In 1986 Metallica were not yet the commercial juggernaught they would become. Their fist two albums gained a lot of buzz within the metal community. And the band were constantly playing big opening slots and day time slots at festivals. People knew the band was changing the heavy metal genre. But the thrash scene had yet to morph into the dominant form of heavy music. But that all began to change with the release of Metallica’s third album, ‘Master of Puppets.’
With their last album ‘Ride the Lightning,’ Metallica proved that they could do much more than just thrash hard. And ‘Master’ would be an extension of that formula. From the 100,000 mph tracks: ‘Battery’ and ‘Damage Inc..’ To the mid tempo ‘Leper Messiah’ (one of my all time favorites). The ten ton sludge slammer ‘The Thing That Should Not Be.’ And the musical integrity of the title track and the instrumental ‘Orion.’ A clearly classical music influenced piece. Driven by original bassist Cliff Burton. It’s all there.
But that’s not all. The centerpiece, ‘Disposable Heroes,’ might be the greatest Metallica song ever. Everything that they embody is in the track. The subtle time changes, the groove, the thrash, the progressive tendencies and of course, the anti-war subject material. In fact, if you really pay attention, you can tell that the iconic album cover is a visual depiction of the song. ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ is a prime example of how Metallica differentiated themselves from their peers by taking the time to be melodic. But never loosing who they are. The track is essentially ‘Fade to Black’ part two. Starts out with a ballad, then moves into a heavy middle jam, then the thrash finish. The formula would be perfected two short years later with the magnum opus ‘One.’
When ‘Master’ was released, it was a major step forward in the band’s popularity. But it wasn’t an immediately legendary album out of the gate. The album peaked at 29 and went gold. But it was far from its six times platinum status of today. As the band went on and gained popularity, ‘Master of Puppets’ would rise with them. It’s now considered by many fans to be Metallica’s best. And I’m inclined to agree.
The album is now a legendary piece of art. Even gaining a massive resurgence of mainstream attention when Stranger Things would use the title track in the final episode of season four. When beloved new heavy metal character Eddie Munson sacrifices himself for the gang while playing the song. ‘Master of Puppets’ (the song) went number one as a result. The album lives on. And on and on. So crank it, live it, love it. Give ‘Master of Puppets’ the true jammage credit it deserves.
