Metallica - Master of Puppets (Master Of Puppets - Metallica)

Member Name: s-gilly

Product:	Master Of Puppets - Metallica
Date:	18/06/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lyrics are incredibly powerful and riffs immense

Disadvantages: None

The album Master of Puppets is the third studio album by America's highest selling Metal band. It was released March 3rd 1986 and has since sold over 6 million copies in the USA alone. It is also the last album to be recorded with bassist Cliff Burton before a fatal bus accident while touring for the album.
The album is considered one of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time and is considered a classic by critics and the band alike. The songs mainly focus on losing control and the intensity of the riffs really shows this.

Lead vocals/ guitar: James Hetfield
Drums: Lars Ulrich
Bass: Cliff Burton
Lead guitar: Kirk Hammet

Battery- 5:15
The opening track begins with a very harmonic tune using three acoustic guitars until bass and drums come in to play a more distorted version of the harmony. But a minute in is the reason that I think that this song is the most immense and powerful song I have ever heard. The song details what I can only see as some kind of assault and uses extremely immense lyrics to show this. The riff continues throughout the song with a couple of solos to make this song truly epic. An amazing opening track that can be listened to over and over and the lyrics never fail to stick in your head.

Master of Puppets- 8:35
This track opens with an amazingly raw riff that instantly allows you to get into the song. The lyrics talk about drugs taking over the mind though is often mistaken to be a story of slavery or something along those lines but either way they really show how creative the band has become because this 8 minute long song is full of melodies, different verses and tonnes of solos. Master of Puppets is often considered Metallica's signature song and is bar far the best off the album and again also never fails to stick in your mind. I really just cant say enough about this track so if you are a metal fan I recommend you listen to this track if any off the album.

The Thing That Should not be- 6:36
This song is in my opinion the heaviest track off of Master of Puppets second only to Damage Inc and really took me a long time to figure out its meaning. At first I thought it was talking about the Kraken from myths but now I've come to the conclusion that it is actually a reference to Cthulu (the same Ktulu from Ride the Lightning) who is the God of insanity in certain literature of which Cliff Burton was known to read.
The song itself has a great tune and an amazing solo and all in all the song has been pieced together superbly. When you think it's about to wind down more lyrics come which is why I love Metallica, they use this technique a lot.

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)- 6:27
Sanitarium begins with a melody like Battery but shorter and doesn't turn into full blown mayhem (a mad riff). This song continues with the theme of insanity and powerlessness and as the song progresses the lyrics become sharper as does Hetfield's voice making the song get more and more intense. The main riff is actually quite soothing in a way but there are quite a few more intense solos especially towards the end. Another deep song.

Disposable Heroes- 8:17
The song immediately opens into a heavy riff that continues through out most of the song and is extremely fast paced and there is also some amazing solos in this piece but I think that it is really the lyrics that make this song one of my favourites off the album. The song deals with the very controversial subject of war and how young men who have barely lived are sent to war as mere cannon fodder. Hetfield really captures emotions here and the lyrics are incredibly deep. The album cover actually depicts this song and not Master of Puppets as you can se the helmet and dog tags on the forward crosses.

Leper Messiah- 5:40
Leper Messiah talks about religion and how people are blindly sucked into false religion much like Disposable Heroes and the government. I don't think Metallica are anti-religion but I've read sources that state that this song is more James' own personal experiences. The lyrics themselves I think lack the power of the rest of the album though they still have impact when looked at closely and the tune isn't the best on the album but there are still some decent solos and the lyrics really stick in your head.

Orion- 8:27
This is Metallica's third instrumental and was mainly composed by Cliff Burton and was also played at his funeral as a remembrance which I think is fitting because the introduction was done by Burton and there are also two bass solos commonly mistaken as guitar solos in this song. The song is composed brilliantly and contains many solos. Orion is easily my favourite instrumental ever and definitely worth listening to.

Damage Inc- 5:27
After Orion finishes very very quietly it's only fitting that Damage Inc should open with a calm melody but then powers into an extremely heavy riff swearing included. The lyrics are so powerful and the riff just amazing and starting at 3:14 changes into a superbly catchy tune complete with amazing lyrics then ending in an extremely intense solo that is probably the fastest thing on the album. Then, typically Metallica James powers into more powerful lyrics to finish the song and leaving you wanting more.

Overall this album is superbly heavy, contains Metallica's most classic tracks and I would say it's probably Metallica's heaviest and fastest albums but that's for you to decide. Thanks for reading, please comment.

Review taken from my account on Ciao

Summary: The thrid studio album from american heavy metal band Metallica