Image: Master of Puppets album cover
The 1986 album Master of Puppets by Metallica has already been certified eight times platinum in the United States alone, and it has long since reached platinum status in Germany as well. Alongside the Black Album and ...And Justice for All, it is one of the band’s most well-known records—and beyond that, one of the most famous metal albums ever released.
The album was first released on March 3, 1986 and contains “only” eight tracks. These are Metallica classics in the thrash metal style of their early years, with songs rarely under five minutes and instead often running six to over eight minutes in length. “Battery,” “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” and the album’s title track remain the most popular songs on the record, with “Master of Puppets” alone surpassing one billion streams on Spotify. There’s no doubt that this album has written metal history since the day it was released.
From Zero to one Hundred
At first glance, the release of Master of Puppets didn’t seem to make an immediate massive impact. In Germany, the album initially only reached number 31 on the charts, and in the U.S. it charted even lower. There was no instant hype surrounding the record—but over the years a steady and loyal fanbase formed, one that truly appreciates the legacy of this album.
Looking Back on an Era
One major reason for that: Master of Puppets was released in the mid-1980s as the final Metallica album with the band’s lineup at the time. Lars Ulrich on drums, Kirk Hammett on lead guitar, James Hetfield on vocals, and Cliff Burton on bass.
In the same year as the album’s release, the tragic bus accident during the band’s European tour occurred, in which Cliff Burton sadly lost his life.
In that sense, the release of Master of Puppets also marks the closing of a chapter in the band’s history. A chapter that longtime fans will always look back on through the music of this album.
To celebrate this truly significant 40-year anniversary, Master of Puppets definitely deserves to be played at full volume again this week. For your playlist, we also recommend the powerful (live) cover versions of “Master of Puppets” by bands such as Green Day, Limp Bizkit, and Trivium.
