2021 marks the 35th Anniversary of Metallica’s fifty-four-minute, eight-song display of violence: Master Of Puppets. After all those years on from its initial release, to call it anything less than legendary would be a disservice. Their third studio album was certified six-time platinum in both the US and Canada. making Master Of Puppets both a commercial and critical success. But, sales and critical opinions can only carry an album so far, and how does it hold up over three decades later?
Put simply, this album makes me want to spin-kick demons on top of a flaming Boeing 747, while the sky rains solid steel. In other words, it’s still heavy, hard-hitting, and more than worthy of headlining a stadium tour.
The third track, ‘Master Of Puppets’ is nearly eight minutes of incredible guitar work (no surprise, really), unrelenting vocals, and that opening riff is still one of the most killer intros to any metal song to date. Metallica tribute bands everywhere are forever cursed with chants of “Play Master Of Puppets”, and it’s not hard to see why.
That said, Master Of Puppets is not a one-trick-pony, and tracks like ‘Battery’ and ‘Damage Inc’ make you want to put your fist through concrete and headbutt a nuclear bomb just as much as the title track.
Metallica has forever been a band synonymous with the entire heavy metal genre and has seen widespread success across their entire career, and when early albums like Master Of Puppets were how they presented themselves to the world, it’s hardly a shock that they remain relevant to this day.
Listen to ‘Master of Puppets (Remastered)’ below:
