Reviews (page 6 of 14)
first half are bangers but latter half are mid so it evens out
Yea this album fucking rocks, not my favorite album from them but its still a great one nonetheless. Battery and sanitarium are my favorite tracks on this album. 8.7/10
alrdy listened to
Riffs on riffs on riffs on riffs! loses a point because there's too much reverb on the drums and voals and it kind of just sounds like the same song for an hour
This is a 3.5. I like some songs but the whole album isn’t quite a 4
I haven't always been the biggest fan of Metallica, and I would even say they're a bit overrated. However, I did like this particular album quite a lot, and it is probably their best. The titular track is a banger, but the rest of the album also pleasantly surprised me. 8 / 10
Suprisingly prog! I still like megadeth more but it was pleasantly suprised :)
This is one of the few Metallica albums I know songs from. Used to love singing "Battery" just a few seconds after Hetfield would shout the word out. Made for fun times. "Master of Puppets" is the other well-known song from here. And of course, loved the cosmic reference in "The Thing That Should Not Be". Overall, a solid album.
A diferencia del otro disco, en este caso las canciones largas funcionan mejor, y creo que es simplemente porque son superiores. Es una obra que te patea el culo desde que arranca hasta que termina. Gran disco de Metallica, hacia años que no lo escuchaba.
Probably my favourite Metallica album. The title track has some incredible riffs and never feels like it’s over 8 minutes long. The influence of this album and much of the bands 80s output is clear on thrash and indeed metal more widely. The heavy, high octane moments are also balanced with some gentler, almost medieval sounding passages in songs too. The main issue I have with this and much of Metallica’s classic era output is that the production renders everything sounding a bit thin and flat. Still, the power of songs like Master of Puppets and the instrumental Orion overcome these shortcomings to create a pretty much essential metal album.
This is pretty banging. Master of puppets is obviously a classic, but I was equally as impressed by some of the other tracks, particularly Sanitarium (my favourite on the album), Battery and Orion. I've never gotten into Metallica (down to my own ignorance) but I enjoyed this.
Solid from front to back. The guitar ripping throughout never gets old.
8/10
Phenomenal album from my childhood, listening to it again was very nostalgic
enjoyed the guitar a lot, the vocals less so
as someone who came to metal through Deafheaven, Converge, and Holy Roar Records (remember them?) rather than the Big 4, this was such a fun first listen. the metal of 1986 feels more fluid, exploratory - it feels like this would be a thrash record with some serious qualifications these days, given the prog and goth and doom of it all. the open-road, shark-like velocity of tracks like Battery aren't dulled at all by the fact that chunks of Welcome Home just sound like the Cure - instead, they're colored by it, anger sharpening the pathos, pathos guiding the anger. in 2026, it's easy to hear this as a record made of its building blocks - speed and politics from punk, song structures from prog, soloing from classic rock, atmosphere from goth - but it's just So Fucking Fun to hear these guys putting those things together in at-the-time revolutionary ways. found this really illuminating and weirdly grounding as a piece of genre history - a feeling that is, in part, the point of a project like this - on top of being a good fucking time
The greats always seem to figure out how to appeal to masses. Not the biggest metal fan but these songs are approachable to anyone that can appreciate music.
Basically a must listen for metal fans. A bit overrated? Yes
Great metal album with well written riffs and solo sections. Love how they portray metal as an intense and upbeat but also beautiful thing in music. 8.5/10, Favorite Song: Orion
Battery = Thrash. Instantly memorable riffs. Thing that should not plods on too long. Interlude in Master saves the song. Sanitarium is fantastic song. Disposable, great chorus amd bridge. Leper best part is last 14 seconds… Orion, proggy mid section to break up the chuga-chuga is great, maiden/sabbath nod. Love the lead guitar rather than solo guitar approach. Disappointed by fade out to end the track. Damage inc likely much more fun live
good
9/10
Yeah
This is a very good album, lots of energy and good riffs but once again too long and some parts just sound repetitive but I'll give it a 4. The thing that should not be is a banger
They are the best at it hat they do.
3.5
kinda liked it
I’M YOUR SOURCE OF SELF DESTRUCTION
It’s a testament to Metallica’s cultural heft that certain moments of this album today sound like “classic rock,” whatever that means. I’m thinking of the guitar solos on “Sanitarium” and the title track and the bridge in the middle of “Orion,” which echo the ambitious progressive compositional elements of an earlier track like “Fade to Black.” Metal has only continued to splinter and grow ever darker in the years since this album, of course, but I think it reinforces how foundational the band is to the broader heavy metal genre, and it helps explain their appeal to audiences who weren’t necessarily into thrash metal. Master of Puppets is technically and sonically impressive and the lyrics are strong, and there’s enough variation from the pummeling in these compositions to avoid monotony. It’s a high point for a band with whom I find plenty of other faults.
