Master Of Puppets

Никогда не понимал Металлику, особенно эти сверхзатяжные песни, словно не трэш, а дум. Вроде и энергия есть, и скорость, но всё равно не то, особенно в плане вокала, вытягивающего концовки слов.

Not a repeat listen

This was AMAZING! Disposable Heroes is one of the best songs I've ever heard, hands down. This album just makes you FEEL something man, something carnal, innate, uncontrollable, with such powerful lyrics that just about anyone can connect with. While it wasn't perfect, it had one of the best openers I've ever heard, one of the best songs I've ever heard, and high high high HIGH highs. Do NOT sleep on Master of Puppets!

Hard not to think “this is really dumb” as you listen to this, but in between those thoughts there’s some good rockin. A new find for me is Orion, kinda been playing it on repeat. Title track also rocks.

Saved this album for my first workout after a long Christmas vacation. This album starts off so creepily and cool and then launches into metal heaven and stays there for the first 4 songs. It starts to fall off after that, but I was left feeling pretty satisfied with what this genre gives me

If enough people love a band, I try to give the benefit of the doubt and assume there is something there to enjoy. But my taste is really getting in the way of trying to appreciate this objectively. I guess that’s just a Midwest nice way of saying Metallica kind of sucks. Hetfields voice is one of my least favorites (Steven Tyler comes to mind as well) and I just can’t do the rhythm or lead guitar tone, it’s so serious and lame. Still found myself enjoying moments in a later listen: Battery is cool opener, Master of Puppets I’d never really heard, and Orion is a decent instrumental even if it sounds like Trans Siberian Orchestra and has a cop out fade out as an old band director used to call it (seriously, wtf?).

But a masterpiece of an album. That thrash that they patented with the growling vocals, fast yet still melodic guitar, and excellent drums.

*Master of Puppets is an all time song but the rest of the album was a little bit of a slog to get through. *The guitar solos are excellent, but its often just mid-tempo rock chugging along in between the interesting parts.

Metallica is a family favorite; Skip loves master of puppets

Respect the craft, the complexity, tempo changes, and intricate riffs. But honestly, too much shifting for my taste. Not for me.

Nor this

Not my cup of tea.

My favourite Metallica album. Perfection. Seen it live many times, sounds of my youth.

Very good album, surprisingly really liked this album by Metallica. One critique though is I wish there were more lyrics in the last 2 songs.

Possibly the best 2 song opening on an album ever.

0 songs added to my favorites. Will listen again on better speakers.

This album is iconic. It is my 2nd favorite Metallica album and it is so fun! The first 2 songs are iconic and this is the first metal album I ever remember listening to. Super enjoyable. The riffs and solos slap and James is a great metal singer! Actual rating...4.5 Liked Songs: "Battery" , "Master of Puppets" , "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" , "Disposable Heroes" , "Leper Messiah" , "Orion" , "Damage, Inc."

Fun. Slightly repetitive sounding. 3.75

Раз це третій альбом, послухала і попередні два. Другий поки найкращий, але і цей гарний, а титульний трек загальновідомий розйоб

Pastor of muppets

There are very few albums that seem to mark a ceiling for an entire genre — records after which the common consensus is simply: it doesn’t really get better than this. Master of Puppets is one of them. I’ve always had a soft spot for Ride the Lightning, mostly because of a handful of truly world-class songs (“Fade to Black” above all). But returning to Master of Puppets with focused, repeated listens — often on excellent headphones — has noticeably raised my estimation. This album is not just great; it is remarkably consistent. There are hardly any weak moments. If I have to name one, it would be “The Thing That Should Not Be,” which starts promisingly but never quite takes off. That’s about it. One immediate difference with its successor is obvious: this album has bass. And not just a little. Cliff Burton is everywhere, and he dominates the record in the best possible way. Knowing that Burton died during the tour for this album — thrown from the band’s bus during a crash in Sweden and crushed beneath it — inevitably colours the listening experience. He was an extraordinary bassist and songwriter, and it’s impossible not to wonder how Metallica’s trajectory might have changed had he lived. Musically, Master of Puppets strikes a rare balance between brute force and structural ambition. The title track is rightly famous, with its almost prog-like architecture and shifting sections (one wonders how much Rush was being played in the rehearsal room). The album opens ferociously with “Battery,” whose gentle acoustic intro is obliterated by staccato thrash riffs so tight they still sound alarming decades later. From that point on, the album never drags, despite running close to an hour. Two more highlights stand out. “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” is, for me, possibly the album’s finest song — already something of a metal classic by the late ’80s. And then there’s “Orion,” the instrumental centrepiece. Metallica were unusually strong at instrumentals during this period: “The Call of Ktulu,” “To Live Is to Die,” and here “Orion,” which is unmistakably Burton’s showcase. His distorted bass intro, the mid-song bass passages, and the surprisingly lyrical playing in the slow section reveal a musician with far more musical depth than the genre’s clichés would suggest. Lars Ulrich, by contrast, remains functional rather than inspired here — especially in that slower middle section. One can’t help wondering what Neil Peart might have done with it. The album closes with “Damage, Inc.,” mirroring “Battery”: another deceptive calm before an onslaught of razor-sharp riffs. In the end, it’s quite simple. If you have little interest in thrash metal but want to hear one album that shows the genre at its absolute peak, look no further. Master of Puppets earns its reputation without effort, apology, or nostalgia.

Holy shit? I'm not drawn to thrash metal at all, but this is a 10/10 listening experience. The riff-to-song ratio. The mammoth drums that seem to hit almost a hair late. It's fucking fun. I don't carry a lot of anger, so this record makes me want to head bang and dance around more than fight someone. But the urge is just as strong, and I think it comes from the same primal place.

Let’s fucking go dude.

I honestly think that if anyone were to listen to only one metal album and no other, it should be this one. Seriously how does it get better than this. Insanely tight riffing that ranges between brutal, majestic, morose, and downright filthy; actually audible bass that growls through the mix; and James’ vicious vocal delivery. Meanwhile we hear some of the most demented guitar solos to be put to tape in the entire genre. The Odyssean songs themselves are incredible, full of twists and turns that never tire. The lyrical subjects are as malcontent as their delivery is impudent. Perfectly encapsulates the ridiculousness of metal. No fucking notes. 10/10

Never gravitate to Metallica but I found this to be a compelling listen, the key and beat changes made it interesting throughout. Some commentary to which was artfully done and didn’t take away from the heavy ass sounds

Not a big Metallica fan, enjoyed Enter Sandman & Unforgiven early 90s but that that was the extent of it. This album was great really enjoyed it, going to listen to more Metallica!

