Master of Puppets
Studio album by Metallica
Released	March 26, 1986[1]
Recorded	September 1985–December 1985 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark
Genre	Thrash metal
Length	54:46
Label	Elektra
Producer	Metallica, Flemming Rasmussen
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B-) link Rolling Stone link Q magazine [2]
Metallica chronology
Ride the Lightning (1984) Master of Puppets (1986) Garage Days Re-Revisited (1987)

Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Metallica. The album was recorded in 1985^[3] and released by Elektra Records on March 26, 1986^[1] in North America. Music sample Master of Puppets Problems? See media help. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music, one of the extreme metal subgenres that is characterised by high speed riffing and aggression. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... Flemming Razz Rasmussen (born in Denmark in 1958) is a engineer, producer and owner and founder of Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... For the album by Marshmallow Coast, see Ride the Lightning (Marshmallow Coast album). ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music, one of the extreme metal subgenres that is characterised by high speed riffing and aggression. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1986 Record labels established in 1986 // 1986 - Goo Goo Dolls are formed in Buffalo, New York. ... North American redirects here. ...

The album proved to be a modest commercial success upon its release, reaching number twenty-nine on the U.S. Billboard 200. However, with the bands increasing popularity from the release of ...And Justice For All, awareness of the album has increased, and has to date sold over six million copies in U.S. alone. It was the last album the band recorded with bass player Cliff Burton before his death later that year. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... ...And Justice for All is the last line of the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States. ... Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was a bass guitarist best known for his work with the thrash/heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 - 1986. ...

Historical significance

When it was released, Master of Puppets provided many metal fans with an alternate image to the commercially popular glam metal bands such as Poison, and Quiet Riot. The album sold over half a million copies at its time of release without any major video/radio airplay, making it the band's first record to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The album has also frequently been tagged by critics as "one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time".^[4] Glam metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s - early 1980s in the United States. ... Poison is an American glam metal band which originally achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band, whose 1983 & 1984 success contributed to launching the 1980s glam metal scene. ... The RIAA Logo. ...

The band's line-up during the album's recording was James Hetfield (vocals, guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar), and Cliff Burton (bass). The album is remembered in part due to the death of Burton shortly after the release of the album in a bus accident while supporting the album on tour. James Alan Hetfield (born 3 August 1963, Downey, California[1]) is the main songwriter (with drummer Lars Ulrich and sometimes guitarist Kirk Hammett), co-founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the American thrash/heavy metal band Metallica. ... Lars Ulrich (born December 26, 1963) is the drummer and co-founder of Metallica. ... Kirk Lee Hammett (born on November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist in the band Metallica. ... Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was a bass guitarist best known for his work with the thrash/heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 - 1986. ... Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was a bass guitarist best known for his work with the thrash/heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 - 1986. ...

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release, Metallica played the album in its entirety on their Escape from the Studio '06 tour, for the first time ever at the Rock am Ring festival on June 3, 2006. These concerts included the first-ever complete performances of the instrumental "Orion" (though portions of the song's lengthy middle section had been performed at various times as part of instrumental medleys and bass solos since the early 1990s). Escape from the Studio 06 was Metallicas 2006 summer festival mini-tour of Europe and Asia, named due to the fact that the band was at the time in the process of working on their as-yet-untitled next album, the follow-up album to 2003s St. ... Rock am Ring (Rock at the Ring) is a rock music festival held annually in Germany at the Nürburgring racetrack. ... An instrumental is, in contrast to a song, a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is produced by musical instruments. ...

The title track was ranked Number 51 in the "The Greatest Guitar Solos" from Guitar World. In 2006, the album was voted the fourth "greatest guitar album of all time" in Guitar World. And the April 5, edition of Kerrang! was dedicated to it, providing readers with the cover album "Master of Puppets: Remastered". In March 2007, the guitar magazine Total Guitar ranked the 100 greatest riffs of all time. The main riff in "Master of Puppets" was ranked as number one. Two issues of Guitar World featuring Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix on the covers, and the accompanying CDs (May 2005, October 2005) Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ... Total Guitar is a monthly magazine in the United Kingdom. ...