Good, not the best Metallica imo
Fast, intense , incredible guitar work. Vocally strong if a little too much angry growling for me. Masterful though. Strong 4.
Very likeable metal and iconic tracks. Ending felt a bit dragging, though.
Great record. Every track bangs. Favourite Track(s): Master Of Puppets Least Favourite Track(s): Disposable Heroes
Heavy as it gets. Great album but not my bag really
לא מספיק אוהב מטאל בשביל לתת לזה 5 אבל איזה אלבום מטורף
THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS. VERY STRESSFUL BUT GOOD
tbh I was jamming to this more than anticipated
Loved this album which I heard for the first time today. Particularly love Master of puppets, welcome home and orion.
Enjoyed more than expected, some good musicality in here
#1/1089 --------- One of the best thrash albums to ever exist, and the album that managed to get metal into the mainstream. It also sounds good even to this day. Favorites: Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Least favorites: Orion, Battery Rating (out of 10): 9/10
Driving guitar and drums and first-class composition, but the album doesn’t grab me the way I think it should. I think this is maybe because the Metallica trash metal sound is so imitated over the years, you don’t get the impact of hearing it for the first time here. And then there’s the perennial problem that, even though I grew up listening to metal, I’m now too old for it. I’d happily own this album, but I don’t think it’d get as much play in my collection as even other metal albums.
Peak Metallica
Energizing!
Metallica is one of my favorites but I have never listened to an album of theirs back to front. I found some new gems in this, but I have to say that they have a very destinct style that they never really stray from. Its a good style so I don't mind it, but it would have been nice to have some experimentation.
4/5 Yeah that's one good album alright. My only complaint is that they were very tame with their style, there's near to no experimentation and that often makes an album a little dull for me. But there were still some bangers and some timeless classics on this, so I'm happy to give it a 4/5.
Favorite Track: Master of Puppets
No puede fallar. Es un clásico indiscutible y cada canción hace resonar el nombre 'Metallica'.
I'm definitely one of the lesser Metallica fans and my views on my fave album of theirs may cause consternation for the majority, but still, I can recognise game and there's no doubt that this is great, even if I don't think as highly of it as many Metallica fans do! There's not really a lot I can add to the discourse of this album but from a Metallica novice, I will say that despite having not listened to this loads, I do know pretty much every song on here and that's because they're all great because whilst they can obviously write killer riffs, they can also write killer songs. My issue with a lot of metal, apart from vocals, is that there's not enough dynamics within an album or within the songs but that's not the case here and in particular, the title track and Orion have loads of movement that make them interesting beyond just a cool riff. Ultimately this is why Metallica had such a crossover appeal and became so massive which may be a negative for some but for me it's a huge positive!
I get why people like this, but it never really jels with me. It’s kind of like too perfect or something.
able to keep me entertained and engaged. tempos are nice. really enjoy the solos, especially in Welcome Home (Sanitarium). i like the sound, in general. i think my favorite is probably Battery. overall: good for driving
I'm not a huge Metallica fan, but this album rocks pretty hard.
Metallica debut follow up is a bit more cohesive and a pretty good slab of metal.
Saw Metallica open for Ozzy in this tour and they outstaged him. Absolutely love this record, groundbreaking for the genre.
What a great album!
It works.
Vraiment sympa j'ai bien le métal donc ça me plaît, même les parties pas chantées
jamais trop écouté, vraiment trop cool
This turned out to be a genuine surprise. After the first song and the beginning of the second, I was ready to hit 1 star and blame it on metal fatigue. Thrash has never been my thing and the only song from the genre that sticks in my mind is Enter Sandman! However, I stuck with it and it paid off. Sanitarium is such a great, melodic song and I've never heard a military rhythm played on a guitar like it is in Disposable Heroes. Plus, playing the title track earns me street cred with my sons through it being played on Stranger Things. Granted, Battery and Leper Messiah are too metal for me, and The Thing That Should Not Be is just too 'chuggy', but this album has been played, loud, multiple times over the weekend and I've felt better for it. A solid 4☆.
Slightly better than the last Metallica album (black album) but still a 4. I thought there was more musicality in this album despite it being heavy metal
Just incredible ‘80s classic metal. Sometimes thrash-y, sometimes melodic.
PULL ZE STRINGS!!! PULL ZE STRINGS!!!!
favorites: master of puppets; orion; damage inc
'm not a Metallica fan at all, but I can admit that this album is undoubtedly a legend. It's not my favorite, though. I still think that they made better albums, such as Ride the Lightning or AJFA (my personal favorite). I understand why everyone kind of collectively agrees that this is their best one. I mean, the riffs are heavy and iconic, the lyrics are solid, but for me, it seems a little bit all over the place. Will I listen to it again? Probably not, except for a couple of songs (the title track and "Battery" — I do actually like them). But I respect the impact, so that's why it's a 4/5 and not lower.
