinct sections so clearly demarcated as to feel orchestral. Throughout the album, there is an orchestral quality to the way the instruments are layered and the use of melodic motifs, but it especially shines on these two tracks. “Disposable Heroes” is really strong lyrically. I enjoy hearing metal lyrics that are neither all about satanic themes/imagery or an apparent exercise in how many big, sad words can be put in one bar. I really enjoyed this album, the blisteringly fast, angry sections as much as the softer melodic ones. The way they are used together across the album really works for me. I find it very impressive from that standpoint in terms of composition, and of course, the super high level of technical skill required to actually play this album as well. Will definitely listen again. 9/10

I’m familiar with this album first hearing it in high school. I still think it is their best ‘speed metal’ album although not nearly as popular as the black album a few years later because it is much less radio friendly. It brings an energy that would be hard to produce later in their career. Master of puppets I took as about drug use has always been one of my favorites songs from them. The album is high energy and requires an hour of adrenaline to be available. The guitars on disposable heroes is fantastic FYI From Spotify about the band Metallica formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield and has become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. Metallica has also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. In December 2013, Metallica made history when they performed a rare concert in Antarctica, becoming the first act to ever play all seven continents all within a year, and earning themselves a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Metallica’s twelfth studio album 72 Seasons was released on April 14, 2023

The best metallica album and I'm not sure it's close. Sanitarium, Master, etc all great. Battery is probably the best metallica song. Orion is great. Damage Inc good Great album. I think its a 5

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.

I don’t like this type of music, but this sounds are amazing. Great album

#90/1001 🇺🇸🤘 This is the sound of Metallica hitting their best form, only surpassed by their next 2 records. After the Black Album it all gets a bit bloated. I love the title track, its one of the best things they have ever done and will always give me goosebumps. I have memories of it playing in rock clubs and it just turning the floor into a whirling frenzy of hair. Best tracks: Master Of Puppets, Orion, Battery.

Master of Puppets is a metal masterpiece. It’s an explosive mix of aggressive riffs, intricate solos, and powerful lyrics. Tracks like “Battery” and the title song showcase relentless energy, while “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” adds haunting depth. James Hetfield’s raw vocals and Cliff Burton’s bass brilliance shine throughout. This album is a must-listen for any metal fan, Metallica are legends. A timeless classic.

Maybe the last great Metallica record?

Je vais être honnête avec vous : Metallica et moi, on n'a pas grandi ensemble. Dans les années 80, pendant que les métalleux se laissaient pousser les cheveux et cousaient des patchs sur leurs vestes en jean, j'étais occupé à scander que le futur n'existait pas. Pour moi, le Metal, c'était le grand Satan avec des solos de guitare interminables, des mecs en spandex qui chantaient comme s'ils avaient les couilles coincées dans un étau... Bref, tout ce que je détestais. J'ai découvert le groupe sur le tard, au milieu des années 90, quand mes goûts se sont durcis et que j'ai commencé à explorer des contrées sonores plus... extrêmes. Et puis, il a bien fallu que je me penche sur "Master of Puppets", parce que ce disque, on ne peut pas passer à côté. Il 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. C'est l'album qui a mis tout le monde d'accord et qui a fait passer le thrash metal des caves crasseuses aux stades du monde entier. C'est une pièce maîtresse de l'histoire de la musique, un point de non-retour. Même la très sérieuse Bibliothèque du Congrès américain l'a classé comme "culturellement, historiquement ou esthétiquement important". Rien que ça. Dès la première note, on comprend pourquoi. Cette intro acoustique sur "Battery", presque une ballade folk espagnole, qui débouche sur un déferlement de violence sonique... C'est du génie pur. Le groupe a trouvé son son, celui qu'il avait commencé à esquisser sur "Ride the Lightning", c'est un mur de guitares saturées, ultra-compressées, des riffs d'une lourdeur pachydermique, mais d'une précision chirurgicale. Et au milieu de ce chaos maîtrisé, ces breaks, ces accalmies acoustiques qui viennent aérer le tout et donner aux morceaux une dimension épique, presque cinématographique. Chaque titre est un classique, de "Master of Puppets", le morceau-titre tentaculaire qui parle de l'addiction avec une intelligence redoutable, à l'instrumental "Orion", véritable symphonie thrash où le regretté Cliff Burton prouve qu'il était bien plus qu'un simple bassiste, en passant par le final apocalyptique de "Damage, Inc.", tout est parfait. L'inspiration est à son comble, les solos de Kirk Hammett sont fulgurants, la section rythmique de Lars Ulrich et Cliff Burton est un rouleau compresseur, et la voix de James Hetfield, hargneuse et puissante, est le cri de ralliement de toute une génération. C'est un disque qui s'écoute fort, très fort. Il faut sentir les basses vous frapper le plexus, les guitares vous scier les tympans. C'est une expérience physique, c'est un album qui vous prend par le col et vous secoue jusqu'à ce que vous n'ayez plus rien à donner. C'est l'oeuvre maîtresse d'un groupe au sommet de son art, juste avant que le succès planétaire et les millions de dollars ne viennent un peu (beaucoup) changer la donne avec le "Black Album". Alors, pourquoi seulement un 4/5 ? Pourquoi ne pas lui coller la note maximale, comme tout bon critique qui se respecte ? J'ai longuement hésité. Vraiment. Mais voilà, même si je reconnais son statut de chef-d'oeuvre absolu, même si je suis en admiration devant sa construction, sa puissance, son intelligence, ce n'est pas un disque que je ressors si souvent. C'est un peu comme un grand film de trois heures, on sait que c'est un chef-d'œuvre, mais on ne le regarde pas tous les quatre matins. Pour le quotidien, pour la petite dose de rock qui fait du bien, je me tournerai plus facilement vers un bon vieil AC/DC et pour la transe sonique, pour le voyage dans les abysses du son, je préfère encore me perdre dans les drones infinis de Sunn O))). "Master of Puppets", c'est un monument et les monuments, on les visite, on les admire, on les respecte. C'est un disque essentiel, que tout amateur de musique se doit d'écouter au moins une fois dans sa vie. Mais pour moi, il lui manque ce petit quelque chose d'intime, de familier, qui fait que je le considère comme "mien". C'est le disque de Metallica, c'est le disque des métalleux et même si je l'aime profondément, je ne serai jamais l'un des leurs. Et c'est très bien comme ça. Un gros, très gros 4/5 et tout mon respect.