Reception

Upon its release, Master of Puppets was immediately commercially successful, selling over half a million copies at its time of release without any major video/radio airplay, making it the band's first record to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The RIAA Logo. ...

The album is thought by some to be Metallica's magnum opus, and is frequently regarded by critics as among the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums ever recorded.^[5] It is often ranked highly on "greatest albums of all time" lists.^[6][7][8] It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and Q magazine counted it among the 50 heaviest albums of all time. Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera), from the Latin meaning great work,[1] refers to the best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer, and most commonly one who has contributed a very large amount of material. ... 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, released in 2006. ... Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ...

Track listing

1. "Battery" (James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich) – 5:13
2. "Master of Puppets" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett) – 8:36
3. "The Thing That Should Not Be" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Burton, Hammett) – 6:37
4. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett) – 6:28
5. "Disposable Heroes" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett) – 8:17
6. "Leper Messiah" (Hetfield, Ulrich) – 5:41
7. "Orion" (Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) – 8:28
8. "Damage, Inc." (Hetfield, Ulrich, Burton, Hammett) – 5:30

[[:Template:Infobox SingBold textle]] Battery is the opening track of Metallicas 1986 album Master of Puppets. ... James Alan Hetfield (born 3 August 1963, Downey, California[1]) is the main songwriter (with drummer Lars Ulrich and sometimes guitarist Kirk Hammett), co-founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the American thrash/heavy metal band Metallica. ... Lars Ulrich (born December 26, 1963) is the drummer and co-founder of Metallica. ... Music sample Master of Puppets Problems? See media help. ... Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was a bass guitarist best known for his work with the thrash/heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 - 1986. ... Kirk Lee Hammett (born on November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist in the band Metallica. ... Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is the fourth song from Metallicas 1986 album Master of Puppets. ...

Personnel

• James Hetfield – rhythm guitar, lead vocals, arranger, first guitar solo on "Master of Puppets", second guitar solo on "Orion"
• Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
• Cliff Burton – bass, backing vocals, lead bass on "Orion" and "Damage, Inc."
• Lars Ulrich – drums, arranger
• George Marino – mastering (at Sterling Sound)
• Rob Ellis – photography
• Ross Halfin – photography
• Don Brautigam – illustrations
• Metallica – producer, cover art concept
• Flemming Rasmussen – producer, engineer
• Michael Wagener – mixing (at Amigo Studios)
• Mark Wilzcak – assistant mixing engineer
• Peter Mensch – cover concept

James Alan Hetfield (born 3 August 1963, Downey, California[1]) is the main songwriter (with drummer Lars Ulrich and sometimes guitarist Kirk Hammett), co-founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the American thrash/heavy metal band Metallica. ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... In popular music an arrangement is a setting of a piece of music, which may have been composed by the arranger or by someone else. ... Guitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. ... Kirk Lee Hammett (born on November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist in the band Metallica. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was a bass guitarist best known for his work with the thrash/heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 - 1986. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... A backup vocalist is a vocalist that sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, with other backup vocalists, or alone but in the background of a song. ... Guitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. ... Lars Ulrich (born December 26, 1963) is the drummer and co-founder of Metallica. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... In popular music an arrangement is a setting of a piece of music, which may have been composed by the arranger or by someone else. ... Photography [fәtɑgrәfi:],[foʊtɑgrәfi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or electronic sensor. ... Ross Halfin is a well known English music photographer. ... Photography [fәtɑgrәfi:],[foʊtɑgrәfi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or electronic sensor. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Flemming Razz Rasmussen (born in Denmark in 1958) is a engineer, producer and owner and founder of Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... An Audio Engineer is a person recording, editing, manipulating, mixing and mastering sound by technical means. ... Michael Wagener is a music producer, mixer, and engineer from Hamburg, Germany, best known for his work with many top hard rock and heavy metal bands. ...

