1 Interpretation

The album is almost a concept album in that the theme of people as puppets runs through most of the songs on the album. Many of the songs deal with a particular "master": anger in "Battery", addiction in "Master of Puppets", madness in "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", and religion in "Leper Messiah". In addition, the notion of soldiers as cannon fodder is explored in "Disposable Heroes" and, to stretch the point somewhat, even the reference to the Cthulhu Mythos in "The Thing That Should Not Be" brings to mind the followers of a cult; "Orion", the hunter of Greek myth, was killed by Artemis after he became her follower. "Damage Inc.", the album's final track, is a call of non-conformity, to cut the strings of the puppet master.

The album's cover gives hint to some of the threads of the album. The cover shows a military cemetery with crosses as grave stones, bringing to mind both the dead soldiers of "Disposable Heroes" as well as the followers of the corrupt preacher of "Leper Messiah". The grave stones are attached by strings to a pair of controlling, puppet master-like, hands reaching down from above. Note that the leftmost cross in the front has a helmet hanging on it, and the dog tags on the cross in the middle. These are clearer references to "Disposable Heroes".

2 Historical Significance

Master of Puppets occupies the central position in the recorded output of Metallica's career, and is also regarded as one of the most important albums in the history of the metal genre.

For many Metallica fans, particularly those fans who first experienced the album in late 1980s, Master of Puppets represents a kind of golden age in the band's history, demonstrating now-classic approaches to speed/thrash metal songwriting and precision ensemble performance, as well as showcasing the classic line up of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Cliff Burton. Indeed, a significant part of how the album is remembered stems from the fact that it was the last album Burton recorded (he was killed in a tour bus accident during the tour to support the album).

Master of Puppets is also noteworthy for the way it seemed to speak to real issues instead of simply wallowing in shocking occultism, fantasy, and mysticism, or escaping into hedonistic male lust. As such, many commentators see the album as the second in a trilogy of albums (coming between Ride the Lightning (1984) and ...And Justice for All (1988)) which are credited with injecting a distinct level of "seriousness" into heavy metal.

In terms of both musical technique and industry marketing, Master of Puppets provided many metal fans with a clear alternative to the commercially visible (and increasingly pop-oriented) sounds of groups like Poison, Mötley Crüe, and Quiet Riot. Not only was the music on Master of Puppets complex, virtuosic, and very heavy, but Metallica also emphasized a decidedly "normal" visual presentation of themselves, sporting a costume of ripped jeans, t-shirts, and unteased long hair that contrasted the spectacular androgyny of Poison, et al. It was in this construction of the "real" that Metallica found success: real music played by real musicians who looked like real people.

Master of Puppets features Metallica's most famous song, "Master of Puppets". Clocking in at over eight minutes, the song's complex structure serves as a kind of metaphor for the topic of control that runs throughout the song (and the entire album). The lyrics topically refer to drug addiction (evidenced by lines such as "Chop your breakfast on a mirror") as a source for the loss of personal independence and control, however Metallica refrain from using the song for an explicitly anti-drug "message." Instead of saying "drugs are bad, don't do them," the music offers up a competing and more nuanced argument: "drugs are bad because you will lose all self-control and independence." Moreover, the song implies that the level of ensemble precision required to write and perform the music in "Master of Puppets" cannot be accomplished if one is a slave to a drug addiction.

In addition to physically intense metal riffs, the song features a lengthy interlude comprised of clean guitars, plaintive melodic figuration, and a clear-cut presentation of diatonic harmony. This type of quiet repose, while ultimately traceable to songs like "Fade to Black" (from Ride the Lightning), also appears in "Orion" and signals the representation of musical interiority avoided initially, though later adopted, by other thrash bands such as Slayer and Megadeth (and typically understood as antithetical to the musical image of the thrash metal style). Still, in a broader sense these quieter sections operated as a type of musical complexity that was highly valued by Metallica fans. As such, the song presents competing experiences of personal control: precise ensemble playing across a lengthy and complicated musical structure serve as powerful metaphors for staying in control, whereas the lyrics’ topic of drug abuse represents but one means of complete submission and the loss of control.

Nevertheless, the lack of an explicit anti-drug message in "Master of Puppets" was a somewhat controversial move in the mid 1980s. Not only had the U.S. War on drugs received renewed attention due to the efforts of First Lady Nancy Reagan's " Just Say No" campaign (begun in 1984), but the PMRC's hearings in 1985 had helped to create a crisis atmosphere with respect to adolescents and the media. As such, the entire Master of Puppets album was designated as "non-compliant" by the PMRC, who specifically pointed to the song "Master of Puppets" as an example of harmful content.

Not only do the songs on Master of Puppets serve as the foundation for the repertoire of most Metallica tribute bands, but in February 2002 the American progressive metal group Dream Theater performed the entire album as an homage to Metallica. As Master of Puppets approaches its twenty-year anniversary its stature in the metal world is continually being reinforced.

3 Track listing

1. " Battery" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:10
2. "Master of Puppets" (Burton, Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 8:38
3. "The Thing That Should Not Be" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6:32
4. " Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6:28
5. "Disposable Heroes" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 8:14
6. "Leper Messiah" (Hetfield, Ulrich **) - 5:38
7. " Orion" [instrumental] (Burton, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 8:12
8. "Damage, Inc." (Burton, Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:08

** Megadeth guitarist Dave Mustaine has claimed over the years in interviews to have written riffs ultimately used by Hetfield and Ulrich in "Leper Messiah." While such claims may or may not be true, neither Hetfield or Ulrich have ever publicly addressed the issue.

4 Personnel

• Don Brautigam - Illustrations
• Cliff Burton - Bass, Vocals (bckgr), Lead Bass on "Orion"
• Rob Ellis - Photography
• Ross Halfin - Photography
• Kirk Hammett - Guitar
• James Hetfield - Guitar, Arranger, Vocals
• George Marino - Remastering
• Metallica - Producer, Cover Art Concept
• Flemming Rasmussen - Producer, Engineer
• Lars Ulrich - Arranger, Drums
• Michael Wagener - Mixing

Metallica albums 1986 albums

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