Probably one of my favorite Metallica albums

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.

not my thing. but recognize the historical significance

J'ai vraiment kiffé au début le son est excellent surtout la guitare, puis ça devient un peu long

Metallica is overrated. Or maybe I just don't really go in for metal acts. Disposable Heroes is the best song on the album.

Orion was sick. Metallicas sound is a little too heavy for me at times. I find myself ready to be done listening at the end of the album or song.

I thought the album was ok. Solid hard rock but nothing really jumped out as special

Solid workout album and could see it being good on a run but not really for me other than that

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.

Production wise sounds a little dated. Songwriting is still strong.

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 like a lot of the intro sections and then it loses me once it gets heavier or the vocalist enters. Orion is cool bc there's no singing just awesome instrumentals. Just not a fan of someone yelling in my ear I guess.

I will never understand the love for this album. The self seriousness is laughable and the sound is repetitive and barely discernible from other metal bands.

Eh.

meh

Not the best Metallica album on the list. It’s probably good for working out, but I didn’t enjoy enough of the songs outside of the title song to rate it higher

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.

Thought I would like this more but really wasn’t feeling it. Feels like a half step away from those mid-2000s cock rock bands.

i don’t like it

I’d like to say that I hate Metallica because they were millionaires who sued to stop normal people from getting around having to pay them even more money to add to their hoards while pretending that their greed was really about artistic integrity, but honestly I just really really hate this shit. Oooooh puppet masters controlling people. How profound! So anti-authoritarian and anti-war. Oh wait, what’s that James Hetfield? You are "honored" the U.S. military used Metallica's music to psychologically torture prisoners of war because it "help[ed] us stay safe."? Wow, what an absolute piece of shit you are. I guess stupid angry people need something to listen to in their jean jackets while driving their Geo Metros to go see the latest Fast and the Furious movie, but for everyone who didn’t stop growing as a person at 15, this is unbearable. And before you start talking to me about 21/32 time signatures and chromatic scales, don’t bother because I don’t know what any of that means. But prog rock bands do all that band geek autism stuff too, but their music is actually enjoyable. In fact, the only way I got through listening to this album was to pretend it was just heavier prog rock, which helped, but not much.

This album is technically adept in a way that's genuinely quite astonishing. This album is boring AF. The lyrics are rather cringey, with frequent suggestions that the listener should obey their master. Whatever, my guy. If you have to tell me, you've lost. Sorry dude. The relentlessly aggressive guitar becomes tiring really quickly, despite the play being adept it fatigues the listener.

It's Puppets

Man, what an opening. Strummed, clean bass into Spanish guitars (acoustic!) into straight bombast. The did a fade in to open Kill 'Em All and classical guitar to open up Ride The Lightning but the Spanish influence really makes the intro to 'Battery'. The title track is long enough and ambitious enough to verge on prog but it works very well. The Hetfield solo (had to look this up -- it's so clean and strat-y that I assumed it was Hammet) in the middle, with a nice lift of reverb and a tasteful amount of overdrive is a lot of ornamentation atop a pretty simple, singable melody -- and then the song drops back into chugging power chords, weird time and even some harmonies. Masters, indeed. The first half contains simplicity and complexity, speed and tension. It's mostly pretty heavy but has some moments of quiet -- and I'll argue to the end that music sounds a lot heavier when there are moments of respite. It's really not as heavy and fast as their first two records but this is still very much a metal record. Metallica's ambitions are very apparent on this album and it works. It's not as hard-hitting as the first two. I also think that some of the softer/delayed intros take a little bit away from the bite that these songs actually possess but it seems important that Metallica had a vision of pushing the thrash formula somewhat further. 'Damage, Inc.' still goes pretty hard. A lot of albums were made this way and/or sounded more like this after they'd put this out there. It was massive -- I was still hearing about it as a teenager at the cusp of the millennium. 5/5, required listening.

Tykkään Metallican melodisista osuuskista aika paljon mitä tällä albumilla ei tainnu olla nii paljoo mut iha hyvä

Arguably the greatest metal album of all time. Colossal, epic sound with two world-class guitarists and their greatest ever line-up combines to make something both incredibly fun and mosh pit ready yet sophisticated and intricate. An all-timer.

5/5 I'm so glad I got this for album #100

One of my favorite all time albums I still listen to this regularly

The Granddaddy. What an album! If you forced me I'd probably take Ride the Lightning first, but I'd have to think about it for a while and you'd have to use a lot of force

This album is a masterpiece. Fucking BA-TTE-RY!!! 🔋🔋🔋🔋🔋

This was the first CD I bought when I was about 12 and it was my gateway into metal. It's one of the best thrash has to offer I've always been more into riffs than solos (not that Kirk doesn't have some amazing solos here) and few could write riffs like 80s Metallica. My favourites are probably the closing ones on Battery and The Thing That Should Not Be, the bass one in the middle of Orion and of course the spider riff If I had any complaints it would be I'm not that crazy about the first half of Leper Messiah but when it picks up speed that more than makes up for it. Just a phenomenal album Highlights: Orion, Disposable Heroes, The Thing That Should Not Be, Battery, Master Of Puppets

Absolutely a banger of an album

Need I say anything at all?

Metallica is so many things to so many people. One of those things is "something to have a dumb argument about while attempting to sound smart." There are all sorts of permutations of this, most of which begin with "I checked out when [Cliff died/they got into the whole Bob Rock pop-metal bullshit/they got bloated and made *Load* and *Reload*/they fucked with the sound on *St. Anger*/etc.]." And then everybody in the [car/bar/designated outdoor smoking area/back row of freshman concert band/etc.] nods along solemnly, except for the One Guy who wants to argue about it. And so you argue until you get tired of arguing. Rinse and repeat. So it's telling that I don't think I've ever, in a lifetime of bullshitting (both as participant and observer) heard any Metallica [fan/stan/contrarian/hater/amateur anthropologist/etc.] argue that *this* album is anything other than an unquestioned triumph. And remember, these are people who will argue just to have something to do or to hear themselves talk. But nobody wants to take sides against this monolith, and how could they? If I had to explain thrash to aliens I would just have them listen to this, maybe while lifting weights (do aliens lift weights? I suppose it depends on what gravity is like where they're from). But I digress. We bullshitters have a habit of that sometimes. This rules. Everyone is right about that.