Good but not my favorite of theirs
Iconic
Genre defining
Such strong guitar lines and sounds. I've always enjoyed the title track but enjoyed listening to the entire album.
bah un vrai banger quoi
Really cool vibe lots of guitar great rock Saved 3 songs
Good album for the gym. Not a fan of heavy metal but there was nothing I didn't like. It was good listening and obviously hugely influential. The instruments went crazy, so epic. I liked it, no songs really stood out like crazy but I really enjoyed my listening. 4 stars
I expected this to be a bit of a slog and BOY was I wrong
RIP eddie
Um, they totally rock.
Didn't like the black album much. Liked And Justice some. This one is super solid.
A little repetitive by the end but really fun and sharp sounds. loved it!
Metallica has made so much music over the years, with some of it even being good!
Surprisingly melancholic in places. Consistently making me question whether I actually don't mind Metal. Pick : Orion
Surprising I liked it
I actually liked the album. More dad rock, but that’s okay this time. I appreciated the lyrics that were criticism war and religion. It actually said something. I thought the songs were very long… and it did get repetitive and a bit boring hearing the same screaming male vocals. But, there was quite a bit of variety, really impressive instrumentation, I enjoyed the instrumental no vocals the most, and their slower ones with non screaming vocals. I can see how it was probably experimental and unique at the time. Still felt overly theatrical and campy and too serious, but that’s the genre. I would listen to more Metallica
Fuck yes. Metallica's best album in my opinion, not a huge Metallica fan, but this is a damn good album.
Me gustó, no es para nada como mi go to en música pero lo disfruté Es algo q si escucharía más seguido me gustaría mucho ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"guitar riffs, assembled and reassembled until they start to sound like a song" triffts ziemlich gut. Die entstandenen Songs sind ziemlich gut, verlaufen sich aber manchmal ein bissl. Größter Kritikpunkt: Der Sound ist ziemlich flach. Alles ist zusammenkomprimiert und dumpf. Highlights: Battery, Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanatarium)
Good album
Another solid thrash metal entry from Metallica, and with actual bass this time! Cliff Burton was the GOAT, as can clearly be heard on Orion.
I only knew the first two tracks on here beforehand, which in-context make for an awesome, explosive opening. Love it! My main problem with Metallica is that their weaker songs tend to blur together and sound almost formulaic. On this one, the whole middle stretch (particularly Disposable Heroes) sounds indistinguishable in composition from numerous songs in their catalog. It's never *bad*, just kind of forgettable. Even then, their godly guitar shreds are fully on display the whole time, and the album picks right back up on Leper Messiah. Orion might genuinely be a new highlight for me in their discography, and Damage, Inc. is a pretty sick closer. All in all I can't deny it's a classic! Standouts: Battery • Master of Puppets • Leper Messiah • Orion • Damage, Inc.
hell yea. dope cover. look at all those tombstones that the master is puppetting. gotta respect it. def leppard put out hysteria within a year of this album, which helps me get perspective on how rad it is. the mix for me sounds a little compressed, maybe its the guitars? I don't know, but apparently this is an unpopular opinion online orion forever 4
Rating: 8.5/10 Short Review: Very dynamic record, it felt like at any point a song could take a turn in any direction at any point which made for a very enjoyable listening experience. Essential album in general, but especially if you like metal in any capacity
06
In the mood for metal? This won't disappoint. Favorite songs: Orion, Welcome Home, Master of Puppets
I haven't really listened to much metal, but this was an awesome album. The intros to all of the songs were great but all of the songs are VERY long. Overall a very enjoyable listen though. Songs I liked the most were: Battery, Welcome home (Sanitarium) and Damage Inc.
Pretty solid
A great great rock album
I listened to this on the wrong day and it just made me angry over nothing. From previous experience, it's a great album for getting sh*t done.
The production on this album is unbelievable. You can feel this was meant to be played on a stage in front of THOUSANDS
All time classic
geet go hard hard solid album to start this challenge on favorite song: damage, inc.
Classic thrash metal album that begins to show the versatility of Metallica’s sound. As expected, there’s no shortage of blazing fast riffs and explosive thrash energy, but there’s also a lot of beautiful melodic moments and creative songwriting. The album is a bit front-loaded, but there are some late standouts such as the amazing bass feature “Orion” (which unfortunately does overstay its welcome a tiny bit). Majority of the songs are nothing short of incredible.
I liked it all tbh but the songs are soo long, idk if I can have that in my general rotation
Classic Metal. What I would expect from Metallica. Good listen but wouldn't own it.
Crazy that this came out in 1986 and is STILL influencing thrash metal. Not a big metal genre listener, but I did enjoy this very much!
Had me on a string.
Love this album!! The sound, the commentary on addiction, and so much more make this album great!