I've never been a big fan of metal, but you cannot deny Metallica's mastery of the genre. The instrumentals in Orion were amazing. Fav Tracks: Orion > Welcome Home (Sanitarium) > Master of Puppets Current Fav Album: Master of Puppets - Metallica (#2/1089)

One of the best metal albums of all time. Flawless, heavy and creative. The Number Of The Beast and one or two Megadeth are the others on the very top.

I don't consider myself a fan but this one is hard to deny. It's great despite some repetition. When someone talks about Metallica I start to feel like I'm John C Riley describing Jesus: I like my Metallica with mullets and Cliff Burton!

Love the high energy! 4/5

Very energetic. I'm not sure it's totally for me but I did like the listen.

Masterpiece

1986 war ich auf dem Metal-Trip und als dieses Album herauskam überschlugen sich die Zeitschriften wie Kerrang mit Lobeshymnen. Ok, gekauft - und ich war vom ersten Titel an geflasht. Für mich auch heute noch eines der besten Metal-Alben aller Zeiten. Funfact: wenn ich meine Discogs-Vinyl-Sammlung nach Wert sortiere, steht Master Of Puppets immer weit oben. Scheint auch bei Sammlern beliebt zu sein.

Maybe it should be a 4 instead idk. It's good but I'm not sure about it overall.

Listened Before? Y Possibly the greatest thrash metal (and metal in general) album of all time. It is certainly in my top 3. Pure precision and aggression from beginning to end. Perfect. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Master of Puppets

A masterpiece

gave me a headbangerheadache

Enjoyed listening to this while washing dishes

Pure metal from start to finish.

General thoughts: Gets boring with each song. James Hetfield angry singing is a factor in that. Music should be able to convey more, so this album feels very narrow for me. Also, all songs dragged a bit too long. Good trash should be quick and dirty. Outstanding song(s): Battery, Disposable heroes Weakest song(s): Orion Cover: Good - for metal albums' standards Real rating: 2.93

I had some Metallica albums in my youth, in my metal phase, but I don't think that I had Master Of Puppets, although I know some tracks. Well produced, fast and aggressive, good riffs and solos. This is not my genre anymore, but I can enjoy it sometimes, and this album would definitely one of my choices.

After a string of dull boring albums oh god yes! absolute masterpiece of an album, Great way to start the day.

This is the kind of album that makes me hyped and say 'FUCK YEAH'. Love it. Probably the best of the 281 I've had so far.

I’m surprised at how energetic this is, and melodic. It’s maybe a 4 because I like how different it is. I do not understand where this came from. I don’t understand in general where metal comes from or who it’s speaking to. Not who the audience is, but who the anger is directed towards.

GETTING CAUGHT UP! I can't lie, this album did nothing for me, I'm just not a Metal guy. however: Orion was SICK, especially the direct middle point when it gets kinda funky. but still only gets up to, like, a 1.5 for me. I know it's good stuff, but it's not for me

This is one of the albums that I had to buy on CD in the awful days when records disappeared. I still have 2 copies of this album with inserts about the 1986 tour. I missed that tour. This album totally changed heavy metal. The crispness of it along with the heaviness of it was literally unheard of before this album. The last Cliff Burton and Dave Mustaine album. Peak Metallica - in my humble opinion.

Pas mon style mais je comprends qu'on aime. Il y a des morceaux entrainants.

Some of the songs felt too long, and the early part of the album felt very repetitive. By the end though I really found a groove with it. And enjoyed the extended jam in Orion. Will probably give another listen while driving or working out.

Not bad! but not really my genre of choice. I really like the guitars etc but not a huge fan of the vocals.

I never really enjoyed Metallica early on - I think I was too young and, basically, they were too scary. Angry music, big angular fonts, black - lots and lots of black. I liked my rock to be more jangly, more indie Clearly, I was an idiot.

Oh whatever.

I liked this much better than the Metallica album I had a week and a bit ago!!! It felt a bit more melodic, and the songs felt like they had more depth to them, even though some of them did drag on a bit for my liking (seriously, sometimes I would think a song was coming to an end and thought "oh, well that was actually pretty good" only to look and find it was ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH). I'm still not a metalhead, but I would sit through this again with little complaint. Faves: Battery, Disposable Heroes, Orion

Metal up your ass

One of the best Thrash albums (and one of the Metal albums) of all time.

A truly great album. I'm never unhappy when the title track shows up on shuffle. I remember discovering it for the first time with my brother as teenagers and we always loved it. Didn't hear the rest of the album until much later, and didn't give it a good shot on first listen because it's significantly less polished than what I knew of Metallica on the radio. I re-explored their early history when the Blackened Recordings Remasters came out, and I love this. Clearly starting to explore progressive composition before the riff explosion that is And Justice for All. Love this album.

Peak thrash metal. Enjoyable to imagine how much better the music would be with a more competent or creative drummer.

Not my thing.

Well I liked Orion. The rest was claustrophobic.

Harder stuff than I normally go for, but this has some musicality and introspection as well.

Just not a fan.

Classic album, and little heavy for my taste but still enjoyed this.

The speed metal sound is rocking great bass and drum playing. Lyrical and supersonic. The best of the 90s metal bands.

One of thr best albums of all time

A great workout album. I am blessed by 2 Metallica albums in one week. I am sorry for missing yesterday's album.

It is *the* Metallica album for a lot of reasons. They really do sound great here and much fuller than on "...And Justice for All" (no shit!). Classic riffs, the explosive energy they have always been known for and really elevated songwriting compared to a lot of early metal. Orion is a bright spot by far - I listen to a lot of primarily instrumental heavy music and Metallica is far better at this than they give themselves credit for. Maybe it was the Cliff effect, I don't know but I wish they would give this sort of song more opportunity in their discography. The harmonized solos and downright groovy bass go perfectly with the drums which have that awesome slappy Lars sound. This song alone is worth the record if you ask me. 5/5, total classic!

good head banging, but didn't vibe much with it

The best metal album of 1986.

Recognisable tunes. Strong start with battery then master of puppets. Orion is a good number as well. Great band, great album.

Big fan of Metallica so may be a bit biased but the start of this album is sensational with Battery and Master of Puppets. The solos in the title track are nothing short of incredible and the opening to Battery is glorious. Great album, another one that would be a 4.5 but will have to give 4.

very excited to give this a 5 knowing that my girlfriend gave it a 1. this album is pure cocaine and i have never been happier to see an album after days of listening to glam rock acts

this gave me such a visceral reaction? i know i'm new to the rock game but DAMN. this is not my vibe.....