When I saw this come up I smiled. I remember listening to this on a CD in the early 00s. I've loved Metallica and metal ever since so this is a slam dunk. Its not the best produced (drum sound always a contentious subject) and they may not be the greatest band of all time, but this is a great album through and through and I'm always happy to listen through it. 5/5

This is my childhood so I'm biased but this album do have some of the best vocals, riffs and songwriting in all of metall.

feels like i've been getting so much metal lately and i'm not complaining at all... fucking epic album, no skips, made me want to start galloping like a horse, shoutout orion for hard carrying my instrumental study playlists all these years

Love the Phrygian opening of Battery and the album. Impressed with the intricate guitars. Enjoyed every Metallica album so far. I would never have listened to them if it wasn't for this process. 5/5

Amazing album. Not only if you'd one of my favorite albums ever, but this is one of the greatest hard rock/heavy metal albums ever. The Master of Puppets song is equally as good by itself, but the album as a whole from start to finish is amazing. Even Orion which is all instrumental flows well with the album.

Classic!

The first Metallica project I’ve heard that really grabbed me. Some of the most insane solos and instrumental work I’ve heard in a second, and starts with two of the bands best songs. I still find myself butting up against the vocals but they work much better in this than in the later work I’ve heard. Save for a bit of the middle of this album blending together a bit this is a really solid experience.

Grateful for the ways in which this project is deepening my metal knowledge. Previously I would get in a Metallica or Sabbath mood every month or so and put on a mix. Or occasionally the Black Album. The project has made me appreciate the political and emotional statements of Paranoid and now this album too. I had thought of the title track as an anthem of defiance, but in the context of the whole album (and probably my own getting older) the humility before the power of addiction seems clearer. Yet as we know, these guys have fought on, and albums like this make me want to keep going too. Also -- as I've said I'm far from an expert -- but it seems clearly superior to the Black Album to me. I gave that a somewhat reluctant five -- megahits and emotional connection put it over the top, I guess -- but this is more clearly an eternal metal record.

Always got a soft spot for Metallica There the first band I remember properly getting into in Marvell Don’t listen to them as much now but when I do it’s always a vibe

Without a doubt, the best heavy metal album of all time.

🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Muy yo del 2023

Master of puppets. What an influence on so many bands.

Ohhhh man..this was always going to happen. In amongst the albums I’m vaguely aware of, ones I know well and ones that are new to me… one like this would crop up. This is one of about 5 albums on this list that are so profoundly important in the way my taste in music developed they have left an indelible mark on my musical life. From first hearing it on a copied tape through a boom box sat in a park in the Welsh valleys as twilight fell, to listening to it via Spotify on the way to work today it holds a brutal bludgeoning power over me. The grinding riffs, the growled vocals it still has a visceral power for me. Undoubtedly the finest thrash album, arguably the finest metal album. A masterpiece and a personal core text

classic lol

A thrashin' good time

Its a classic

Battery - 5/5 Master of puppets - 5/5 The thing that should not be - 3/5 Welcome home - 5/5 Disposable heroes - 5/5 Leper messiah - 5/5 Orion - 5/5 Damage,Inc. - 3/5

Peak.

solid

I am not the biggest Metallica fan, but this album blends the classic with the evolving metal of the late 80s so well!!!

This is Metal perfection!

Slaps

I C O N I C. absolute banger by the masters of metal

Riffs.l for days, this thing is a beast

A real all-timer of a metal album. From start to finish, this anti-war epic exudes pure speed and power, producing head-banging tunes and heavy lyrics. These guys are just on another level here, and I cannot believe I never gave this one a chance before. Hell yeah! Favourite track: Disposable Heroes Least favourite track: Leper Messiah

Der er måske lige et par numre hvor de slipper speederen lidt for meget, men ellers er det fuld smadder derudaf - på den gode måde. Og så havde jeg nok givet den 5 stjerner alene for titelnummeret.

YEAAHHHHHHHHH

OK, I get the hype around Metallica if you need album to lock in I recommend this one

The instrument play is amazing. Solid lyrics and top to bottom a wonderful album. I do think they have a couple of other albums that are better but this one is up there.

Another great band with a fantastic album

Nice

Puppets and Kill 'Em All are my two favourite 'tallica albums. Takes me back to my days as a surly, wise-cracking teenager with all the answers, gleaming the cube and grinding rails on my supermarket pink skateboard with the skull stickers, and generally giving off "don't fuck with me vibes"* in suburban (and incredibly affluent) Johannesburg. Like all idiots of that generation, I discovered this album about 20 years after "The Black Album." More than that, thrash is the best music for concentrating on my incredibly responsible job as a dam safety engineer. Best track? Disposable Heroes. No, Leper Messiah! No, Orion!!! *(yeah, in my dreams)

YES!!!! Greatest Metal album OF ALL TIME!!!

The signature album by my favorite band of all time. Perhaps not my personal favorite, but it easily deserves the 5 stars for me here. 5/5

Genre defining

Yes Eddie

Stunning!

Ever since those first few acoustic chords I’ve been hooked then when the inevitable drums come in and the album starts and just does not let up One of the best thrash metal albums ever …. Strike that one of the best metal albums … no one of THE best albums ever .

keep pulling my strings

The Holy Grail of Heavy Rock

5/5. Master of Puppets is pretty much the perfect thrash metal record and the best album in Metallicas catalogue. One of those albums where not a second of its runtime feels wasted. The intro track “Battery” is basically a perfect tone setter as it starts with only a guitar before the instrumentation fully kicks in, and damn even hearing this song as many times as I have it still hits just as hard. Another favorite of mine on here is “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” which is one of the slower songs on the album, but the build it goes through is incredible. and the closer “Damage Incorporated” is probably my favorite Metallica song. it really is one of those albums like Abbey Road or Dark Side of the Moon that’s just an undeniable classic. And though Metallica has spent the past 30ish years at this point being a hollow shell of its former self, those first four albums are still all essential listens.

