Master of Puppets
June 7th, 2010 | by admin |Master of Puppets Review
Ah, the challenge of reviewing a classic album, especially one as influential as this: Metallica’s breakout album. It is revered (and despised) in equal amounts throughout the metal world, but you can be sure every metalhead knows about this, and was probably told about it from friends or shows claiming it to be the “Best Thrash Metal Album Ever!” That’s where I disagree: I simply don’t think it has enough real “thrashy” material to be considered a thrash album, let alone be considered the best one ever made. Not to say it’s not good, far from it. This is still my favorite Metallica album behind …And Justice For All, and has some of their best songs on it. However, most of it is very mid-paced, which I think would claim more of a traditional metal label or even doom at some points.
Now, on to the actual music: what you have here is a towering monument to a once-great band’s not inconsiderable talent. It showcases some of the band’s most catchy-yet-still-undeniably-metal songs, from The Thing That Should Not Be to Damage, Inc., this album is packed with songs that rage with crushing power, Lars Ulrich pounding the skins and providing a heavy backdrop for James’ heavy riffs and vocals to tear across, and Kirk soloing like a madman. I think it should be worth mentioning that, even though James isn’t exactly a lyrical wordsmith, the best lyrics besides those from Justice are found here, all conveying a mood of loss of control, be it from drug use, Lovecraftian terrors, or insanity, This is some of Mr. Hetfield’s best work.
Although I like every song on here, I would like to point out my high points and low points on the album. My favorite song on this album is without a doubt, Battery. This song is just fantastic, roaring along at Mach 10, yet still sticking in your head after a single listen, and having a main riff that makes you instinctively bang your head like a mongoloid doesn’t hurt, either. Kirk’s leads in this are the icing on the cake, quick and adept, yet still blistering and melodic, this song has some of my favorite guitar playing on display. My least favorite song on the album, however, is Orion. That song alone almost made me take the album down a star. I’m sorry, but the only Metallica instrumental I like is Call of Kutulu, and that’s because it has the one thing none of their other instrumentals have; flow. Orion to me just seems like they wrote a ton of riffs (which are, admittedly, good on their own) then slapped them down in random order on tablature, and recorded. It just sounds disorganized, and just misguided. I can tell they were trying to make this an epic testament to their riff-writing ability, but focusing on SONGWRITING should have come first. Their songwriting ability is why I love their early stuff, and they seem to forget that they are adept at it on Orion.
So, despite one overlong instrumental, this album is just cool. I’m just going to leave it at “It’s a kick-@$$ METAL album,” and leave it at that.
Highly Recommended
Master of Puppets Overview
Japanese exclusive reissue of 1986 album, packaged in a miniature LP gatefold sleeve, features 8 tracks. CBS. 2003.
Master of Puppets Specifications
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 100 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 institutionalized inmate and “Disposable Heroes” is the perspective of a soldier. DCC’s 24-karat-gold version of this title offers superior sound quality for a higher price than the standard-issue CD. –Genevieve Williams
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 07, 2010 15:44:05