One of the most influential and greatest albums of all time. Metal wouldn’t be what it is today without this album. Master Of Puppets is perfect. Favourite songs: Orion, Sanitarium

Great music to listen to when you’re stuck waiting for delayed trains and want to scream

Its the quintessential Metallica album. One of the greatest metal records of all time. Not much else to say that hasn't been said already.

actually not that bad but they somehow managed to make it all sound like the exact same song

171125 16:28 3

Love it. Angry car rides.

🤘

I feel like I was supposed to like this a whole lot more than I did. Master of Puppets was great because it seemed to grow in intensity, but the rest of the songs stayed kind of flat to me. Just more and more songs in E minor.

Fun record. Not really my thing, but I enjoyed it.

This is the second metallica album on my list the last less than 5 albums ago. Metallica is the most over rated band in the world period

A classic, though it’s a little too monotonous for me to rank it among the best of all time. Still, if you want to learn about metal, this is one of the first few albums you should check out. Best song: Master of Puppets

Sweet

Might change to a 5 later. In any case, wayyyyy better than …And Justice For All

Energy!!!!!

One of the best album covers, and deserves all the praise it gets. Not my fav Metallica album, but it's up there. Disposable Heroes stood out. 4.5/5

That thing is a masterpiece! You can’t listen to it all the time. But when you are in the mood for it, you can’t go wrong. From the first song to the end, great heavy metal that is musical and hard driving!

Очень динамичная и энергичная пластинка. Причем динамика проявляется не только в звучании, но и в настроении. От агрессивной до пугающей, местами даже драмматичной атмосферы. Очень понравилась открывающая альбом battery. Звучит одновременно приятно и в то же время настраивает еа весь последующий альбом. 7.5/10

melted my brain. hope my carbon atoms end up in new metallica guitar picks.

Probably the greatest Metallica record, or at least the most consistent one. Filled with great riffs and insane solos. Classic. 9/10

Ah, the last great Metallica album. This one rocks hard front to back. I love that it got revived for a new generation with the Stranger Things play. Such a great album. 5

Ah yes, Pasture of Muppets. It's a great metal album, such intricate guitar work however the drum sounds on some songs are a bit rough. Oh well.

Don't like metallica

I am not a fan of most Heavy Metal bands, I find most of it repetitive and rather one note. Metallic is not that, sure some of their songs can be, but most showcase artistry within the lyrics while raging within the music. I’ll never be a Metal fan, but I’ll always be a Metallic fan.

awesome

Every track is a banger, no fillers. Only Rust In Peace comes close in terms of trash greatness.

Bon, je me rend compte que je n’avais jamais vraiment écouté de Metallica. Et, après deux albums, je me rend compte que ce band n’est pas pour moi. Ils ont quelques bonnes tounes, éparpillées sur l’ensemble de leur discographie, mais ce n’est pas suffisant pour que j’embarque dans le projet. C’est correct, ça s’écoute, mais bof. Ça manque d’originalité, d’imagination, de créativité.

Czasami nawet lubię Mettalicę, a czasami, tak jak teraz wydaje mi się nudna, generyczna. Nie wzbudza żadnych emocji, szczególnie kiedy upiera się na zażynanie mojej sympatii długimi instrumentalnymi utworami. 6/10

Music for cavemen. I loved it

other than the album-titled track and ‘Orion’ it’s mostly just the same song with minor changes. It is always the same structure with the solo(almost the same every time) coming at around 3/4 of the song. Yet I guess it is one of the best trash metal albums

Just doesn't hit the way it used it. Still exponentially better than anything they released post 1992, but if I'm in the mood for this I'll probably put in Justice instead.

The guitar playing is sick for sure, cannot be denied but not my scene. So screamyyyy.

I tried…

bit of a weird one to start the day. i vibed a little but it was just noise to me then

Not first time listening. 4.5 I really liked this album. I don't listen to a ton of metal, but have listened to this before. It's a little difficult for me to put this in context since I'm still early in this listening project, but this feels like one of the better (best?) albums on the list. All of the tracks here are great, fast, and tight. I think one of the things that stands out to me is how the songs dont get boring, despite using mostly the same sound.

I like the t-shirt I have of this album so much more than the music of it and I am not ashamed of that.

Master of Puppets (the song) is still (I think) my favourite Metallica song. They have some great songs... but as an album there's a lot of "meh" too. So many of their songs just don't land for me.

Not for me, but good for you if you like it!

Despite badly mixed crazy good album. Just explored how outstanding master of puppets was. Shoutout also to orion which is kind of arty.

A striking graveyard image inspired by the Western classic 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly', the untimely last hurrah for one of music's greatest bass players and 54 minutes of the most ferocious, unrelenting heavy metal ever all comes together here to create a work of art that has inspired every metal band since its release in 1986. What more can you say about 'Master of Puppets' that hasn't been said already?

'Pounding out aggression turns into obsession.' I think that line articulates well my trouble w/ metal: it's obsessive to the point of being compulsively neat rather than chaotically heavy. Formula reigns - even the occasional shift mid song is too much an anticipated variation. I don't doubt that this record is as influential as it's reported to be, and for that reason I respect it, but Hetfield is not my kind of gruff (I'd take Lemmy), and the messaging is politically upright yet brims w/ cliché: 'Welcome to where time stands still / No one leaves and no one will.' Succinctly, it doesn't give me the energy or the remnants of a shattered beauty I know it gifts others. Wallace Stevens insists that the supremest poetry 'must change.' This doesn't change enuf.

Great guitar solos, excellent drums

3/5. Ok

Ja!

Classic

not my cup of tea

Orion was cool, but this stuff is just not for me in general

not my type of music. still gave it a go. Seems too monotunous to me. I like the fact they started with a Spanish guitar, that lasted 10 seconds :) the only bit different thing was Welcome Home and Orion. Clearly I am more of a BLACK ALBUM kind of guy than this.

I completely understand why this is such a loved and highly-praised album and the musicianship is clearly amazing, but this one’s just not for me personally.

Eh bom, mas não eh o melhor. 6/10

Unless you count Led Zeppelin, I haven't spent too much time listening to metal - it's always just felt a bit too dark, too aggressive for me to want to listen to routinely. But I have mostly enjoyed what I have heard from Metallica to this point, so I was excited to give this album a listen. Coming away from this album now, while I still don't think I'll be turning this on regularly, I can't help but be impressed. One shift I have been trying to make throughout the course of this project is viewing album-based music more like classical music, where there are different "forms", each trying to achieve different aims. And while metal music may not be my preferred form, there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the best examples of it, certainly the best that I have heard.

