Master of Puppets

When Metallica began recording their third album, they already had significant momentum. Their first work, Kill 'Em All, had laid the foundation for the thrash metal sound with raw energy and direct lyrics. Then, with Ride the Lightning, they started exploring more complex structures and more polished production, which opened the doors to Elektra Records for them in 1984. It was in this context that, in mid-1985, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich began composing the material that would shape Master of Puppets. The creative process took place in a garage in El Cerrito, California, where they developed ideas from guitar riffs that they assembled until they sounded like a song. From there, they defined the title and theme, and Hetfield was in charge of writing the lyrics. This album marked a turning point, being the last to feature bassist Cliff Burton, whose participation was fundamental to the band's sonic identity. The recording took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Sweet Silence Studios, under the production of Flemming Rasmussen.

Year: 1986
Songs: 8
Duration: 54 min 47 seg

Listen to the album ★

8 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱

Battery

Guitarra · Intermedio

5:12 00

The Thing That Should Not Be

Guitarra · Intermedio

6:36 00

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Guitarra · Intermedio

6:28 00

Disposable Heroes

Guitarra · Intermedio

8:17 00

Leper Messiah

Guitarra · Intermedio

5:41 00

Orion

Guitarra · Intermedio

8:28 00

Damage, Inc.

Guitarra · Intermedio

5:30 02

Master of Puppets

Guitarra · Bajo · Intermedio

8:35

About the album

Master of Puppets, according to DoReSol

The cover of Master of Puppets, conceived by the band and Peter Mensch and painted by Don Brautigam, depicts a graveyard with white crosses connected by strings, manipulated by hands emerging from a red, cloudy sky, with an orange glow on the horizon. The album, with a total duration of 54 minutes and 52 seconds, was released on March 3, 1986. Instead of previewing the material with singles or videos, Metallica embarked on a five-month tour of America supporting Ozzy Osbourne. Tragically, during the album's support tour, on September 27, 1986, the band's bus was involved in an accident near Dörarp, Sweden, in which Cliff Burton died. The European leg of their own tour was canceled, and the band returned home to find a new bassist.

Master of Puppets reached number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart and was met with great critical acclaim, which praised both the music and the politically charged lyrics. It is considered a defining work in the development of American thrash metal. In 2025, it was certified 8x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of eight million copies in the United States, and also received platinum certifications in Canada and the United Kingdom. Particular recognition came in 2015, when Master of Puppets became the first metal recording selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry, highlighting its cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance. In 2017, the album was remastered and reissued in an expanded edition.

Discography