I liked this album more than I thought!
Energiegeladen, kompromisslos und wegweisend: Mit „Master of Puppets“ lieferten Metallica 1986 ein Thrash-Metal-Meisterwerk ab, das bis heute als eines der einflussreichsten Alben des Genres gilt. Die acht Tracks strotzen vor technischer Präzision, düsterer Atmosphäre und musikalischer Wucht. Herausragend ist der Titeltrack „Master of Puppets“, ein kreatives Epos voller Dynamik, das mit komplexen Riffs, abrupten Tempowechseln und gesellschaftskritischen Texten beeindruckt. Auch Songs wie „Battery“ und „Welcome Home (Sanitarium)“ zeigen die Band auf dem Höhepunkt ihres Schaffens.
Best song: Master of Puppets Not much of a metalist.
The opening track just blew my expectations out of the water. "Battery" has one of the best openings for a song ever. The rest of "Master of Puppets" is good ol' fashioned Metallica. It's definitely their best album. I also liked "Orion", a song that had been sampled on one of my favourite albums. 4 stars for "Master of Puppets".
- Very enjoyable listen - Songs are long as fuck - I felt like 60% of the songs sounded exactly the same, one step too far into repetition instead of cohesion - Top songs: Master of Puppets (duh), Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Damage Inc - Overall: 3.5/5
legendary album, peak influence
This here is my go to Metallica album. Title track does the heavy-lifting here as it is flawless. The back half gets gnarly and I am always down for a cool instrumental. (Orion)
Foundational thrash metal album. Yes, it's good. It's not THAT good. I know the metalheads love it, I know the Metallica fans love it. It's not perfect. Let's not pretend it is. They get full of themselves with the song lengths.
Full of good songs
i know this one backwards and forwards. i have owned this since 1986. Metallica's last album with their original bassist Cluff Burton (died in a tour bus accident in Sweden). and part of their core four albums. other than the song, "Master of Puppets", there are some other great songs on the album. my favorite all-time Metallica song, "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Battery" (the opening song on the tour), and "Disposable Heroes". While this my not be my favorite Metallica album ("Ride the Lightning") it's usually considered their best (along with "....and justice for all").
Enjoyed all the heavy instrumental parts
good, but a bit overwhelming with the lack of vocals and the control of the song with the use of guitar solos, however, would listen again
Comes hard out of the gate, and the first half is some of the best thrash you will ever hear. Loses steam in the back half and the last three tracks don't really do it for me. 8 minute instrumental? No thanks Metallica. Fave tracks: Battery, Master of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be
I’ve never considered myself a metalhead, but Master of Puppets was an eye-opener. The relentless guitar work pulls you in immediately, and the high-speed, thrashing drums demand full attention—you can’t listen to this album casually. I knew the title track from Stranger Things, but everything else was new to me, and it quickly became clear that each song functions as its own epic. Instead of pop’s verse-chorus-verse comfort, the tracks constantly shift in speed, volume and intensity. The aggression is undeniable, but it’s matched by purpose: songs about addiction, militarism, blind devotion and mental illness, all delivered with clear structure and intent rather than noise for its own sake.
I thought it was really good, the beat and the guitar. I didn’t understand a word that they were saying but I enjoyed it regardless. It’s actually a great album to put on while you write because it drowns out background noise and forces you to focus.
Ofc patiko
love it.
Master class metal album. Start to finish its intricate and powerful. The perfect balance of light and dark. Ride The Lightning will always be my number one, but Master more than holds its own.
Thought it was a bit weak at first but got into it towards the end
hits less hard than it did 20 years ago but still good
Összeségében az album nekem monoton volt. A hosszú dalokban elég sok ismétlődés volt. Annyira nem tetszett, mint amennyire tudtam , hogy ismert az album. Ennek ellenére voltak benne jó gitár szólók. A kedvenc dalom az Orion volt.
7/10 - great start, toe tapping good. Petered out towards the end.
not a big metal fan in general. fav songs : master of puppets, welcome home (sanitarium), orion
One of the best metal albums ever and certainly the most iconic album cover. It's a shame I've never really liked the genre because I do like how well this music is put together. The titletrack is one of the best songs ever in general and I was pleasantly surprised by Disposable Heroes and Orion hearing them for the first time. Closing your albumtour with Damage Inc. must have been insane back in 1986, awesome closer. Not a single bad track but just not my cup of tea I'm afraid
Some tracks have a tendency to run too long for the amount of material and start feeling repetitive, but otherwise it's a very good metal album. Couple rabbit trails: First - I was amused by the Cthulhu references in "The Thing That Should Not Be." I was curious whether, beyond just familiarity with Lovecraft's stories, there was any evidence of Metallica having also played the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. It came out in 1981 so the timeline would work. From what I could find it looks like the answer is probably yes - at least Burton and Hammett did. Fun. I didn't have Metallica on my radar for Arkham Horror background music but I'll have to keep it in mind. Second - the instrumental "Orion" is by far the standout track on the album. It rules. I don't know Metallica's catalog well enough to know whether they did instrumentals often, but "Orion" makes me hope they did. Ok - there is a section of this song that starts around the 4:00 mark... I don't really recall exactly how we got started doing this but, years ago, we ended up training our poodles to have a Pavlovian response to us singing the notes from that section (set to the words "puppy dogs"). Silly, but if they heard it they knew it was time to eat. Eventually we got these automatic dog food dispensers that let you set a short recording to play whenever they dispensed. So we'd hear our adaptation of "Orion" played automatically twice a day. The dogs are pretty old now and too deaf for it to work anymore, but I still avoid doing "Orion" around them so that I don't accidentally disappoint them.