Charts

Album

Covers

A number of bands have covered songs from the album. These include:

• Trivium who has covered the title track both live and in studio. It is appeared on both their Ascendancy Special Edition album and the tribute album for the 20th Anniversary of the albums release.
• Bullet For My Valentine has covered the song Welcome Home (Sanitarium) which is also featured on the tribute album Metallica Remastered.
• Machine Head released Battery as a bonus track on its special edition version of The Blackening album
• Dream Theater has covered the entire album in a live concert, something they have also done for other historically significant progressive or metal albums, including Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast, Deep Purple's Made in Japan, and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Dream Theater also covered Damage Inc. live al the uncovered show, with Napalm Death singer Barney Greenwa on vocals.
• Several bands, including Mastodon, Machine Head and Bullet For My Valentine, recorded a tribute album for the twentieth anniversary of the album's release; the project was sponsored by Kerrang! and copies were distributed with the magazine.
• Cello metal band Apocalyptica also recorded a cover of many Metallica songs including "Master of Puppets" in their album Plays Metallica by Four Cellos.
• Shai Hulud has covered the song "Damage Inc." for the series of 7 inches LPs as a tribute to Metallica called "Crush 'em All". The 7"
• Funk metal trio Primus has covered the title track live and "The Thing That Should Not Be" on their EP Rhinoplasty
• Scott D. Davis recorded a tribute album Pianotarium which includes "Master of Puppets", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", and songs from other albums composed in solo grand piano.
• The Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela recorded a cover of the song Orion on their self-titled 2006 album using two acoustic guitars.
• Fightstar covered Leper Messiah for a free CD that came with Kerrang Magazine
• Welsh rock band Funeral For A Friend covered the track 'Damage Inc.' for the Kerrang; Remastered C.D.
• The Scorched Earth Orchestra recorded a symphonic version of the entire album in 2007.

For other uses, see Trivium. ... Music sample Master of Puppets Problems? See media help. ... This article refers to the 2005 album by the metalcore band Trivium; for the DOS-based computer game, see Ascendancy. ... Bullet for My Valentine (often shortened to BFMV or Bullet) are a four-piece Heavy Metal band from Bridgend, Wales. ... Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is the fourth song from Metallicas 1986 album Master of Puppets. ... This article is about the band. ... The Blackening is the sixth studio album from Oakland-based thrash metal band Machine Head. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Myung, John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, before they dropped out to support the band. ... Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in the East End of London. ... The Number of the Beast is a heavy metal album released in 1982 (see 1982 in music) by Iron Maiden on EMI in the UK and originally Harvest Records/Capitol Records in the U.S. (now on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records). ... This article is about the rock band. ... Made in Japan is a live album by British hard rock band Deep Purple, released in December 1972. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... This article is about the album by Pink Floyd. ... Napalm Death are a grindcore/death metal band from Birmingham, England. ... For the prehistoric animal, see Mastadon. ... This article is about the band. ... Bullet for My Valentine (often shortened to BFMV or Bullet) are a four-piece Heavy Metal band from Bridgend, Wales. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Apocalyptica (disambiguation). ... Music sample Master of Puppets Problems? See media help. ... An album released by cello rock group Apocalyptica, it features 8 Metallica covers arranged and played on cellos. ... Shai Hulud is a seminal Hardcore[1] band. ... Funk metal is a type of music that incorporates hard-driving heavy metal guitar riffs and the pounding bass rhythms characteristic of funk. ... Primus is an American rock band currently composed of singer and bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry Ler LaLonde, and drummer Tim Herb Alexander. ... Music sample Master of Puppets Problems? See media help. ... // Extended play (EP) is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs which contain more than one single but are too short to qualify as albums. ... Rhinoplasty is an EP by Primus. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Music. ... Music sample Master of Puppets Problems? See media help. ... Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is the fourth song from Metallicas 1986 album Master of Puppets. ... Rodrigo y Gabriela are a Mexican musical duo who specialize in playing fast, rhythmic acoustic guitars. ... Rodrigo y Gabriela was the self-titled album by Rodrigo y Gabriela. ...

Notes