Here we go with what could be the greatest thrash metal album of all time. The only other contender in my book would be Slayer’s Reign in Blood. It was in the later half of 1985 that METALLICA stepped into Danish studio Sweet Silence to record a bunch of mostly written songs that would form the basis of this beast of an album. The album incorporated more complex song structures and epic compositions consisting of a multitude of the better thrash metal riffs ever written. The band were at peak form here (many would say the peak form of their careers).
The album opens up with the acoustic intro to “Battery” one of the hardest and pummelling songs to come out of the metal scene this far. James Hetfeild’s trademark right arm down picking technique cementing their place as the heaviest of the thrash bands. What a way to re-introduce the band! Battery being the appropriate word for that song. Next up the immaculately arranged and performed song “Master of Puppets” with some of the greatest riffage in history and some epic song writing abilities shown off to perfection on this record.
Metallica had now moved beyond main stream thrash and were using the minor chords and more complex song structures seen on Ride the Lightning to maximum effect. Next up the incredibly heavy but slow number “The Thing That Should Not Be” based on Lovecraftian mythology another slow and haunting number showing off the art of writing slower heavier songs. An art form that the band had now perfected. Closing off the first side of what would become the best (in my opinion) record the band had ever released was “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” another slow haunting number which in some ways followed on in the path of Fade to Black, combing some rather thoughtful songwriting and melodies with a great sense of heaviness.
Over to side 2 and we get the pummelling “Disposable Heroes” with some of the most angular guitar picking ever committed to tape. Also a song that tells a great story. “Leper Messiah” is next and again another great mid paced crusher. Next up is the incredible instrumental “Orion” featuring the compositional skills of Cliff Burton. This is my favourite instrumental ever recorded. Also one of my favourite tracks by the band itself. World beating stuff. Lastly to close off what has been a belter of an album the track “Damage Inc” which has some of the most break neck riffage ever committed to tape.Overall what we have in Metallica’s third album “Master of Puppets” is a master class in Heavy Metal. What we have is some of the fastest and heaviest music ever recorded but played and composed with a level of skill never before seen in the thrash metal world, and to some degree not seen much in the wider heavy metal world. This is an all time great of the Heavy Metal universe and will be considered such many years after I have died. I’m sure of that.
The album went on to chart at number 128 in the US and peaked at number 29 some time later. Metallica had hit mainstream success to some degree without any radio or television help. No mean feat. Obviously the band went on to much bigger things but the importance of this album was not lost on mainstream culture with the album being included in the “Library of Congress” for its cultural importance.
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