When Metallica released their third album Master of Puppets in March 1986, they were on the cusp of international stardom. Their first two albums had been groundbreaking releases in the increasingly popular speed and thrash metal movements of the early to mid-1980s. Kill ‘Em All and Ride The Lightning, the latter of which had originally broken through to the bottom half of the Billboard Top 200, had managed to make a lot of noise.
Videos by American Songwriter
But it was Metallica’s third album, once again produced by Flemming Rasmussen and their first for Elektra Records, that took things in a new direction and helped them break them out worldwide. And the title track would arguably become one of their most famous and beloved songs. It may have half a billion less Spotify streams than “Enter Sandman” (it still has 785 million), but “Master of Puppets” is a far superior tune.
An Instant Classic
Master of Puppets marked an important musical and lyrical evolution for Metallica. On top of the aggressive, distorted thrash riffs, there was an increased use of melody, greater nuance, more thoughtful lyrics on topics like war, drugs, and conformity, and mellow passages to contrast the musical thunder. A perfect example of that is the title track.
Anybody who’s heard the song will instantly know its gnarly, signature riff within the first couple of seconds. But the 8½-minute track also has an extended, mellow interlude—influenced by their late bassist Cliff Burton, who was well steeped in jazz and classical music and who tragically died in a tour bus accident on this very tour—which brought a strong contrast and sense of drama to the song. It was soon followed by a rapid-fire guitar solo.
End of passion play, crumbling away
I’m your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
Leading on your death’s construction
A Wide Interpretation of Lyrics
The meaning of the lyrics themselves are pretty simple. Speaking to Thrasher magazine in 1988, frontman James Hetfield explained the song “deals pretty much with drugs. How things get switched around, instead of you controlling what you’re taking and doing its drugs controlling you.” It’s clear from lyrics like Needlework the way, never you betray and Chop your breakfast on a mirror the song is referencing heroin and cocaine addiction.
However, fans have asserted that the song’s meaning does not have to just apply to drugs. It could symbolize other controlling figures or forces in one’s life. The cover of the album itself features two large hands wielding strings attached to a cemetery field of crosses, indicating a warmonger or general who has led troops to die. In fact, the song “Disposable Heroes” is about exactly just that.
A Song that Will Never Die
Since it has come out, there’s been no Metallica tour that has not featured “Master of Puppets.” It was highlighted during the climactic sequence in the Upside Down during Season four of Stranger Things in which rocker Eddie Munson, portrayed by Joseph Quinn, blasts the song’s riff into that eerie void so that all the creatures that are chasing his friends will come towards him. He eventually becomes the sacrificial lamb to save them. That sequence really made the character famous and inspired resurgent interest in the song and Metallica, particularly for younger listeners who might not know them well.
“Master of Puppets” was the only single to be released from the album—a bold move considering how long it is—and impressively hit No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, although it only spent three weeks there. The song did not garner mainstream radio airplay when it came out, but during its Stranger Things moment in 2022 it spent 20 weeks on the Mainstream Rock radio chart and peaked at No. 18. No official music video was ever made. The digital download of the song, released in 2001, has sold over a half million copies.
The album Master of Puppets would go Gold in July 1988, reach the Platinum mark in 1988, and following the success of The Black Album, eventually go on to sell 6 million copies domestically. The song routinely tops lists of the best Metallica songs. Not bad for an album that barely broke the Top 30 albums back in the day. Such was the power of metal in the 1980s.
It’s impressive that nearly 40 years later, “Master of Puppets” retains its power and visceral quality, especially given the radical changes in album production since then. Normally associated with jazz artists, Rasmussen’s production was forward thinking and spot on, particularly in a period where bands ascending to major labels would often find their sound commercialized or overly polished. He retained the grittiness of Metallica’s music while giving it a full-bodied sound. The song and the album remain classic over four decades later.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