4.75.

I tried to find a reason to knock a star off and I couldn’t.

No skips on this album. The 1-2 punch of Battery and Master of Puppets is the greatest 2 song album opener on any album I've ever heard. I really want to know how different Metallica would sound today if Cliff Burton was still around.

4.5 - Such a great album. The title track is simply a masterpiece.

Listened to this one already. It's THAT good, like wow holy shit! I love!

Thrash before this could often sound like adrenaline with guitars. Master of Puppets sounds architectural. The songs are longer, smarter, and more developed than the genre supposedly allowed. Britannica’s summary gets at part of the point: the title track’s riff became one of metal’s signature figures, while songs like “Battery” and “Damage, Inc.” helped define thrash metal itself. My verdict: not just Metallica’s best album, but one of heavy music’s clearest cases of raw power becoming high art.

metalperfectie

10/10 What do I even need to say. NO SKIPS

Ui jui jui! Mitäpä Master of Puppetsista sanoisi? Yksi parhaita hevilevyjä ikinä, mutta Ride the Lightning saattaa olla parempi. Harmi ettei sitä levyä löydy listalta.

The only thing this album needs is a remaster to emphasise the lower end a little bit. Other than that, and absolute classic.

MASTE

Muy buena

Wow, Hammeralbum!

Quintessential heavy metal album!!

Genre-defining!

Classic

What good are puppet strings on a headstone? A headstone doesn’t move, all all. What kind of puppet show is this. A good one. One of the best ones

Possibly Metallica'a magnum opus. One of the best thrash albums ever released.

A beautiful album and one of the perfect trilogy of albums by them (ride the lightning and ..and justice for all). the blending of classical riffs with blistering solos is a match made it heaven

still holds up start to finish

RIP Cliff Burton. What an incredible album. When I was in 6th grade my best friend was a 7th-grader who I looked up to like a big brother - he knew about the best heavy metal before I did and would impart his wisdom on me. That Christmas my parents said I should get a Christmas gift for him so I asked him what he wanted. He told me he wanted to get three tapes and I could give him any one of the three: Megadeth's Peace Sells..., Slayer's Reign in Blood, or Master of Puppets. I ended up buying all three and giving him the Slayer tape (knowing he and I would just dub all of them for each other.) It was my first exposure to Metallica and the other bands, and it changed my life. Very formative age regardless, but this album in particular sent me in a musical direction I would follow with religious fervor until I discovered punk and skate music about a year later.

I never can decide whether “Ride The Lightning” or “Master Of Puppets” is the better album. But as it’s Cliff’s last contribution to the “good Metallica”, I’ll go with this one.

One of my top five favorite thrash metal albums AND the first I bought on cassette

Old school Metallica, one of the best. One I’ve heard countless times.

The summer I was 17 I worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant in the touristy area of my town. I would drive back home at night around 1-2am, going way over the speed limit in my dad's Dodge Caravan. On this journey, I had this album (and a couple more Metallica albums) playing. This album brings back memories of that time. I absolutely hated that job and to this day it's the worst job I've ever had. But this album was a silver lining on that time in my life. 5/5 many bangers, probably the first album I think of when I think of old school metal

Look, I'm also not the Metallica man, not am I a great metal enjoyer, but this is surely on the short list för most impactful albums of all time. It has to be a 5.

Bestie

Metallica started out with three classic all-timers, then one 4-star decent album, and then followed up those four with about 12 total duds.