Brings me back to when Metallica was my favorite band even though I listened to only a couple of there songs. I love the artistry of the whole album

1st listen (10/19/2025):The fast-paced, harsh, and rather simplistic vocals of a couple tracks (especially the first and last) set me off, but I couldn't help but be enamored by the production of this album. Pure artistry. I don't think I'm a headbanger, but a couple of these tracks (especially "Orion") were pure glee. Amazing album overall. 2nd listen (10/31/2025): Enjoying the vocals more this time around. I think I like it more than last time. I'll give it 9/10, 5/5.

It’s was pretty good master of puppets was a banger

This album changed my life. Found a bootleg cassette of this album in the street when I was walking to school in 7th grade. Never heard Metallica before and it blew my mind. Got to school art class and asked my stoner friend Steve who this band was. He laughed at me

To these ears it's fairly generic, repetitive, boring rock music.

Make it stop.

Not my go-to genre, but this was good - significantly exceeded my expectations

More teenage anger expressed through various stereotypes of emotional and physical pain.

As soon as the title track kicks in, the nostalgia hits way too hard for me! 🤘🤘🤘🤘

4.0 Classic metal album, possibly the most influential of all time.

Like Stranger Things!

Amazing throughout. Timeless.

The best album ever made? The weakest track is Leper Messiah, a track that would be the strongest on almost every other album. The whole album has such a great mix of melody and intensity, straightforwardness and complexity. I had almost forgotten what a great listen this is.

Is this the best album ever? I might think so

it's good and i think that master of puppets and the thing that should not be are really nice if a little long but it just feels a little decadent for a metal album that lowkey consists of mostly yelling the name of the song. i think its a little overrated but def good!

Crash bang boom

As a lover of metal, this band sucks ass. I feel ashamed for listening to this album.

One of the most iconic metal albums of all time.

Metallica was never my particular flavor of metal I'm gonna stick with Twisted Sister, AC/DC, Van Halen, Motorhead

Yes sir. This album fucking ruled god damn. Should not hate on Metallica again this album had little little flaws. 4.5 cuz Lars still sucks but wow very impressed

Wow the two opening songs are perfect. This music is just so fun and so influential and also like a little silly.

Top tier metal

"I was born for dying." Here's the thing about metal: the brief is crystal clear—and when executed to a T, enjoyable as hell, enduringly! Play as fast and loud as possible, unless you're building up a killer guitar riff. Sing-scream. Combine two or more of the only acceptable narrative themes, i.e., epic ones, which include: killing, losing, lying, descending into madness, and Mordor.

My heart pumps extra blood to my ears to soothe them, my sympathetic nervous system tells my body to run, and my body is at risk of spontaneously combusting. Metal is just not for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

🤘😈🤘

Classic stuff...

El classico. Not my fave, but I can't deny the influence, and by Metallica standards, probably close to their peak.

If I had to sum it up - this album is absolutely legendary. For many people "metal music" is equals to Metallica. At first I thought it would be hard to decide on a rating for this album as I thought that 20 years ago it would, without doubt, be a straight 5/5. The impact of it is undeniable. To me it probably is the most iconic of all the albums Metallica has written. To give a proper rating I decided to give it a full listen as I don't remember the last time I did that. And it's still great. My taste has evolved and gone way past listening to strictly thrash/heavy metal, but this album delivers. The musicality and overall musical skill of the four shines in this one. Just listen to Orion, for example, or the melodic, bluesy solo in Master of Puppets. So, after all these years, I still have to give it a 5/5.

Rocks

🤘

5 out of 5 Essential classic metal. MofP and Justice for All were like no other. Close to perfection.

Very iconic, but I’m not much of a powerchord person. Also the production sound of that time is somewhat meh

Хотів щось пожартувати про Stranger Things, але просто скажу, що це мабуть пікова точка гурту, хоч далі буде вистачати досить непоганих моментів (поганих теж)

Багато годин було проведено з цим альбомом ще зі шкільних часів і здається був момент, коли я вмів грати на гітарі всі основні ріффи звідси. Я насправді люблю всю металіку до сеінт енгер (включно) і більшості з альбомів поставив би високі оцінки. А тут й поготів.

хороший альбом, але повністю слухати його стає нуднувато на половині, бо по факту дуже схоже розповідається історія від пісні до пісні. окремо треки працюють краще ніж альбомом

Metallica is an interesting band for me because while I love their melodic / doom laden intros and meanderings, I am not so enamoured of the punk parts to their songs. I appreciate this is thrash metal and, in this genre, they are one of the best, especially on this album where the musical structure is more complex, I enjoyed this, certainly more than their eponymous album so 4 stars is it’s due.

This album sounds like what Wyld Stallyns wished they'd sounded like. I know this is a famous album and all, but it hasn't aged well and all the songs pretty much sound the same for me. At least I know why I was never a Metallica fan. No melody, no real variation.

Really don't care for Metallica in all honesty

Good but not my vibe

The greatest metal album of all time.

A very talented band. Crazy lyrics. The more melodic parts are beautiful. Orion is amazing. My teenage ears loved it. For my adult ears trash metal is too intense. To not disappoint my teenage me I gave it a 4.

Probably biased from my history and childhood, but this remains one of the best Metallica albums, and probably one of the best metal albums. There is a lot of depth in the songs sound, and they just 'feel' good to listen to.

Really great.

Oh man, been waiting for this one for a while! I'll just say it because why not, this is an album of perfection! I think the first time I listened to this album, I was about 8 or 9. Even since then, Metallica has been one of my all time favorite bands. It's hard to find a band that was so young make an absolute classic twice (this one and Ride the Lightning)! It is crazy how much this album really changed the trajectory of the band, even more so since on their European tour for this album, Cliff Burton died. It is an album that really shifted the direction of Metallica forever. But, while I think that Ride the Lightning is probably their best album, Master of Puppets is for sure tied with it. I just think on a musical level, this album can't be beat. While I really favor Jason Newsted for his energy and live presence, it is still really devastating that Cliff wasn't there for their later projects because he really was almost like the third guitarist. Like the way he played bass was unbelievable. Seriously, who else other than Les Claypool or Lemmy could solo on a bass? But anyway, this album is metal perfection. Even though I've listened to it so much in full, I still gasped the moment I saw it on the generator. It is incredibly entertaining and something that everyone should listen to. Trust me, it is quite the experience and I love it to bits and pieces! Also, I don't think I have had an album yet on this generator where all the songs were my favorite from the album. But could you blame me? It's a flawless album in my opinion. Favorite Tracks: Battery, Master of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be, Welcome Home (Sanatarium), Disposable Heroes, Leper Messiah, Orion, Damage Inc. Rating: 5/5

These guys almost make metal listenable. Almost! Barely made it through this one. So maybe one or two songs could make the list, not the whole LP.