Classic metal, straight ahead grooves most the time so if you like more soul it’s not for you but as far as metal goes it doesn’t get better than this.
Master of puppets goes hard and is giving Doom soundtrack. Solid album, felt more cohesive than other Metallica albums on here, even if I knew less tracks. Highlights: master of puppets, battery
This is a very good album and definitely worthy of its status as a classic of its genre, but for some reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, despite liking this kind of music. I liked it a lot, but for whatever reason it just didn't resonate with me the way my favourites in this genre do. Maybe it'll grow with me over time, but I don't know. Still very good, though. 4/5
Damage Inc and master of puppets standout for me. I think under appreciated for their lyricism. Having had to study some of their work in english classes. They arent just thrashing and yelling and playing fast solos, they are telling stories of addiction, control, and freedom. I just feel like they get credited as being music to listen to before going to gym, but their work goes much deeper than that. Anyhow. banger album. Hard to listen to at the desk at work however.
Pretty fun and great toe dip into metal.
Classic heavy metal. 4/5
Metallica is a family favorite; Skip loves master of puppets
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
🤘
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
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
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
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.
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.
Ja!
Classic
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
Not my go-to genre, but this was good - significantly exceeded my expectations
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.
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
🤘😈🤘
Classic stuff...
El classico. Not my fave, but I can't deny the influence, and by Metallica standards, probably close to their peak.
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.
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.
Really great.
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
This album got me to Vegas 45 mins early
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.
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
edgy
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!)
Impressive early Metallica. Lars’ drumming is always amazing. James’ lyrics as well. Not as good as the Black album, but still really, really good.
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.
I don't know exactly why this works better for me than other metal. I think I just like the melodies better.
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.
*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.
Classic of the genre. Holds up well, top to bottom.
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.
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.
great hard rock
ta buena la wea, buen album de metal para ser unos novatos en eso dea
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.
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.
A Very good classic metal Album 4.25/5
I need to listen to more metal
8.5/10 Highlights: Master of Puppets Sanitarium Orion Battery
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".
🗯 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
I prefer their self titled
The kings of heavy metal! Possibly not their best album but certainly an intense ride. Battery, Damage Inc and the title track are the standouts.
I think I’m more in awe of pure thrash phase Metallica, than loving it as such. The riffs are so ridiculously fast (yet catchy), the drumming is just insane at times, which just makes it quite the spectacle really. Also, it’s just so smooth and clean, how can you do that playing at such speed, is that just in production or are they the tightest band ever, I never have seen them live? But it is also that cleanness and speed that stops me from loving them, it’s hard to take a breath and nod along, a moment is there and gone, then another one comes along before you’ve savoured the last. In conclusion 100% respect, 75% like, discuss…..
Classic Metallica
Classic Metallica
Not my fave Metallica album but if there had to be one representative thrash metal album on this list, it's this one. Genius, composition, technical skill, testosterone vitriol wrapped into a beauty of a sub-hour album. four stars cause that's the max I give to an artist who has multiple albums on this list
Smashing trash metal. Would be 5 star if I didn't love Megadeth just a liiiittle bit more
My first time truly listening to Metallica. I understand why people say they are very good. 8/10
My go-to Metallica album is S&M, and prior to this project today, it's the only album I'd ever heard front to back. It's safe to say I'm only a general fan, having been thrusted into thrash metal in my adolescence, but dabbling in way too many genres. As far as Metallica goes, I always felt I knew a good chunk of their best tracks. At no point does this record fall short. The last few tracks were new to me and goddamn, what a way to pack a punch and pull it through. How am I just hearing Orion for the first time today? The sensation you get when you let this album into you is something like revenge and euphoria blended and purified. It was nice to hear the songs I enjoy as metal standards in their original grit. Will definitely be repeating this listen. 4.4/5
Classic.