El mejor disco de metal de la historia

This is a big one. I entered my Metallica fandom through the Columbia House record and tape club. Or in my case, I think it might have been the CD club. I assume the statute of limitations has all expired by this point. I got Metallica’s …And Justice for All, and I wasn’t ready for it. It came as one of the new albums that the club would send you. You only had to buy like three albums to complete your membership, but they didn’t inform me that each album would cost around $1,200. So, up theirs. I never paid for one of the albums they sent me, and after not paying for any albums they sent, funnily enough, they quit sending me albums. I got And Justice and listened to it. I fell asleep after about three songs. Plus, I hated James Hetfield’s voice. I hadn’t learned to appreciate the finer points of growling or yelling lyrics. I still haven’t when it comes to most modern metal or hardcore bands. I ended up selling And Justice to a friend, and I was never going to get into Metallica. Then, during another foray into The Club a little while later, I was sent Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All Remastered. I thought, “Oh boy, not another Metallica album.” This one was a CD. I listened to it, Hetfield was still yelling, but then I heard their cover of Diamond Head’s Am I Evil, which starts with a blistering solo from lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and then chunky riffs from both Hammett and Hetfield, and a new Metallica fan was born. After Kill 'Em All, I then started buying all the Metallica albums up to that point. Master of Puppets could have very well been the next album I bought, I really can't remember. I just know I loved it. Track one is Battery, and the band tries to batter your ears with LOUD, pulsating, speedy riffs, and it’s incredible. I’d never heard an album sound as this album did. Though I would listen to Ride the Lightning after hearing this album, and the production was pretty much the same. Listening to this song makes me want to pound my desk as hard as I can with my fists. I’d thought maybe this song was about domestic abuse and how a father batters a family, and then the son grows up to carry on that “tradition” and batters his family. “Pounding out aggression, turns into obsession. Cannot kill the family, battery is found in me.” Or it could be about war, which was a theme Hetfield loved to write about. Track 2 is Master of Puppets, and it’s probably their masterpiece, if not for Enter Sandman, maybe. The song is about drugs and how addiction is your master. I can imagine Hetfield, this big, tough guy, hating himself for being a poet. For being vulnerable enough to put his feelings out to the masses in song. Maybe that’s what led to all the booze? Anyway, there’s not one person alive who doesn’t know Master of Puppets. You may not know it’s by Metallica, but you’ve heard it. My favorite line? “Chop your breakfast on a mirror.” Brilliant. While this song is heavy and scary, the middle section has such a brilliant, slow, beautiful section. I wonder if that’s when the puppet gets his fix, and the world is gone and he’s in his comfortable cocoon. Believe me, I’ve not really given much thought to Metallica songs, lyrically. I come for the chunky guitars and aggression. But I imagine there’s a method to their madness in these long, almost operatic, pieces of music. When you hear a song 12,439 times, you pick up on the lyrics, though. Track 3 is The Thing That Should Not Be, and it’s HEAVY. This song is about a familiar subject to the Metallica boys, or at least Hetfield, H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu. Ordinarily, this would be my favorite song on the album as I love the huge, slow riffage of doom metal, but there’s something about the song that always kept me at arm’s length. Maybe I have a fear of Cthulhu from childhood? But I can’t deny it’s a badass song and probably the heaviest on the album. Track 4 is Welcome Home (Sanitarium) and it’s maybe the actual scariest song on the album. It’s also based on the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which is set in an insane asylum. The lyrics are angry and sad at the same time. A man frustrated with his lot in life until he figures, why not just give in to the voices? “Fear of living on Natives getting restless now Mutiny in the air Got some death to do Mirror stares back hard Kill, it's such a friendly word Seems the only way For reaching out again.” After around four minutes of a slower, almost more menacing song, the intensity and the heaviness ramp up. Great song, and it’s no wonder it’s a live show highlight. Track 5 is Disposable Heroes, and it’s about war and the ease with which old men in power treat the young as disposable plastic toy soldiers to wage their wars. “Soldier boy, made of clay Now an empty shell Twenty one, only son But he served us well Bred to kill, not to care Do just as we say Finished here, greetings death He's yours to take away.” Songs like these always seem to bubble up into importance about every 15 to 20 years, it seems. The music is incredible, the lyrics powerful. This album is full of the best of Metallica, or at least of this iteration of Metallica, as the tour for this album will cost the band, arguably, their most important member, bassist, Cliff Burton. Track 6 is Leper Messiah and it’s about a subject that resonates deep within me, using God and Jesus as a grift. It makes my skin crawl to see these charlatans on TV or now, online, preach their gospel, and naive, easily manipulated people find themselves fleeced or influenced by these frauds. I feel like these days, we can also label politicians as leper messiahs. I don’t want my Jesus mixed up with money or politics. “Send me money, send me green, heaven you will meet Make a contribution, and you'll get a better seat Bow to Leper Messiah.” Track 7 is Orion, and it’s an instrumental essentially to highlight Burton’s bass playing. I always looked at Burton kind of as the older brother of the rest of the Metallica guys. He was a little older, maybe a little more well-read, a little more worldly. He was, of course, killed in the bus accident in Europe, but one wonders what would have become of Metallica had he been there to temper Hetfield and Lars Ulrich’s ideas for the band, and where the band would go in the future. I’ve heard people say Burton would have never wanted them to go the route of the Black Album, but who knows. Bands have to grow and mature, or they’ll stagnate. Look at AC/DC. They’re one of my all-time favorite bands, but after For Those About To Rock, they haven't made an album with more than one or two tracks worth listening to. Except Razor’s Edge, of course. Their music essentially all sounds the same. IT's not horrible, for the most part, it's just derivative of their peak. Orion is a beautiful song, and it makes me sad that Burton wasn’t able to share the joy and pain of being the biggest band in the world with his mates. Though who knows if in that timeline they would have become as huge as they did. Orion does a good job of bringing us down for track 10, Damage Inc. I love this song so much. The beginning sounds weird and backwards, but it also has the same vibe as Orion. Then it’s full on fire in the face. The song is about pure aggression and non-stop violence. Not a them you want your fans to take up as their charge, but for a stadium full of people getting out their aggression in life? It’s perfect. I love the whispered “Damage Incorporated" chorus. This song, like the opener Battery, is just fast fast fast. Even the half-time part in the middle of the song is faster than most doubletime parts in other rock songs. Hammett’s solo shines in this song, but it shines throughout the album. I hadn't mentioned anything about Ulrich's drumming. It's fine. I think Ulrich sometimes gets a bad rap for his drumming. On the albums, it's mostly good, or what's needed. Live, however, Ulrich can struggle and relies on his main licks most of the time. But he is the best drummer for Metallica. With no Ulrich, you have no Metallica. So I'll take mediocre drums for a full Metallica legacy. As you can probably guess, I love this album. It’s not my favorite Metallica album, that’s And Justice, yes, I ended up coming around on it after later listens. Master of Puppets is probably my second favorite, depending on the day. This is a must-listen album. Even if you don’t like aggressive thrash metal, it’s worth delving into one time if, for nothing else than to broaden your horizons. Who knows? You may find your new favorite band, like I did all those years ago.

Top of the world guitar play. Not being their greatest fan, I can’t argue that this is a legend.

Kill, It's Such A Friendly Word 1001 Albums Generator 268 (4/14/2026) It's Master of Puppets by Metallica. The best album from 1986, one of the best albums of the 80's, and one of the best metal albums ever. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY. The band was firing on all cylinders, and it's no wonder that the final album before Cliff Burton's untimely death also happens to be their masterpiece. Not only his bass playing, which is always top notch, but also his songwriting was defining for the golden age of Metallica and essentially birthed technical, progressive thrash metal. Between the massive title track, which probably has 20 distinct guitar riffs in it to the beautiful instrumental Orion, the songwriting here is so unique. I love how many of these songs start with beautiful guitar before they get heavy, notably Battery, The Thing That Should Not Be, and Welcome Home. Additionally, this is when Metallica knew how to write these beautiful, melodic guitar solos and there was more to it than pentatonic scales and wah pedals. Dude, there's just nothing to say other than easy 5/5. What an album. Side note - I've noticed that any albums on the list that I grew up listening to because my dad had them on CD happen to be pretty much all 5/5's. Maybe I'm not an "objective judge". Oh well. \m/ Favs: Master Of Puppets Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Orion Least Favs: The Thing That Should Not Be

So thrashy, so fast, so many arpeggios, yelling, screaming, anger, young male energy. While the black album may be the perfect example of pop metal, this album is not far behind, it just has more jamming.