This is a 3.5, it might go up to 4 with another good listen. Not enough vocal range of melody for me, but the guitar is good for being in a rage to.

Better than expected

Ironically, I had just listened to Ride the Lightning for the first time in decades and was blown away by the incredible musicianship documented on this album. Hence, I was really hyped for MOP and celebrated when it showed up this morning. However, I have to say that it pales in comparison to RtL which is the superior album in every respect. I‘m still trying to figure out why but the obvious answer has been suggested a million times now: the death of Cliff Burton who had given an entirely new meaning to what musicianship can entail in Metal songwriting - compositions that raise passion and enthusiasm even in Non-Metalheads like me while staying true to the genre and pushing its boundaries further and further. I guess there is still something of that creative energy noticeable here but weaker and less cohesive. Im going to listen to RtL now

The greatest thrash metal album of all time. Master of Puppets is top 5 Metallica song, and it ain't 5th. I'm personally a bigger fan of Ride the Lightning, but I recognize that this is the better album. This is absolutely must listen to before you die (now Metallica and S&M better be here, too).

This album got me to Vegas 45 mins early

It’s been way too long since I’ve listened to this one. The Black Album will always be my sentimental favourite since it was my introduction to Metal but this one for me is their best album. The title track speaks for itself but the likes of Battery and Welcome Home (Sanitarium) are absolute classics as well. Top Track - Master of Puppets, cliche choice but justified.

I used to think this was really overrated, but after seeing Metallica live I have a new level of admiration for the band and the songs on this album. low 3.5

A really enjoyable album for me, a couple of iconic songs, and errs on just the right side of being metal without pushing too far into incoherent screaming for me.

Aggressive. Classic. Almost punk infused. Highly recommended

This whole thing makes me understand why they are as big and important as they are versus listening to Justice. I can't say that I love every moment of this, I get tired of the chuggas but I do get how this birthed a whole lot of music that I loved in middle/high school. The guitar redelee reee solo work on this is great and usually doesn't fall too far into the self indulgence that it is prone to. The eight minute song lengths don't even really bother me either, other than dare I say that Master of Puppets should have been two songs and was dragged out. I'm excited for the black album, assuming that it's on here. After rolling justice I had basically written off Metallica as a greatest hits band but this has saved their image for me.

Copied from earlier review: It was alright. Not a big metallica fan in general. The riffs become monotonous after a while. Master of Puppets is still a classic song though. Strong 2/5

Metal at its finest. 3.5 stars

Classic rock wouldn’t listen to again but heavy for me

Great metal here. Love classic albums popping up, they're like gigantic keys of music history

Preferred the live album with the orchestra but still enjoyed this one

I have this album so while I’m not a huge Metallica fan, I thought enough of this that I felt the need for it to be part of my collection.

nice. A classic, some thrash metal, which I don't usually listen to, but this has some good songs for the gym

Ive heard this before but always enjoy the revisits

edgy

I tried, but I just do not like metal

80s thrash metal, with the acoustic interludes that make Metallica Metallica. Some bits with clear blues influence. Some bits sound like a precursor to metalcore. The thing that should not me seems to give the link between e.g. Sabbath and Metallica First two tracks are best by far Heavy tracks are a nice blend of harmonic/melodic and chromatic Best track (other than title) - Battery 4 stars (just for title track alone!)

Inte riktigt min grej

Come on

Jeder Song erzählt mit hartem Beat eine Story und der Sound ist so klar man denkt James Hetfield steht vor einem und schreit einen an - Ein Meisterwerk!

Leider nicht meine Art Metall, quietsche quietsche Gitarre, nerv nicht. Manche Momente aber noch gut.

Would I come back to it - perhaps, chigging guitars and all that jazz. But not enough loud quite loud for me to really vibe with.

Impressive early Metallica. Lars’ drumming is always amazing. James’ lyrics as well. Not as good as the Black album, but still really, really good.

Almost beyond boring.

Amazing riffs, just a classic

I understand how I liked this music when I was an edgy teenager, because it sure sounds like it was written by one All I hear now is a group of semi-competent musicians making songs that overstay their welcome.

Easy 5. Peak Metallica

Not a metal guy at all but this is a classic metal album.

This was one of a few albums that set the bar for me in my early years. Still holds up, as do the goosebumps I still get listening to track 1 into. Sanitarium will be stuck in my head all weekend. I’ve heard a rumour that Battery and Damage Inc were sped up during production - cannot verify. Wouldn’t change my rating anyway.

Hard, fast, kids loved it. Asked for master of puppets followed by sandstorm by Darude.

Never actually listened to a Metallica record before. Very technically impressive. Did not pair well with reading on my subway ride home.

Master Piece

Big, zesty pot of Rally Sauce. This would be excellent music to install sheet goods or shingles to.

I don't know exactly why this works better for me than other metal. I think I just like the melodies better.

My first time listening to this album was on a mission trip to a Christian camp outside of Monterrey, Mexico. We had just been detained at the border crossing for around 4-5 hours. I had flown down with a group of guys the day before to a small town in Texas and met up with some other guys that had been driving a dually with a trailer and supplies from our home church in Illinois to meet up and cross over. I got picked to ride the rest of the trip in the dually. Windows down. Dark two lane road. Blasting Master of Puppets. It was my perfect first listen to this album and changed the way I saw Metallica forever. This album is the definitive Metallica album. It never lets up. Full of rage and headbanging goodness.

On some level you have to get into this when you're a teenager (or close to it.) There's something about their music that felt world-opening in the late 80s when the slightly older kid of my parents' friends played it for me. And yet, I was plum terrified of their whole thing the first time I heard them and swore Metallica off til their play for mainstream watered down the music and Nirvana was already pushing the limits far beyond what I had been exposed to, making the black album seem far more tame than Master of Puppets. Listening to this now, I still feel the pull to it of a teenage boy, but I either can't find the thing that makes them special, or the thing that made them special was embedded in the context of their time. Or maybe I just don't have the hobbies or habits that lend themselves to getting swept away by Master of Puppets in 2025. Still, everything here is undeniably craftful and feels elevated above the other metal albums that have been served to me in the 1001 albums project so far. I did grow tired of it after awhile and it felt like they were treading the same territory over and over again. Songs that want your attention for five minutes or more require the proper scaffolding to sustain their lifespan. New ideas or movements lift up many of the iconic 8+ minute songs, but even simple shifts in timing, octaves, or textures can do the trick (Stevie Wonder is the GOAT at this.) "Orion" had that going for it, to the point that I didn't even realize James Hetfield hadn't sang one note the entire track when it was over. The title track does that too, though it relies so heavily on speedy guitar solos that it wore thin, though the riff is so wildly kinetic that I can imagine someone living with that song since they were 12 years old holding it up as an all-timer. In general I've lost my taste for guitar solos over the years unless they're delivered by someone who can truly emote through their playing (Prince, Jimi, etc.) Then again, I can listen to house music for an hour and notice every small shift and new element along the way, so maybe I'm just not a fan of metal.

