Track Listing

1. Battery
2. Master Of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage Inc.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1746 in Music
• Released on: 1989-05-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 55 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the defining albums of thrash metal, Master of Puppets is arguably Metallica's best album (as well as their last with bassist Cliff Burton). Focusing on the concept of power and abuses thereof, this is a collection of complex, intelligent music, played at about a hundred miles an hour. Not that these are short songs; this eight-song album clocks in at over an hour, which makes it all the more impressive that not one moment on this recording is boring. In tackling various approaches to their subject, Metallica is insightful lyrically as well as musically: "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is from the point of view of an institutionalised inmate and "Disposable Heroes" is the perspective of a soldier. --Genevieve Williams

CD Description
Metallica's irresistible rise to the top continued with this enigmatic 1986 album. A constant touring unit by this point, their combination of light and dark and their deft staccato delivery, especially on the title track, came brusquely through. Their ever-lengthening arrangements (three songs came in at over eight minutes), bolstered by the precise snap of Hetfield's vocals, testified to their undeniable power. The striding "Battery", the darkly lit "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", as well as the complex instrumental, "Orion", all gavepowerful testament to their ever-developing skill and vision.

Customer Reviews

Master Of Puppets
Released in 1986 Master Of Puppets is one of (if not the) best Metallica albums ever. It reached a chart position of 29 but that would have been much higher if the band were as well known then as they are today. Although Metallica had a ever growing fan base at that time it was this record which really got them on the world wide scale that they are today.

The album has only eights songs but still clocks up nearly an hour. The songs on the album are long but seem to go really quicky. If I ever need to pass ten minutes I'll just listen to Orion and thats eight minutes gone in what feels like three or four.

This album was Cliff Burton's last album due to his unfortunate premature death whilst on tour in 1986. By this time Metallica had tried to move away from being knowing purely as a speed thrash band but many of the songs on this album still have that feel.

On many albums you have your favourite songs and you have the songs that you skip. On this record there is not one song that you don't want to listen to and so many times you find yourself just putting on the album to listen to one song but then listening to the whole album through.

If you are a metal fan this is a must have album!

Track By Track

1. Battery (Hetfield/Ulrich); Before the release of the black "Metallica" album it was the opener to Metallica's concerts and was the first hit out of three more off of the "Master of Puppets" album. It is still a fixed part of Metallica's live show. The song "Battery" is an indirect tribute to the "Old Waldorf Club" in San Francisco on Battery street.

2. Master Of Puppets (Hetfield/Ulrich/Burton/Hammett); The solo of "Master of Puppets" reached the 51st place in the "100 Best Solos Ever Reader's Choice" in the september 1998 issue of Guitar World.
Since its release it has almost always been a fixed part of Metallica's live show. Metallica plays two versions of "Master of Puppets" live. One version ends before the slow and soften part of the song - and the other one is the complete version as it was released on the same entitled album.
It is about the drug (especially heroin) addiction and its consequences.

3. The Thing That Should Not Be (Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett); It's another song which has been inspired by a story of H.P. Lovecraft. The song is based upon the short story "Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft which has been written in 1936. "Shadow Over Innsmouth" was Lovecraft's sole story which has been released as a book when he was alive. His further short stories only appeared in his lifetime in a magazine called "Weird Tales".
Since it's release till the "Poor Re-Touring Me '98" tour it has often been a fixed part of Metallica's live shows.

4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett); The song writing was inspired by the movie which is based on the same entitled book "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
Hetfield: The idea for that song came from the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". "Fade to Black" worked well, and we wanted to have another slow, clean picking type of song, this time with a chorus. I had trouble singing that chorus. It's really high, and when I went singing it in the studio, I remember Flemming [Rassmussen] looking at me like, "You're kidding." I said "Shit, I don't know if I can do this!" So I ended up singing it lower than I intended, but we put a higher harmony on it and it worked pretty well.

5. Disposable Heroes (Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett); The first time the song was performed live was on September 14, 1985. Which is also the only time the song was played live with Cliff. Afterwards it was performed sporadically throughout the "Justice" tours. The most notably thing is that it was a set part of the "'94 Summer Shit" tour.
The lyrics basically suggest that the whole drafting procedure within the military is as bad as the war itself.
The song is pointing out that war is glorified, but in the reality it is the simple hell - where aren't any winners.

6. Leper Messiah (Hetfield/Ulrich); Because of the instrumental style of the song it has also become one of Cliff's trademark songs for many fans.
It is about so called messiahs who make a good profit on other people's faith.

"Send me money, send me green"
"Heaven you will meet"
"Make a contribution"
"And you'll get a better seat"

7. Orion (Hetfield/Ulrich/Burton); Metallica learned more about playing with harmony and to use different styles during a song. "Orion" with its changings from speed to slowly parts is probably the best example for their new improved technique of song writing and is one of my favourite tracks ever.
To Metallica the middle part of the song sounded a kind of spacey and starry so they named the song after the star constellation Orion.

The song "Orion" was the music Metallica had chosen for Cliff's funeral on October 7th, 1986. Services were held in his hometown of Castro Valley. He was cremated, and his ashes were spread at the Maxwell Ranch.

8. Damage, Inc (Hetfield/Ulrich/Burton/Hammett); A live version of the song was included on a B-side of the Australian "Die, Die My Darling" single release. It is about senseless violence and destruction.

THIS IS HEAVY METAL
PERFECT! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! There are not flaws to this masterpiece what so ever. The material is ambitious and complex but Metallica never over-do it. Kicking off with the speedy thrash of "Battery" that just obliterates anyone who would try to imitate, then there's the multi-sectioned title track that just never gets old no matter how many times you listen to it. After that, is the slow but startlingly heavy "The Thing That Should Not Be". The fourth track,"Welcome Home" is reminiscent of "Fade To Black" (but of corse, this album is based on the blueprint of Ride The Lightning, so that would explain it). "Disposable Heroes" is my favorite song on the album and possibly my favorite heavy metal song of all time. It's a bit like the title track, but a lot faster. "Leper Messiah" begins with a mid-tempo rhythm (not skimping on any of the aggression of course) and speeds up to a nice guitar solo. "Orion" is Master Of Puppets' version of "The Call Of Kthulu". The difference being that "Orion" puts it to shame. The album then climaxes with the lightning fast "Damage Inc." that would leave the likes of Slayer or Megadeth in tears. The songs flow so coherently, and yet there is a lot of variation. This album isn't as ambitious as its follow up, ...And Justice For All, but much more enjoyable thanks to its immaculate production giving it the thick and muscular sound that such great songs deserve. This is without a doubt the best heavy metal album of all time.

here's why u should own this album.....
- memorable riffs ( battery, master of puppets,disposable heroes, damage inc.) nuff said.
- thought provoking lyrics
- amazing leads (kirk is at the top of his game here)
- hetfields fiery vocal delivery, seriously, i have never heard him sing this passionately. An inspired performance and he hits those notes high.
- orion. cliffs masterpeice. A testament to the ingenuity of the legend R.I.P, man.
- crisp and clear production.
- lars's drumming isnt that bad here, he manages to keep the beat going and holds it together nicely.
- if u dont like this album, u dont like metal. simple as that.