You ever think about those moments in history that you just wish you could’ve witnessed with your own two eyes? There’s a few for me: The Canucks’ 1994 Stanley Cup run, Live Aid, The Replacements being permanently banned from Saturday Night Live after drunkenly performing two songs; among other notable moments in history.

There’s one, however, that I think about often: What would it have been like to be alive on the day Master Of Puppets was released?

Metallica’s 1986 album, Master Of Puppets, is widely considered as one of the greatest metal albums of all time. The masses are wrong, though; it’s the greatest metal album of all time. I know that it’s actually impossible to crown any album as “the greatest”, but it’s my personal favourite album ever and one that I frequently come back to.

I have loved, listened to, and talked about this album at length since I was in elementary school, it’s just an incredibly immersive experience from start to finish and every single song is a 10/10; a flawless album in every way. So, I figured I’d write an ode to my favourite record of all time and talk about what makes each of my favourite songs so special. This’ll be a fun one.

Battery

Fun fact: This was the second Metallica song I had ever heard (Enter Sandman being the first). Battery is not only an incredibly fitting title, but a marquee example on how to start an album. The song feels so ahead of its time; a brutally fast and – equally – brutally heavy thrash metal classic.

Let’s make this quick, just like how the song would want.

The album’s opener begins with some beautiful duel acoustic guitar, only to quickly turn the electricity on with a more grand take at the opening riff. Once that’s over, James Hetfield will greet you with, simply put, one of the most incredible metal riffs ever written. It’s as if you were to take Steve Harris’s (Iron Maiden) galloping bass technique, speed it up, and applied said skill to every instrument. The verses and choruses are huge and do a great job at carrying the weight of the truculent beast that Battery is. Kirk Hammett’s blistering solo after the bridge is also one of his best.

I don’t know, Battery is just a perfect way to open an album that’s as immersive and grand as Master Of Puppets. It’s explosive.

Master Of Puppets

It’s the song from Stranger Things!

In reality, the title track is an effective commentary on drug addiction which doubles as an absolute giant in music history.

Master of Puppets picks up right where Battery left off with a pulsating, quick, and heavy thrash track with an anthemic chorus – a chorus that is absolutely electric when played live thanks to the call and response of “MASTER! MASTER!” – making for a song that is instantly recognizable and iconic as hell.

But, it’s the song’s bridge that keeps me coming back. The band slows it down with some melodic guitar harmonics from Hetfield and Hammett and then builds up to a giant call and response section to lead into Kirk Hammett’s second solo of the record… you know the one I’m talking about.

All jokes aside, this scene is cool as hell.

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

I know ‘Fade To Black’ (Ride The Lightning) and ‘One’ (…And Justice For All) receive their flowers from music fans, and it’s warranted, but I feel as though Welcome Home (Sanitarium) doesn’t get enough credit for being an absolute masterpiece; only receiving a single tulip as opposed to the other two getting full bouquets of flowers.

Luckily for Welcome Home, Tulips are better, anyway.

The sinister, unsettling vibe throughout the first leg of the track adds a new vibe to the overall experience and bodes well with lyrics; which tells the story of a man trapped in a mental asylum, yearning to break free. The track’s second leg picks up the pace with some quick down-picking and creative chord progressions. Then, of course, Kirk Hammett shreds two quick solos and the band closes it out with a grand, epic finish.

Lars Ulrich tends to get a lot of flack for his technical ability as a drummer, but I think he kicks ass on the album as a whole and especially on this song. He drives the engine on this song and is the biggest reason as to why the ending had such a huge impact.

This song rules. Full stop. An absolute masterclass in compositional progression.

Disposable Heroes

If I were asked to pick the perfect metal song, it would be Disposable Heroes. 

This song is the reason why I love this album so much; it was so good on first listen that I made my dad play the whole album on our next ride to one of my hockey games. It’s not like it was hard for him to sit through it, though, he’s the one who showed me this album’s deep cuts.

Disposable Heroes is a commentary on war and the cruel reality that comes with serving in the army; feeding the war machine. The reason why this song is another masterclass in sogwriting is because the lyrics are paired with instrumentals that are so blistering; so ferocious; and so heavy, that it literally makes you feel like you’re in a warzone.

It seriously can’t be said enough: This album’s greatest strength is how consistently immersive it is from front to back.

The track’s ever-changing structure is beautifully chaotic and is never too much to handle; with the best part of the song beingwhen they build up – after another incredible Hammett solo – and unleash the blistering riff from the pre-chorus.

Keeping the same level of relentlessness throughout a track with an eight-and-a-half-minute runtime is so impressive on so many levels, but this is the Cliff Burton era we’re talking about here. Metallica are a one-of-a-kind band and I think this song is their magnum opus. A phenomenal song.

Leper Messiah

This is, in my mind, the album’s most underrated track.

Lyrically, the song serves as a metaphorical commentary on televangelists and organized religion – with a focus on Christianity. It’s an interesting, but effective approach.

Leper Messiah is a bit of a slower one in comparison with the rest of the album, although it’s not a ballad a la Sanitarium. This song actually feels reminiscent of something Pantera could have put out in the ’90s, making it kind of ahead of its time, in a way; it’s a pre-curser to groove metal. With that said, the song eventually picks up in the second leg and features a chilling, repeated refrain of “LIE!” in its winding moments. Song progression is yet another strength for this album and Leper Messiah is another shining example of that. It’s pounding, occasionally thrashy, and just another flawless track on a flawless album.

Master Of Puppets will stand the test of time; it really is a ‘once in a genre’ type record and a one-of-a-kind experience. The record takes you to several, distinct sonic worlds that are all equally immersive and memorable. Eight tracks, all killer, no filler; this album will forever be my absolute favourite and should be a must listen for any music fan.