MASTER OF PUPPETS was Metallica's last album with bass player Cliff Burton. Burton was killed in a traffic accident. He was replaced by Jason Newsted.

Metallica: James Hetfield (vocals, guitar); Kirk Hammett (guitar); Cliff Burton (bass); Lars Ulrich (drums).

Recorded at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark from September through December, 1985.

Metallica's irresistible rise to the top continued with this enigmatic 1986 album. A constant touring unit by this point, their combination of light and dark and their deft staccato delivery, especially on the title track, came brusquely through. Their ever-lengthening arrangements (three songs came in at over eight minutes), bolstered by the precise snap of Hetfield's vocals, testified to their undeniable power. The striding "Battery," the darkly lit "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)," as well as the complex instrumental, "Orion," all gave powerful testament to their ever-developing skill and vision.

What the critics say...

Q (7/01, p.88) - Included in Q's "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time" - "...Metallica's finest 55 minutes....showing them at their most acerbic...and at their most face-pullingly heavy..."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.55) - "Fifty-four near-perfect minutes, MASTER OF PUPPETS is a genuine classic that will survive even the mortal lives of its creators."