Master, Master!

AngryByrd It should be no surprise to everyone that Master of Puppets is a classic. Metallica are often considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time, metal or not. I would without a doubt agree and I will also say that the reason for that praise is this album. This album is full of great guitar riffs, beautiful instrumentals, and everything that makes an album amazing! I couldn't help but review this album, so here it goes.

When the album first boots up, you will hear something that appears regularly throughout the album: guitars. Guitars are definitely the main focus of this album, being a thrash metal album. Both James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett lay down some very solid guitar work throughout the entire album. They both use all kinds of different effects and speeds. This is most apparent in the opening track, Battery, which features an acoustic, Latin-sounding intro that leads into the speedy riff the song is known for. The solos on this album are absolutely brilliant as well. Every song has many of them, and they are all very reflective of Metallica's skill as musicians. I would definitely say that as far as guitars, it doesn't get much better than this album.

As far as the other instruments go, this album is pretty much perfect. Lars Ulrich's drumming is amazing, but the real attention grabber is Cliff Burton's bass. Cliff is pretty much a one man show with his bass because while he does a great job of holding down the rhythm, he never let's up on his playing. This is apparent in all of the songs, but mostly in the instrumental Orion. The bass on that song might as well be a third guitar, because Cliff releases every bit of his skill in that song. The bass on this album is definitely some of the very best of all time! Sadly, this was Cliff Burton's last album before his tragic death, but he definitely went out with a bang.

The writing on this album is simply amazing. Variation is one of the most important things you can have in music, and this album definitely has it. I would not classify this album as repetitive or formulaic in any way. While the basic structure of each song is pretty much the same, this album changes a lot of things up between songs. Each heavy, layered, song has something different to offer, whether it be the key changes in Disposable Heroes, the reverb-heavy guitars in the title track, or the softer feel of Welcome Home (Sanitarium.)This album will hold your attention from beginning to end, and unlike album's such as Reign in Blood you won't be suffering from any cases of déjà vu.

Favorite songs from this album really vary from person to person. If you're more into heavier stuff, such as Slayer or Death, songs like Battery and Damage Inc. may be more of your style. If you prefer softer, or maybe just slower stuff, The Thing That Should Not Be and Welcome Home (Sanitarium) have you covered. My personal favorite songs are the title track and Disposable Heroes. Both of these songs are fast, heavy, and incredibly dynamic songs with very long running times. My personal least favorite song from this album is Leper Messiah, because it's not as much of a standout as the rest of the album. But, just like with favorites, least favorites also vary quite a bit, so take your pick.

Master of Puppets has gone down in metal history as an all time classic. Titles such as "the greatest speed metal album of all time" have reasonably been given to this amazing album. The writing and performance on this album is incredible and could never be recreated. I myself have a hard time believing that even Metallica themselves could ever create an album like this again! Master of Puppets gets an easy 11/10!

This review is dedicated to Cliff Burton. Your time on Earth blessed us all greatly. You are loved and missed. Rest in peace.

Comments

Now you have Master of Puppets stuck in my head. - RiverClanRocks

Do like Master but I easily prefer One - EvilAngel

Master of Puppets is awesome - bobbythebrony