Powerful album, great guitars, perfect drums and crazy vocals!

Yeah it's one of the greatest metal records of all time, it's also my favorite metallica album.

I mean come on. This was the first metal album I ever heard and even to this day it stands as one of my favourites. Great riffs here as you'd expect from a thrash album but it's the song structures and songwriting that sets this apart from other albums within the genre. A lot of these song are very lengthy and progressive with a lot of extended instrumental sections that are really well crafted. Lyrically this album touches on a lot of things, whether that be drug addiction, mental illness, war and, of course, Cthulu. Despite the varying topics of all of these songs, none of them feel out of place and are all well written and respectful to the subjects they relate to. There's also not a bad song on here either. With only 8 tracks they couldn't really afford to miss so they went all out on every single one. Even my least favourite song here could probably stand as the best track if you were to put it on any other album. I can't really say enough good things about this honestly. Some of the best, most replayable metal music you're ever likely to hear and one of my favourite albums of all time regardless of genre. Fav Songs: All of them but specifically Master Of Puppets, Disposable Heroes, Battery and Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Least Fav: none but if I had to pick, probably The Thing That Should Not Be 9.7/10

I am not a metal head, but this is a very special record.

Pretty fun didn’t think I would like it but it’s definitely got flow and you’ve got to give a head on to 6 to eight minute tracks

Overall: 10/10 Once upon a time, Metallica actually made good music! I know it's crazy to think about, but it's true. This album is a masterpiece in my eyes and the eyes of many others. It hits you in the face with a brick and doesn't give you any space to stand up afterwards. It's a perfect culmination of everything they had built up to this point. Personally, it's not even my favourite Metallica album (Ride the Lightning takes that spot), but it's very close and it's a shame that they never reached this height again in their long careers. The music they make now isn't the worst thing in the world but I choose Puppets over Hardwired any day. Fav Song: Battery

Don’t listen to Metallica much anymore but damn this is one of their best

Battery is still one of of the opening blasters ever! 55555555555555555

In my opinion the best Metallica album.

One of the best modern metal albums ever

goat

Fantastic!

great

This is Metallica's finest album, which puts it high in the running for finest metal album of all time. I don't listen to much metal anymore, but I could keep this one on repeat all day.

Banger of an album

This is a truly legendary album with a lot of bangers. Some songs are less good but still cool. Rate 9/10

An incredible album with the confidence and swagger of a band at the peak of their powers

I mean...its Master Of Puppets...it's great :D

one of the best metal albums

Classic thrasher metal, very iconic to me. They do a good job of building out the sections of their songs which prevents the feeling of repetitiveness. The Guitar and drums are the powerful backbone of the songs and drive everything forward with aggression without losing the instruments like others tend to do. Master of Puppets, Battery and Sanitarium are top 3 but all the songs are enjoyable even though metal isnt my preferred genre. Whatever the criticisms are this is undeniably a very important and influential album and deserves to be recognized.

I'm a pretty casual metal fan. I don't like crazy screaming of death metal, or the headache of industrial metal, or the obnoxiousness of nu metal. But this stuff. This. THIS. This I like.

One of my all time favorites.

This album was so much better than And Justice For All. It's better than the black album. This has gotta be their best work

This is the album you put on when you're 16 and see your high school crush kissing another guy... too specific? Anyway, this is Metallica at their peak, 5 stars!

It's just SO GOOD.

Another 5 for me. Just hard to place above or below the black album. Love the riffs, the solos and Orion in particular.

It might take me some time to truly love the default thrash mode of much of this record but the proggier sections and the solos are stunning and wouldn’t work as well without the rest of it, will need more listens but going with a low 5

El mejor de Metallica, para mi 100% recomendado

Master Piece

Possibly the best metal album ever made

148/1001 A timeless classic. 10/10

As with much of Metallica music, it's hard not to recognize this as a masterpiece.

Give me a two 40's of PBR and put this on in the background and there is nothing in this world I would not be able to do Best Song: Master of Puppets Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5

banger

What a way to start!!

Forever respect the first four albums of the band that really got me into music. The shredders here are well known but, "Orion" is a masterpiece that still gives me goosebumps to this day.

The first Metallica album I listened to. Love it.

Noch Fragen?

It's hard to describe how critical this album was for teenage me, how it shaped my musical taste for the rest of my life, and how it set me up for the massive disappointment that was Metallica trying to court popular appeal and in the process becoming a parody of themselves. But that was all in the future when Master of Puppets was released. Influenced hugely by the writing and arranging skills of bassist Cliff Burton, the album takes metal in new directions, both savage ("Battery") and cerebral ("Orion"). If I could give this 6 stars I would. RIP Cliff.

This is #day570 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… coincidentally, two days from now marks precisely forty years since Master of Puppets by Metallica came out, a beast of a record that cemented itself as a thrash metal hallmark. I don't really know what else to say about it. Go dig Discogs. Read Wikipedia. Or better yet, sit back and blast it out loud. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is one of my favorite songs of theirs. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day571.

Every song on this album has been my favourite in the past. Just brilliant

5/5

classic

so sickkk

BOM

Master! Master! I just simply love this album. A masterpiece from the metal world, a classic. I still remember so vividly the performance of Sanitarium live in Munich - magical experience

One of the Greatest metal albums of a time.

Odradilo me

The defining sound of metal.

Probably their best album.

FK

Will be easy 5 today, metal masterpiece easily

Amaze-balls!

Amazing

i prefer ride the lightning but this album is still near perfect

Already listened. Strong 9/10. Second only to Ride the Lightning in Metallica's discography

Metal, as a genre, as a product and as an artform, peaked right here.

Metallica at their very best.

My definition of thrash metal, and probably metal. Awesome.

Along with Black Sabbath's Paranoid this record is in contention for greatest metal record of all time. Unrelenting thrash metal until the levy breaks and it gives way for moments of calm before continuing the onslaught

one of my favorite metallica albums ever love master of puppets

Amazing album. It all went downhill after this for Metallica in my opinion, but this is a masterpiece.