1 Battery: I really like the instrumentals in this song. The intro is also amazing. It lacks on the lyricism part though. 2 Master Of Puppets: Pure cinama, love it. 3 The Thing That Should Not Be: Boring 4 Welcome Home: Another BEAUTIFUL intro, love that. 5 Disposable Heroes: Nothing much, underwhelming, nice guitarsolo 6 Leper Messiah: Boring as hell 7 Orion: LOVE IT, perfect 8 Damage, Inc.: Not for me As a whole: I generally like the album... in smaller portions. It gets enough fast. The instrumental parts are beautiful!! It has some bangers, but also a few bad appels

Sorry, just didn't enjoy it at all.

is this our 20th metallica album cause it feels like it

I simply do not get the appeal

I'm sure they are good at what they do but every song sounds the same to me, fast and angry

One of the best albums.

holy peak but that one "master" at 3:35 in master of puppets made me jump out of my skin a bit besides that, extremely clean but also goes really hard 9/10

FUCKING LEGEND!

I despise metal. Including this.

Top track: Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

10/10 metal masterpiece

I can’t imagine being 14 or 15 in 1986 and hearing “Battery” into “Master of Puppets” for the first time (which is only relevant because I was around that age when I discovered metal). This isn’t a genre I listen to a lot anymore, but that certainly doesn’t affect the rating. This album is pretty nearly perfect, and I would do anything to live out the cultural zeitgeist surrounding this release in the 80s. I can’t think of a modern equivalent, honestly. At least not one of comparable quality.

I'm not normally a thrash guy. But for Master of Puppets, I'm a thrash guy. I'd never listened to the entire album before, so I was treated to some new stuff that I like here. I'll try not to gush too much about the titular song, but it is one of my favorite songs ever. There's something about that solo that fills me with a giddy joy every time I hear it. Orion really caught me off guard, but I really enjoyed the switch up around halfway through. Welcome Home was a treat I was not expecting to like, but it still had that clean tone that makes Master of Puppets proper so special to me. Honestly, my least favorite song on the album was Damage, Inc., but even still I liked that song quite a bit.

Absolutely shreds. Not as much variety as some of their other projects, but its one of the quintessential Metal albums.

I listened to a lot of Metallica when I was younger and full of teenage rage, so this felt like a less-than-pleasant trip down memory lane. Metal isn't my cup of tea anymore, I find it repetitive and I need some more performance from my vocalists. That being said, I see the importance of this album and I appreciate its technical strengths (especially the guitar and drums). The title track is a lot of fun and I still dig "Leper Messiah." I also didn't realize how big of fans of Bowie these guys are/were.

At first I felt the album was thrashing just to thrash. But that thrashing allowed me to really get enveloped by the parts where they let the melody ride. The juxtaposition really works here. Guitar was used to keep time in a way I found interesting. In the end, the ride couldn’t out weigh the thrash and it became kind of a slog by the end. Only so much of that cycle that I wanted to go through.

I like Metallica pretty well but they’ve always been more of a greatest hits band than an album band for me. There’s songs here I like a lot, always was a big fan of Sanitarium, but i don’t really feel the need to listen to it straight through very often, if ever

*RIPPER ALERT!!!* for me, it fucking ripped on the school bus in 2009 just as much as it fucking ripped while going for a jog today. If we had to show an alien how a "guitar" sounds, Kirk Hammett's chugging riffs here would be a top contender.

Banger.

Хочу пост-рок альбом от Металлики

Okay, this is just a classic of its genre. Anything else but five stars is impossible. You love it or you don't, I guess.

great, that i finally spend some time with metallica, but not really my thing. first songs are super energetic, but the sound gets quickly old for me.

Classic of the genre. Holds up well, top to bottom.

🔥

🤘🏼 🧔🏻‍♀️🤘🏼

Really interesting time-signature tweaks and breaks. Pockets everywhere of energetic bursts. There's lots of turns and quick transitions, with enough overarching themes or motifs to keep everything cohesive and moving. Everyone on this is very evidently locked in. I have never actually listened to this album, even though I really liked Metal when I was a kid and definitely was into the Black album and "...And Justice". I just never retroactively made it back to this album before I mostly stopped listening to Metal and moved onto other music. Too bad I didn't 'cause this is the real good shit. Better late than never with this one. Amazing album. Solid as fuck.

I was having a good time listening to this, but then it started to get very samey and grating. I checked the playtime and I was less than halfway through. Conclusion: good in small doses.

great album, masterpiece even. Orion my fave but Lepper Messiah, Battery, Master, Sanitarium, Heroes... The Thing... pretty much every track. its not a skip album. Arguably everyone (except maybe James - what a talent) were at their peak here. Kirk has become a meme but he is actually good here, Lars - also and Cliff was a beast. Probably not everyones cup of tea due to how aggressive it is, but my goodness its a great listen.

Not really my thing but pretty good at what they do

Title song is obviously a banger but the rest of the album was just alright.

Ok, mal se že cel dan izogibam poslušanju, ampak ura je 6 zvečer & I have to. Pa sploh ne vem zakaj, po pravic povedan. To je spet en teh bandov k mam samo površinsko znanje, se prav poznam "Enter Sandman" in njihovo verzijo "Whiskey in the Jar", k sta si pa med sabo tok različna, da ne morm zares potegnt kako bo Metallica dejansko zvenela. (Spomnila sm se še na "Nothing Else Matters"!) Mi je blo pa rečen, s strani nekoga, ki se bolje spozna - da je ta album iz cajtov, k so bli še dobri. Tko da, grem v to s tem znanjem. Prv komad, "Battery" je fine. Naslovni mi je všeč. Je pa kr epski z 8 in pol minutami. Sploh ta del zdj, mal pred 4 minutami. Gre čist v drug vibe mal. "The Thing That Should Not Be" je tud kul. Me pa dejansk kšn del spomne na "Enter Sandman "? "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" ma instrumentalno (na začetku, pol res šopajo) bl chill vibe, tematsko bl temačno. "Disposable Heroes" sam fakin šopa. Fak, prou js sm zmatrana k je konc. Spomin me je spet zafukal, ker večino naslednjega komada, "Leper Messiah" gruntam zakaj mi je ta besedna zveza tok znana. (Fakin Bowie lyric je!!!) Ok, "Orion" ma zanimiv začetek. In na splošno je spet tak komad, k te popelje on a whole ass journey. In, a se men sam zdi, a do zdj še ni blo vokalov? (Ja, instrumentaln je. Nisi totalno zgrešila vokale.) Najs je. Mogoč najljubši do zdaj na albumu. Tazadn mi ma isto kul začetk. Ne bi nujno spet poslušala, ampak I had a good time.