7/10
classic
The intro of Battery is truly beautiful. Sometimes I wish that metal bands would just dedicate themselves to making less metallic albums. I've heard the start of this song a lot but not the end because I used to play it on Rockband drums but could never get to the end... too many kicks. Master of Puppets (the track) is overrated for me. I don't really get it. James Hetfield kinda sounds like a pirate when he sings "master!" Orion intro. Orion those two guitars wailing together about 4 and a half minutes in. DO MORE OF THAT PLZZZ. Fave Tracks: Battery, Orion 3.6/5
ive always thought this was vastly better than ride the lightning, which is funny considering its one of the most shameless examples of a band copying their own homework, with every song having a RTL equivalent sequenced in almost entirely in the same order. honestly on closer inspection, i think it might be a case of Less Bad rather than More Good, for as down as i kinda am on it RTL does have a lot of fine raw musical ideas and i think in a direct song for song comparison theyre mostly pretty close to eachother. but the two big weakness of RTL for me, the production and james' vocals, are both improved pretty starkly here. the production honestly still aint no great shakes (slayer outsells) but its not a weakness, and james still isnt perfect (honestly i think his vocals are one of the only things ab metallica that actively improved as they went on) but he's clearly found his style and is comfortable in it. i feel like ive been v complainy here lol and yea metallica aint my favorite thing unless theyre kicking with lou reed. but it Is hard to deny songs this good...metallica's secret weapon of being more based in the rock songwriting idiom then metal is at its most vindicated here. my fave is thing that should not be, the equivalent to for whom the bell tolls which is probably also my favorite on RTL...the band giving themselves room to breathe is very flattering on them, i almost wish they had done some fully Doomy stuff at some point. but p much everything here is Some sort of classic,,,for whatever else i think ab it, RTL was a good album structure and formula, so an even more confident and refined iteration is a pretty guaranteed smash. its hard not to laugh whenever i accidentally notice lars tho.
One of my favorite albums by Metallica. Not as raw as Kill Em All and Ride the Lightning but developing into one of the best thrash metal bands ever. 4/5
Wat een vet album! Veel melodieuzer dan ik had gedacht en super strak gespeeld!
Thrash is not usually the genre for me but this is good. They mix it up a bit so keep it interesting. There are some surprisingly good musical moments to. hold the interest rather than just thrashing away. It is a bit bloated and they do take themselves very seriously. At the other end of the rock spectrum from yesterday’s Aerosmith but both are getting a solid 4
I’ve had one Metallica album so far and that was And Justice For All. Was not a fan of that one. This one though, a straight banger. It might help that I have listened to it before but its title track is so good. Overall, loved this one
I'm frankly surprised that out of all the Metallica albums this is the one that was chosen over the black album. It's still a great album! But I think the quality of the songs are better overall on the black album. The guitar solos on this album are just juicy and tastefully long. I think master of puppets as a song deserves to be here, because it's a masterpiece of metal, but the rest of the album? Not as sure
I sadly lost my notes, but just quickly - the intro song and Disposable Heroes rock, and I'm pleasantly surprised how interesting the songs are. Definitely relistening this one
Battery and Master. Nothing left to say.
There’s some stone cold classics on this album, even if I’m not the biggest Metallica fan I still get a lot of enjoyment out of this record. It’s not my favourite of theirs, but it’s a solid entry that I was happy to listen to again after many years away.
Wow!! Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is an awesome song. Master of puppets is also pretty solid. Disposable Heroes is a bit intense for me.
They are just like me just a little scarier. Can easily see this becoming 5 stars. Fun way to start my day.
I mean, of course I'm gonna like this one. Although, I think it's the first time I've actually listened to it in one sitting.
Ah, the classics. It’s been at least ten years since I last listened to this album all the way through. This one played a major role in shaping the metal side of my musical taste, and I have to admit that I still really enjoy it. It sounds especially good now, considering the last 15 albums in this challenge have been more or less total bullshit.
One of the first records I obsessed over. I can't say a bad thing about it. The sound is a bit thin, even on the remastered version, but that was the flavour of that time. I used to have my boombox in the bathroom as I showered, blasting this and Ride the Lightning on the B-side.
Great album, would listen to it again
Not my favorite album by them. Not my favorite band, it's quite far from it. I was never a big fan of Metallica, but I can respect them enough to give this album a 5. But yeah, it is a really good album.
I wonder how I'd feel about this album if I'd never heard of Metallica before. There are some absolute classics on here (namely the title track), but I don't love the album as a whole knowing what else the band is capable of. I mean, it's still getting a 4 from me which is more than the vast majority of albums on this list, but not a 5 like the black album. Maybe I'm just a square who likes their later stuff more than the early, thrashy stuff. 4.0
Such a great thrash record, just a brutal assault of drums and guitars. Fantastic record.
Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heroes Growing up, I never listened to Metallica (or really any heavy metal), but to me, they were infamous for being the poster child of "Napster Bad, Piracy Bad" and so naturally as a kid with no disposable income or means to buy music: Napster good. Napster very good. Metallica bad. Boo Metallica. Then I grew up, had disposable income, a love for music and the means, through modern, sensible streaming platforms, to no longer have a need to Sail the High Seas. We're in the golden age of listening to music, but I fear that's coming to an end with the incessant rising of streaming subscription prices. But I digress. This album is great. Master of Puppets is masterclass (and sounds a lot like the first Doom level, to boot... or maybe, its the other way around?). Disposable Heroes is a scathing critique on the the industrial war machine. It's 55 solid minutes of wild guitar shredding, loud drums and bass, and quite good vocals. Good job Metallica!
Have already listened to this. Good.
Återigen skivan före den riktigt klassiska skivan. Egentligen för mycket vanlig hårdrock för mig, men jag har lärt mig uppskatta allt av Metallica. Fyra.
Solid
Metal classic, I prefer Ride the Lightning but still really amazing songs here like Orion.
A good listen. I am appreciating Metallica more each time I hear them.
Classic album for sure, but I just don't like Metallica all that much. And it's mostly Lars' playing. He's just not the drummer they need, and not as good as he thinks he is. It's frustrating.
hell yeah
3.5 rounded up it’s good but idk i think i need to give it some time to grow on me. gotta let it marinate highlights: master of puppets; welcome home (sanitarium); damage, inc. (july 26 2024)
This here is my go to Metallica album. Title track does the heavy-lifting here as it is flawless. The back half get gnarly and I am always down for a cool instrumental. (Orion)
I really like Metallica. I appreciate what they did for music and their creativity. I like this album. It's one of the classics.
a good surprise
The forth Metallica album I've gotten. Turns out I'm a big fan. The sound they make is so amped up and gritty, tough as nails. The solo sections are mind melting
An album I own already. Still good and still worth a revisit. Classic.
It was really good. I liked the faster parts a lot
Kyllä! Masteri on aina Masteri! 4/5
Figured the black album would be Metallicas entry here…metal for the masses. But Master of Puppets showcases the bands thrash…and musicality!! The quality production caught me by surprise as well. The black album made Metallica a household name with its MTV-ready singles, but this album wasn’t made to be watched on your parents living room tv. It was made for racing down a dark road with a 6er in the passenger seat. The world wasn’t ready for this version of Metallica 4/5
8/10
Solid album
Overall a great collection, but not perfect. Battery has some great parts, but I think the repetitive flow of the lyrics holds it back. Master of Puppets then succeeds where Battery failed by breaking up the repetitive bits. Orion is a sleeper hit and would be way more popular if it had lyrics.
J’ai jamais été un metalleux mais je dois avouer que c’est du solide. Surtout avec le volume très élevé. MASTER!
A sassy little album that’ll sneak up and slap you on the ass when you’re not looking.
I checked to see how much longer I had on this album, and I was still on the first track
This is one of the greatest albums of all time. In high school, Metallica was probably my favorite band. It's still incredible.
I may be a bit biased as a Hokie fan, but I think Metallica is far and away the best thrash metal band ever. The combination here of aggressive speed riffs, adrenaline-inducing drums, great harmonizing, and thematic lyrics is pretty hard to beat. While their Black album will probably always be my favorite (again, some bias from all the times of bouncing in the football stands to Enter Sandman), this one's pretty great too.
heard this album before Battery - 4/5 Master Of Puppets - 5/5 The Thing That Should Not Be - 4/5 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - 5/5 Disposable Heroes - 4/5 Leper Messiah - 5/5 Orion - 4/5 Damage, Inc. - 3/5 Average score: 4.3/5 (rounding down)
About what you’d expect. High energy! 4/5
Too heavy for me
Put me into concussion protocol from all that head banging.
3.5 stars rounded up. Title track is the stand out. Consistently metal but somewhat dated.
Chad
Great rhythm section! Bass was there but not overplayed. Hardest working drummer I’ve heard.
Title track is the best true masterpiece but the rest of the album still holds up. Good album overall
Great album. I did 4 instead of 5 stars because, even with the remastering, the mixing is still incredibly top-heavy.
Infinitely better than the last Metallica album, and a full album of what might be described as "head bangers". This fit my gym workout very nicely, and imagine it's hailed as a staple metal album. Not quite my genre, and the album lacks enough diversity to be truly iconic (maybe shy one Enter Sandman), but still a quality Metal album.
8/10 album
This album was ok. A lot of the songs sounded similar, but it is such an energetic and driving sound that it was always interesting. This would be 3 stars, but Orion is worth a star by itself. What a great instrumental.
The more I listen, the more I like Metallica. There are some great metal instrumentals on this album.