Every single track!

No sweat

Master of Puppets - Metallica Battery - 9/10 Master Of Puppets - 10/10 The Thing That Should Not Be - 7/10 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - 8/10 Disposable Heroes - 9/10 Leper Messiah - 7/10 Orion - 9/10 Damage, Inc. - 8/10 ФИНАЛНА ОЦЕНА: 8.37

okay yeah i can see why this is regarded as an all-timer. i was worried that it'd be like a seinfeld where the thousands of other acts copying off of it diluted its impact in retrospect but nah everything here's still world-class. i dont have much respect for metallica as people but i can recognize quality.

My second album by Metallica I listened to after the Black album. Milestone.

Quite possibly (still) Metallica's high-water mark. No offense meant towards Jason Newstedt, but Cliff Burton will always be the GOAT when it comes to Metallica's bass lines.

Eräs levyistä. Ja ehkä Metallican paras vielä. 5/5.

40 years after its release this record remains the gold standard for flawlessly tight metal composition and execution. Conceptually and aesthetically it is Metallica’s greatest triumph and the defining statement of the metal genre.

Ingenting å utsette. Tommel opp til Flemming Rasmussen & Co.

oh hell yeah. i gave another record from metallica a middling rating and people assumed that meant i hate them despite my enjoyment of metal, but this one slaps hard. i actually don't know if i've ever listened to it in full. some of the tracks are probably a bit too long as it tends to be with metallica, but this is pretty electric the whole way through. the title track is just great. "disposable heroes" is another great one with how much it chugs. delicious stuff. they carry the energy well here in an album that very easily could feel too samey after a while.

So remember that whole spiel I give whenever we get to heavy metal? Well luckily I don't have to give it this time because this is an album, as it turns out, I actually quite like! Which probably says a lot due to my general apathy towards the genre as a whole. When people tell me what they like about heavy metal they tend to cite the energy it carries, the punchiness, the sheer sonic power- and usually I don't hear it. Here however? Absolutely! The eponymous Master of Puppet track especially works so well that I was very suprised did not feel like it dragged on to me at all. I also did a double take and had to google it immediately when I noticed the crazy David Bowie reference in there that somehow sounded just at home in the song as in the original. Other highlights for me was Battery as well Orion. I really don't feel like EVERY song needed to be so long, but it's a minor quibble. I dunno if I'm rating this a 5 because I really think it is one, or because I'm just shocked that Metallica gave me an album full of music I actually quite like in a genre I don't at all.

Phenomenal album, I was unsure at first but was blown away by the second song, absolute peak

A masterpiece

Peak

This album smells like Mr. Barnes 4th period homeroom in 1986. But seriously, I haven't listened to this whole thing in decades. While I enjoyed it as a kid I was still a little dismissive, considering it kinda dumb metal. However there's more going on with these songs than I originally gave credit. It's also interesting to consider its place in music. In mid-80s an album needed 2 things for success: a hit single released and a music video for Mtv. This album had neither and it still was a massive influence on the genre. This album along with Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and the like really brought metal into the mainstream. I used to just think heavy guitars with Metallica, but there's a lot among those crunchy riffs. There's a feeling of symmetry with their compositions here. Plus, like it or not, they write hooks; there's catchy parts all over this thing. Like, not just head banging, head bopping too.

I'm 97 albums into this exercise and the summary page is listing my favorite genre as "Metal" and while I don't think that's exactly true, this album isn't going to buck the trend because I think it's pretty freaking awesome. Honestly, I like all of Metallica's first four albums. Give me fast-paced or heavy (or both) music with aggressive guitars and melodic compositions, and I'm happy. Give me a varied collection of music with those qualities and I'm very happy, and that's what Master of Puppets delivers.

Likes: Huge sounding production, soaring guitars, intriguing bass, locked in rhythms, vivid lyrics Dislikes: Not much; lyrics can be a little blunt at times; the knowledge of what this band becomes haunts the album’s greatness All in all, an undeniable and great album that illustrates why Metallica deserved to become the biggest band on the planet. I’m not often in the mood for something this aggressive these days, but I loved this album growing up and it has a deserved place in my all-time list.

"Master of Puppets" is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica. Thrash metal is the sole Wiki-listed genre. Yep, I guess, although more could have been added. Due to the band not being satisfied with the acoustics of American studios, the album was recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark and produced by Flemming Rasmussen. The album explores themes of control and abuse of power. It was their final album with bassist Cliff Burton who died in a bus accident in Sweden while touring for the album. Other bandmembers on the album included James Hetfield (vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars), Lars Ulrich (drums, percussion) and Kirk Hammett (lead guitar). Commercially, it reached #29 on the US Billboard 200 and #41 in the UK. The album had wide-spread critical acclaim, is considered one of the best and most influential metal albums of all time and, in 2015, was the first metal recording to be inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its artistic significance. Classical layered acoustic guitar strings open "Battery." A distorted guitar leads to aggressive guitar riffs and a blast of drums. The band is in full thrash mode. Hatfield's angry vocals about, ah, just anger. A relentless song with beat changes and guitar solos (that's just about every song). The, at this point, classic metal guitar riff slashes begin "Master of Puppets." Drum ticks and the band kicks in. Hatfield comes in with a tale of being controlled by cocaine. A constant driving song with a few interlude breaks and guitar solos. The song climaxes with Hetfield yelling "Fix Me." The band amps the speed even further with the songs ends with a chaotic evil laughter ( I had to give "Stranger Things" and Eddie Munson a D&D nod). The best song about cocaine, ever? It's up there. Every time I hear "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" I think of the chilling documentary "Paradise Lost" where three West Memphis teenagers were convicted of murder. This song was chillingly featured. And chillingly is how this song starts with eerie electric guitar strikes. More of a ballad start with layered guitar riffs. Hetfield's vocals describe being caged in a mental institution. Dynamics change as the song goes thrash at the end. Pretty intense. Intense is how "Disposable Heroes" starts and finishes. Powerful layered guitar riffs in an anti-war song where a young soldier is controlled by his superior. The band really shows their skills in the instrumental "Orion." A song mainly written by Cliff Burton. Dramatic, melodic and even soulful. The band gets a metallic groove going, if that's possible. Various layered melodic guitar riffs, pace changes and ringing high-pitched guitar solos. Each song takes you on a ride and each song at some point goes to a thrash-metal base. The songs' lyrics are varied: drugs, anger, anti-war, madness, televangelism and senseless violence. The album is organized extremely similar to previous ("Ride the Lightning") and subsequent ("...And Justice For All") albums with song-style album placements: the ballad (#4), the hit song (#2), the thrash rocker (#1) and the instrumental (#7/#8). But, this is the album which stands above the others. The band and their songs at their very best. This is a great album, one of the best metal albums of all time for sure, and a must listen for any metal or hard rock fan.

