Metallica Master of Puppets
“If you play Master of Puppets today I guarantee you it will sound absolutely mind-blowingly awesome. It’s the same as playing Led Zeppelin II 40 years after it was made.
It still sounds as ridiculously fantastic as it did at the time. It’s the same for any of the all time great albums – they sound just as good now as they did then. That’s the company Master of Puppets is in.
Some albums have a real consistency to them, they have a real identity, musically, vibe wise, and they had it on that album like they’ve never had it before or have ever had it since. There was something, an essence.”
Mick Wall, Music Journalist
Five years after their formation, Metallica released an album that catapulted them into rock’n’roll’s superleague. Masters of Puppets was the band’s third studio album and spent 72 weeks in the US charts, peaking at number 29. In the UK it reached 41. In 2006 Time magazine listed Master of Puppets in their all time top 100 albums. The album was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silent Studios in Denmark. Q magazine called it one of the fifty heaviest albums of all time and in 2003 it was ranked 167 on Rolling Stones list of the top 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album was hard, fast and uncompromising. Unashamedly aggressive, it showcased guitarist James Hetfield’s virtuosity. His ability to create tension and mood underpinned one of the decade’s most serious hard rock records. Metallica travelled to Copenhagen in 1985 to record Master of Puppets between September 1 and December 27 with producer Flemming Rasmussen. It was the last Metallica album to feature bassist Cliff Burton. Burton died during the European leg of Metallica’s Damage Inc. Tour. He was on a tourbus near Dorarp, Sweden, when the driver lost control and skidded, causing the bus to flip several times. Burton was trapped beneath and killed.
Wonderful solos, vastly-improved vocals and lyrics, mesmerising song-writing and heavy riffs made Masters Of Puppets the definitive thrash album. Master was brilliantly produced – and has certainly stood the test of time. Cathartic, uncompromising and formidably powerful, Master Of Puppets still remains one of rock’s greatest albums.
Contributors:
Flemming Rasmussen, Producer / Corey Taylor, Slipknot and Stone Sour / Matt Tuck, Bullet For My Valentine / Mick Wall, Music journalist / Metallica UK, Tribute Band / Kerry King, Slayer / Presenter; Ian Camfield / Exec. Producers; Andy Ashton, Mike Walsh
