MASTER OF PUPPETS

Hehehe...I assume thats a reference to the Metallica of today...

Yep, they're mindless corporate whores now. Such a shame good bands have to go out on a bad note (a la Genesis).

Okay, in the days of my youth I liked very much of Master of Puppets, but never thinked of it in a prog style... Metallica was really innovative among the others metal bands, but this is what they really are: A METAL BAND (don't matter if thrash or alternative metal, in actual days).

If anyone ask to James Hetfield if he likes prog rock, probably he will give a kick in your ass !!! In the disc of covers the band recorded they didn't make any version of prog songs. Only a B.O.C. song (Astronomy) that take a few proximity with prog music.

Certif1ed wrote: It's the first prog metal album

I have to diagree with you. Slayer's "Hell Awaits" came out one year earlier than Master Of Puppets, and that album is very progressive and complex at times. But i think "And Justice For all" is even more progressive than both.

P.S.- Master of Puppets is an awesome album

Bj-1 wrote: Certif1ed wrote: It's the first prog metal album I have to diagree with you. Slayer's "Hell Awaits" came out one year earlier than Master Of Puppets, and that album is very progressive and complex at times. But i think "And Justice For all" is even more progressive than both. P.S.- Master of Puppets is an awesome album

The main difference between "Hell Awaits" and "Master..." is that "Hell Awaits" sticks purely to a thrash metal format and style and makes no attempt to be anything other than a thrash metal album, albeit a quite incredible one despite the awful production.

The same argument could be taken to "Kill 'Em All" - which blew away everything that had previously described metal in the past.

Metallica redefined metal 5 times, once with each album up to the self titled "black" album.

"Master Of Puppets" was the lynchpin - the album that gave rise to the music we now call prog metal. "...And Justice For All" took it to the next level, although I feel there's too much "complexity for complexity's sake" (given that complexity is relative). Both albums have been plundered to death by so-called progressive metal bands.

I say so-called, because Metallica WERE progressive - they sounded like no-one before them and added subtleties and insights to metal that few had attempted before them. Budgie and Diamond Head are the obvious influences - but Metallica did not simply nick their riffs, instead, they covered songs from the bands in their own style. Something modern "prog metal" bands could learn from.

Megadeth were even more progressive, it's true, but, like Slayer, didn't really venture outside of the metal arena - at least, not on the early albums.

Slayer could in no way be considered Prog, IMO - they never tried to reach outside of the metal "box" - more they developed their own style of thrash metal to it's ultimate extremities, in Reign In Blood (an absolute killer of an album). Progressive != Prog Rock.

I'm not sure of the inclusion of Metallica in the archives - but the first 4 albums should certainly have honourary places. Even "Kill 'Em All" has pseudo-prog-metal classics like "Jump In The Fire", "The Four Horsemen", "Seek And Destroy" and "Metal Militia".

The closed-minded will probably hear nothing but repetitive riffs in those tracks - but I call for the comparison with Hawkwind, who used repetitive riffs in order to bring about a hypnotic state. For me, "Kill 'Em All" achieves something very similar. The next three albums all progress that style several levels each.

That's why Metallica were not only progressive, but true Progressive Metal in every sense.

"Master Of Puppets" is an amazing album, but isn't prog metal. It may have inspired what we know as prog metal, but when it all comes down to it, "MOP" is thrash metal. IMO "And Justice For All" is a lot proggier, and that's still a metal album.