Muito bom

While the self titled album was peak Metallica for me, this album goes HARD. It was already 5/5, but I have a deep nostalgia for the album. I'm happy to say it still holds up and to give this album another 5/5.

Just amazing. Solid piece of work here! I loved "Kill em All" but then sort of dropped out of the Metallica club for years. The next thing that brought me back was "One" which is almost a perfect song. But it still wasn't enough to bring me back into the fold. I thought that they were just too repetitive, playing the same notes over and over, but really really fast. Coming back to this now makes me realize I missed the boat. It's well constructed, both musically and lyrically. Solid, chunky guitars and James has got a perfectly gravel-ly voice for this. Glad he stuck with it and they didn't hire a singer. They definitely changed this area of rock music. Props! Could I give it a 5? I mean... yah, I guess so! Even the few in the middle that I didn't like very much at the beginning grew on me after few listens.

Whoa, now I get it.

Hard to add anything of value to the conversation on this one. A stone cold classic, every second absolutely rules. It’s layered, immersive, punishing, and just awesome in every way.

Brings back memories of Guitar Hero. The guitar work is insane.

Perfect

On the second day of this challenge, I was super highly anticipating this album. I love thrash metal, and was a huge fan of songs off of Ride the Lightning and the titular track, "Master of Puppets." I was expecting this album to be full of straight thrash bangers that would make me want to head bang and air guitar. However, what I found was different, and yet even more crucial. While the first two songs, "Battery" and the aforementioned titular track gave me that energy I was looking for, the rest of the album was not as earwormy. Instead, I found that I was listening more intently for the first time. I was analyzing the lyrics to see how they fit with the larger themes of manipulation and loss of power. I was trying to figure out how the instrumentation, guitar solos, tempos, and time signatures helped tell the story of each song and the greater story. Especially on my second listen, I gained newfound respect for the songs that didn't give me as much instant gratification. For example, hearing the differences in how "Disposable Heroes" and "Damage Inc." portrayed war, with the former displaying war's chaos, and the latter focusing on the war industrial complex making each soldier an identical slave to the state using the music was so fascinating. Besides what it represented for the genre of thrash, I am grateful to this album for being a major stepping stone in how I interact with music, and because of this, it earns 5 stars from me.

top 3 - Disposable Heroes, Leper Messiah, Welcome Home (Sanitarium). Really amazing! Would listen to this again!

Kosmos

Это последний альбом Metallica до больших денег и компромиссов. Они были: • злыми • голодными • умными • и абсолютно бескомпромиссными

Is the average length of every song on this album nearly 7 minutes? Yes. Does every song justify said length? Also yes. Fuck this shit rips. The riffs go hard as, drums complement everything great. Fantastic stuff.

Excellent!

Absolute banger. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is fantastic.

One of the most influential albums of all time on my life. Controlled aggression and anger, with moments of beauty and interspersed melody peeking through. Simply one of the greatest moments in metal history. Metallica have been one of my favorite bands for many years and have provided me so much enjoyment. While the entire record has dips in quality, it is undeniable how much power songs like "Battery," the title track, and "Orion" have and will always have for me. That being said, how in the hell is Ride the Lightning also included on this list. That's clearly the superior record between the two lmao

A classic of thrash metal, where the guys from Metallica mostly start to chart their own path outside the writing of Dave Mustaine from Megadeth, except apparently parts of Leper Messiah. It's tight, well-measured and expertly executed. Prime Metallica. Maybe not my favourite of their albums, but then again all the first four albums are epic before things start to go downhill in the black album. The title track and Battery are the classic thrash tracks, but most of the rest of the tracks are great songs. I really liked Orion, which I don't remember much from the 90s when I had this album. Damage Inc. still comes on hard. Sanitarium is the first sign of things to come in the mostly bad 90s Metallica era, but it's still a good track. 5/5

This album has been a favorite of mine for well over 30 years. Without Orion, this album would still be five stars. With Orion? Five more. There's not a single note here that's anything less than perfect. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh Boy, This will be a good Day, No only one of my favorite album of all time, but also my favorite from Metallica. Orion and Battery all the way.

Just a killer album, definitive for a reason. Standout Tracks: Master of Puppets Battery

full of vim and vigor, novel sound for 1986.

Probably the best metal album ever, or at least in a tie with "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath. Muscular, musically complex and emotionally intense. When Inwrote my first book, I listened to it over and over to stay on edge. And the whole thing actually makes sense. I don't know how you can do anything in this genre that's better.

this is as sophisticated as thrash metal can possibly be. How do you not listen to the first track and NOT expect sheer and utter greatness all the way through?

Is Orion Metallica's best song? Possibly.

master of puppets is one of the best songs ever. album is classic

Their best!

Amazing one of my boyfriends favorite albums

Almost perfect.

Unbelievable Wednesday pull! While not my favorite Metallica album, that's AJFA (also on this list) by a slim margin, this by far Metallica's best album. Battery is one of the best opening tracks of all time. From their its nothing but banger after banger and killer riff after killer riff. Nothing else to say except this album rules!

Battery - 5 Master of puppets - 5 The thing that should not be - 4 Welcome home (sanitarium) - 4 Disposable heroes - 4 Leper messiah - 4 Orion - 4 Damage, Inc - 4