Honestly, this is the best Metallica would ever be, and Cliff Burton is the biggest reason for that. Losing Burton was the biggest reason the band drifted from their unique spot in metal and into the ultra-loud dad rock they’ve become today. Lars is drumming the best he ever would on an album, which is hilarious, because the drums still suck. But Kirk and James’ guitars are so perfect on this record, full of menace and fury. They made the most approachable metal of the era, but they still made it hard as fuck. Blast this one with your friends while you go jump off the roof into the pool.

real slog after track 5ish

i respect metallica just never going to be my thing tbh

The dissonant harmonisation on the thing that should not be is so annoying, and by the end I'm a bit fed up as most of the songs sound the same. It's got some of their best points but I insist this album is wildly overrated.

Metallica is fun in moderation - I love a little head bang and thrashing as much as the next guy, but man are those songs long or what?!

OHHHH YEAAHHH!!!!AHHHH!!!.

Maybe if Lars Ulrich had a puppet master, he’d be good at the fucking drums. My god. If he was in a paper bag, he could not drum his way out. Gun to his head, he would die. That’s not to say it’s 100% shite, but it’s like 87% shite. The rest of the gang are killing it. Technically, I give this a 2.6.

Thrash Metal has never appealed to be, despite being loud, fast, and aggressive. This album singularly brought Thrash to the mainstream… even if it took a few years. The title track alone is one of the best rock compositions ever written, unlike the title track to KISS’s catastrophic 1998 failure “Psycho Circus” which almost killed Rock n Roll forever. Due to this being Cliff Burton’s final album before his unfortunate passing, it holds even more power in the genre’s lore, beyond it just being one of the best representations of that era or otherwise. I wish after all this time that Metallica would learn how to turn up the bass in their album mixes. “ReMaster of Puppets” 🤓

Top 10 prog album all time

Trash metal. My cat sounds better, if you poke her with a pointed stick!

Nope. I just don't understand this genre of music at all. I don't understand the appeal. The only song I could stomach was "Orion", and that's mainly because it didn't sound like the Metallica of the rest of the album. Not for me.

Ihan saatanan kovaahan tämä on, ei pääse mihinkään. M’tällicah!

This album thrashes so hard. What a revival of heavy metal this was, truly capturing their own sound. Front to back it is hyper-charged with amazing guitar licks and deep, captivating vocals. Glad I finally got to this one on here.

Even non-metal heads will understand it’s a legend.

"Pull the string! Pull the string! A mistake is made. A story must be told. Beware...beware! Beware of the big green dragon that sits on your doorstep. He eats little boys...puppy dog tails, and big, fat snails. Beware, take care....beware!" - Bella Lugosi, "Glen or Glenda" The musicianship is so great. A powerful voice. This isn't "my genre". I've been trying to consider that as not of consequence for this challenge, but it is. Listen, I've been genuinely depressed in my life, still am, I know about mental health; I've been subject to a few of the faults of our power structures set up out there. I'm anti-war. I don't really need someone shouting about how much death and darkness and bloodshed there is, and saying nothing more. I wrote poems like this at school, and didn't write them when I experienced real life, and I got better at poetry. War poems by people who, like me, haven't been there, read a certain way. I guess a real experience might - might - include the stunned silence of trauma. The album correctly says, we're all servants to the powers that be, but it doesn't really identify what that is, how you might be part of it yourself when you're suing a child and family for downloading a song, say. Leonard Cohen is more Metal. Anyone who sits, names their darkness, instead of projecting it onto nameless entities supposedly creating our doom, is stronger to me, even when entities exist. They exist, but "us and a nameless them" isn't the totality. Hey, sometimes in the right contexts, I like one who bows to a Messiah, the act, the idea. Bowing to your power can be pretty cool - can be. I really like the guitars. I like it when there isn't a vocal as self-satisfied as a teenager saying "dark-sounding" words. On "Orion", it opens up, just rocking out, and you can think for yourself. Instrumental Metal might be more my thing until a band can speak to me about experience. I like Damage Inc. and I like a lot on this album. It's prompting me to look further into Metal, but I'm finding the whole Metallica package quite annoying.

Metallica trifft nicht meinen Geschmack. Es gibt ein paar sehr schöne Balladen der Band, die mir wirklich gut gefallen. Abseits davon, in ihrem Hauptgeschäft, sind sie mir zu anstrengend. Der Drummer gibt alles, es gibt gute Riffs, James Hetfield hat eine markante Stimme und singt auch, dennoch gefällt es mir insgesamt nicht. Werde ich mir so schnell nicht noch mal anhören. 3/5

Pretty solid rock album, I understand why this is in some people's top albums

pulling my strings

This one I know, and quite well. Grew up on it. Absolutely wall to wall bangers here. Influential and also holds up. This stuff still rips.

One of the fews thrash albums that i like, i really enjoy this metallica

Such a great workout album

Ehh

great hard rock

ta buena la wea, buen album de metal para ser unos novatos en eso dea

Their third album. Metal. Not a huge Metal fan, however this was a technically very good album. Master Of Puppets, the title track, is a good example of this. The Thing That Should Not Be is also a good track. Orion was my favourite. A solid album.

The best Metallica album on this list. Can’t believe they didn’t include ride the lightning

Das Albom esch för mech weder so es Konscht Albom wommer ned eifach so cassualy losst wel mer am beschte aktiv am zuelose esch zoms voll chönne gniesse. Das esch z. B. au bi I Wish You Where Here enorm e so. Was ech s gfühl ha was es zo dem macht esch dass es rächt langi Songs send, wo aber huere guet ufbaut send. Das bedütet eig eifach ned noch em standard schema sondern au mol de Song i sech lo zämegheie. Wenn das Fonktioniert esch es de halt scho huere geil. Das esch zom biispel bi Master of Puppets e so. Trotzdem esch es halt emmer no Metal. Do gods vorallem drom e möglechst energieriichi Musig änezbrenge. Das idem mer möglechst vel Instromänt of einisch lod lo spele. Das ged eim denne chli s gfühl dass de Song eifach chli zämegwörfleti Stemme esch. Wemmer meh it rechtig hard rock god, zom biispel met AC/DC denne esch jedes instromänt sorgfältig platziert. So konkurenziered sie sech ned wie do sondern onderstötzed sech. Während sech AC/DC also wie e suber schmierti Maschene afühlt, esch das eher eini wo eifach vel z vel gas ged zom öberhaupt z laufe.

