MASTER OF PUPPETS

This is without any doubts one of the masterpieces of heavy metal. Or thrash metal as this music was called when it arrived.

Where the other thrash metal bands just went for speed (hence the term speed metal), METALLICA went for intelligent songs. Both lyrics and song structures. The song structures on this album is very much progressive rock. Even the fast songs here have a refined progressive song structure. METALLICA came up with this recipe on their second album Ride The Lightening and refined it further on this album, their third album.

The album starts with a typical thrash metal anthem called Battery. In the middle of this song, the album takes a left turn over to the progressive rock territory and it never leaves the territory. I am starting to appreciate this song now after having dismissed it as a throw away filler for the last twenty years. The title track is pure brilliance and perhaps METALLICA's finest moment. Both lyrically and music wise. This anti-war lyrics on this album is very much a throw back to BOB DYLAN's lyrics. The following song The Thing That Should Not Be is very dark and introvert. Again, excellent. The fourth song is called Welcome Home and another fine tune. Disposable Heroes is very anti-war with some fine music. Excellent. The same goes for Leper Messiah.

That leaves us with the eight minutes long instrumental Orion. What can I say ? METALLICA goes CAMEL ? It is a brilliant piece of music in it's own right and most definate told the world that this band was something very special. The music is very lyrical with a very strong bass line by the sadly deceased Cliff Burton. His epitaph, no less. One year after recording this album, he passed away in Sweden when the tour bus landed on the top of him. But in Orion, he will forever live with us. The album closes with the fast and furious Damage, Inc.

Back in 1986, this was a ground breaking album. Today, it is an album which both makes me headbang and seriously listen to it's brilliant songs. It is a long time since I last listened to it (and I only gave it some spins now because of PA), but I think it has aged well. The sound is not the best, but the rest is good. I think it is an excellent album and METALLICA's best.

4.5 stars