Thrash Talk #6 - Master of Puppets (Metallica)

Welcome to part 3 of the 80s Metallica album reviews. Today, we will be talking about what people say is the best heavy metal of all time, but I think differently.

Once again Metallica has done it. They have made a great album, with no fillers and just a lot of killer tracks. Metallica had gone far enough with the first two albums to begin what would've been Metallica's golden age. Kill Em All would lay the foundation for their thrash metal music with it's aggressive guitar playing played faster than the speed of Motorhead, combined with rancorous lyrics to make the songs sound full of rage and hostility. One year later, they would release Ride the Lightning, which would focus on improving the production of their music and more complex music. After all the work they've done, Master of Puppets would gain them some popularity to where more people would listen to there music, and the album featured a variation of tracks for everyone's music tastes.

There isn't really a best song in the album as it really depends on what you like. If you're into the classic thrashy stuff you heard in Kill Em All, then Battery and Damage Inc. are good songs you should check out. If you'd rather listen to darker music that isn't as thrashy but feels more like rock music or traditional heavy metal like what you'll find in the Black Album, then Leper Messiah and The Thing That Should Not Be will make you satisfied about this album. Orion and Welcome Home (Sanitarium) would be good for those into more complex music and for the metal elitists, Master of Puppets and Disposable Heroes are probably my favorites in the album and the ones you need to listen to if you somehow haven't, especially the title track which is everyone's favorite Metallica song. Sometimes when they played the song live, they would play the first two songs, then play another song like Sanitarium instead of the normal instrumental part then go back to playing Master of Puppets. This medley was known as "Mastertarium". That's just one good thing about the title track. The other good things were the lyrics which made it an anti-drug song about a cocaine addiction and how the Master was a drug controlling the puppets by forcing them to chop their breakfast onto a mirror.

The weakest song in the album, although still good would be The Thing That Should Not Be. This is because the solo was one of the worst, and that there are better songs like For Whom The Bell Tolls. Leper Messiah and Damage Inc. aren't bad but they're pretty underrated and deserve more praise than they get. The most underrated song in the album, Disposable Heroes, is probably one of Metallica's greatest works.

Even though the album was pretty great, I would not say it's the best album of all time. It does have great production, a lot of good songs that each sound different and not the same thing over and over again, and it has great lyrics in Master of Puppets and Sanitarium, and solos in Damage Inc and Battery. However, Ride The Lightning had better sound and...And Justice For All had some better songs which we'll talk about next time.

The Verdict: 93/100
Best Song: Disposable Heroes

Metallica's Fourth Studio album is next, and will conclude the 80s Metallica album reviews.

Comments

YES, SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH ME ABOUT THAT SOLO.

Also, this is pretty much garbage compared to Ride The Lightning. - SwagFlicks

A great album but Ride The Lightning is Better in my opinion - visitor