Metallica has never been a band that I rated highly so this album didn't change my opinion on them. So so. Gave it 2 stars for effort.

Master of Puppets is the best song, no surprise. The opening track "Battery" is pretty fun, if misleading. It's a relatively lean 5:12 with the thicc Master of Puppets following it at 8:35. I think the reason I'm not into more metal is because it's bloated, and I like my songs short. But I appreciate some headbanging materials.

More like "Bunch of Muppets".

Metallica did such a good job with Ride The Lightning that going for the 'same vibe, but better' was obviously the right choice. The production is wonderful, it hits harder and it's more melodically varied too. You don't even have to put up with a song like Escape (which is ok on a technical level but clearly mandated by the studio). To put it another way, my least favourite track is Leper Messiah and I can't really think of any actual criticism I could give it aside from personal taste. Well, the lyrics I guess. But they're still uniformly good too. Tangent: The album really highlights how important Cliff was to the band and while I like later records by them, it's not the same. Favourite Track: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Least Favourite: Leper Messiah Strong Bad Demerit Count: 0

I mean, it's Master of Puppets. Melodic prog thrash metal with a title track that is somehow accessible enough to chart nearly 40 years later. Aspects of Metallica's other classic period album are arguably better - they're at their fastest and heaviest on Kill 'Em All, the lyrics are better on Lightning, James' voice is stronger and full of righteous anger on AJFA, but the production and much tighter musicianship create their best album front-to-back.

The greatest metal album ever

I prefer Metallica’s Black Album, which is more approachable, I guess, for a non-metal fan like me. But the sound here is polished, and the songcraft is mature. Just not my thing, I’m afraid.

Meh-tallica

Can Metallica sound like generic Metallica? Seems so.

Hadn’t listened to this album in years. I like the genre less as I get older. Halfway through battery I wasn’t feeling it, so I rolled down the windows and cranked up the volume till my ears hurt. Could barely hear by the time I got home and it was totally worth it.

OH SHIT!!! Let's go!! Fuck Battery goes so hard!! the whole album was FIRE!!! 5 stars.

Great heavy metal album by one of the best bands. A little on the heavy side for my taste but hard to argue with songs like Battery and Master of Puppets.

Not really my thing (i was putting off listening to this), but not too bad. A bit too heavy, I don’t love the really heavy bass lines but some redeeming stuff

Me engancho y aún no me safo del todo

A Very good classic metal Album 4.25/5

Ride the Lightning is my favourite album of all time and this is a close second

I need to listen to more metal

If you like thrash metal, this is a masterpiece. If you don’t like metal, you won’t like this. If you are curious and don’t know which album to start with, this is probably the best album by the biggest band in the genre

knew it already, loved it already, still love it. 10/10

8.5/10 Highlights: Master of Puppets Sanitarium Orion Battery

A little heavy for my taste, but it’s definitely a masterpiece.

Normally, I'd say their music is overrated, but for this album, the music, talent, lyrics, and riffs are enough for me to give this a 5/5(I even think this is better than "The Black Album"), but I refuse to give a Metallica album a 5/5, and if you know why, you know why. Favorite Track: "Master Of Puppets".

This was OK but after 54 minutes of brutal noise, the silences that followed the ends of each song felt more and more stark. There were some good riffs but a bit too heavy in places

I guess I'm on board that this is probably the best Metallica album. Still nothing they do will ever top the sheer joy that Some Kind of Monster has given me.

Again: not my kind of music. However, it was a lot more enjoyable to listen to than the Anthrax lp. There was none of that album's ridiculous, embarrassing eighties-ness here. Some parts of some songs I actually enjoyed. Also, I have no qualms about this lp being in the list. It is iconic and deservedly so.

This will always be one of my favorite albums of all time! Top 5... desert island... the whole 10 yards type stuff. It has so much personal significance to me and there is so much that I could say but in the interest of brevity... you just can't get much better than this, IMO. (9.9/10)

Not only a defining album for the band, but a cornerstone of the gene. Raw, powerful production and cliff killing it on the base. An absolute classic that still holds up today. Honestly, nothing more needs to be said.

I really don’t click with metal, but I can see why this is deeply respected

Leper Messiah

7/10

I enjoyed the rawness and epicness of some of the tracks, but a lot of it is too repetetive and long. His voice his really cool though. Best song: Master of Puppets/Orion Worst song: Leper Messiah Cover check: Dark and oppressive, good fit

Never been a huge fan of thrash, so not really for me. It's very technical and superbly made, and you can't deny the brilliance of songs like the title track, but it simply isn't my jam. Fave song on this listen: Master of Puppets

🗯 Two Metallica albums in as many days — sheesh! I don’t really purposely play Metallica these days — that was 10-year-old hungry Benny with a drum kit — but I can’t lie, I frigging love them when I do hear them these days. And if The Black Album was the band levelling up for the mainstream, Master of Puppets is a proper crowning jewel of thrash. The title track is a perfect monster — sprawling, precise, devastatingly tight. Battery rips, Welcome Home (Sanitarium) broods, Disposable Heroes crushes. Every track feels like it’s there to prove a point: thrash could be intricate, ambitious, and still utterly feral. It’s also Cliff Burton’s swan song, and you can feel his fingerprints all over it. That makes it not just a closing chapter for the band, but a peak for the genre itself. Verdict: Essential (thrash perfection, full stop) For fans of: Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, kids with drum kits who still dream of keeping up

Technically superb and clearly a genre-defining metal album at it’s time - but metal never fully does it for me and despite the albums strengths, it doesn’t grip me.

I love how the explosive sound envelops you. I often find heavy metal music relaxing in a strange way and this album hits that spot massively. I think its that the thrashing guitar is so fast it becomes almost like a white noise. Anyway, im not suggesting this is an album to nap to. The solos and riffs can have my body shaking and my head banging. Unreal stuff. Incredibly brutal at points. The tone of the guitars complements the vocals perfectly. Say what you want about Lars but the way he drives the songs on with an intense, relentless energy is a big part of what makes this album what it is. Sometimes forget just how good Metallica were in the 80s. Favourite track - Welcome Home (Sanitarium) or Orion. 9/10

This is 5. A stalwart album and has definitely stood the test of time. Like Fade To Black on its predecessor, Sanitarium is still the duffer here but doesn’t take the shine off the album too much - not enough to dock it a star. I can’t see many arguments against this being a classic.