Hardcore metal goodness, MOP is an all-timer 🤘
pretty good. definitely better metal out there but still it’s definitely not a bad album, just nothing i find crazy good nowadays
8/10
Was never a huge Metallica fan, was more a punk kid than a metalhead, but the song Master of Puppets always gets me fucking PUMPED.
Metallica é um prato feito que você pega no mesmo restaurante porque é muito bom, até quando dá uma enjoada consegue não ser de todo ruim
I've been through my Metallica phrase already, so going back to this, I kind of feel like there are better albums out there. Sure they were highly influential, but if I were to listening to Metallica, I prefer the black album or their live S&M album. Can I say re-listening to this, it's interesting to hear how Lars Ulrich's average drumming really works for this garage/trash metal style. Sure this is a quintessential trash album, and I have listened to it so many times, I just don't think it's their best and to me, Metallica is a little overrated. Having said that, it's not a bad album, just one I don't listen to often. Standouts: Battery, Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
-damn, massive step up from the other Metallica album i heard imo. ig it’s a normie opinion but this is indeed some of the best and most interesting heavy metal I’ve heard -I’d really like to listen to this again and maybe just more thrash metal in general… it’s a genre I’m less familiar with, but this is honestly phenomenal -Favorites are Battery, Master Of Puppets, and Leper Messiah
Would be great for working out. Probably not a casual listener for me, but it’s a great album in technical/musical terms, love the anti-war and government sentiment as well
No shock on this one. My second favorite thrash album from Metallica after Ride the Lightning.
thought it was good and best metal so far, lost half a point bc i don’t like metal that much lost another half a point bc repetitive
Metal records rarely let up. That is both the promise of the genre and its fatal flaw. Or it's a flaw if you believe that metal should allow a point of entry for non-metallers. The heavy metal armour of Master of Puppets is riddled with such chinks: classical guitar, melodicism over shredding, genuine choruses, and Hetfield's smooth burr. It should fail the purity tests that subcultures throw out to keep their numbers manageable, but it doesn't. Not that it is these moments and qualities that make Master of Puppets a great metal album - they make it a great album that metal is entitled to claim as its own. 4 This is a terrific album. I think the crucial element is the balance the music strikes most of the way through between brutality and beauty. For every ounce of double-kicked chromatic chugging there is an ounce of beautifully worked harmony between the guitars; for every sequence of Hetfield shouting tunelessly or squatting on one note there is another of seductive melodic contour. Only Leper Messiah misses the balance; an ugly track that only offers a couple of minor arpeggios to break up the gloom of its muddy beat and Hetfield’s bellowing. But then of course Orion follows it, sophisticated and lovely. The lyrics are awful of course but that is almost a requirement of the genre. This is Metallica’s best album; probably - ‘Lulu’ with Lou Reed is the only 21st century album of theirs I have made it all the way through and it is…not as good as Master of Puppets. This was also the last time that Metallica brought an album in under an hour in length. 4/5
Takes me back to a time of mo worries. Just enjoying each day
Solid album with a lot of great energy throughout.
Excellent album, 4.5/5. There's not much more to say. It's a fantastic thrash metal album, but thrash just isn't my favourite genre of metal. Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), and Leper Messiah are the standout tracks and solid 5/5 songs.
Update with another hot take: Metallica Also Good
MASTER!! MASTER!!! YEEEYEEAAAHHHHH!!!! OHHHHHWOOOAH!! Battery goes hard
He doesn’t do the OOOWOAHOOOWOAHHHO in this one but it’s still really good, lars actually has a bit of intuition in his drumming (still shit tho)
I'm not a metal head but I love it. 4.5
More metal than I anticipated seems more like the real Metallica than the black album
At last thrash metal somewhat grows up. Better than average lyrics and thoughtfully built. Technically quite accomplished.
Classic, blistering thrash. Battery is probably a perfect thrash track. Master of Puppets is a classic (and a bitch to play) and Disposable Heroes grew on me this time around.
God I hate my desk job
Duh
I'm not exactly a thrash fan and really didn't like the opening song. The rest of the album is really good though!
A bit too heavy for me these days but WOW this was a fantastic album back when I loved this type of music
The third best Metallica album
Metallica rocks what more can I really say? Goes hard and I love Orion. Instrumental is a nice change of pace
Solid album
Numerous classics and trademark, early Metallica
I love the sound of the the album, and Metallica in general. Muscular, intense, massive... I love the speed metal and the compositions that aren't afraid to extend into classical territory. A lot to love. Sometimes the dismal unrelenting nature of it all is a bit much. There's no escape, no place to rest. Toward the end we have the song "Orion," but even this is a funeral dirge. Everything is a moral proselytizing - and whether or not you agree with their point of view (which I do in fact) - the dismal intensity remains. Technically amazing. A heavy music fan's dream. Super tight, a bludgeoning of everything that's wrong in the world. All anger. In fact this is one of the most musically accurate representations of that emotion I've ever heard. Really intense.