MetallicaMaster Of Puppets

Genre:

Rock

Style:

Speed Metal

Year:

Tracklist

Battery 5:10
Master Of Puppets 8:38
The Thing That Should Not Be 6:32
Welcome Home (Sanitarium) 6:28
Disposable Heroes 8:14
Leper Messiah 5:38
Orion 8:12
Damage, Inc. 5:08

Credits (23)

Notes

Released March 3, 1986

Guitar, Vocals: James Hetfield
Drums: Lars Ulrich
Bass: Cliff Burton
Guitar: Kirk Hammett

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

Produced by Metallica & Flemming Rasmussen
Engineered by Flemming Rasmussen
Mixed by Michael Wagener at Amigo Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Assistant Mixing Engineer: Mark Wilzcak

Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
Remastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York, NY (1995)
Remastered by Howie Weinberg and Gentry Studer at Howie Weinberg Mastering, Los Angeles, CA (2017)

Cover concept: Metallica & Peter Mensch
Cover Illustration: Don Brautigam

Photographers: Ross Halfin (All inner sleeve pix, Kirk/Back Cover, James/Back Cover), Rich Likong (Cliff/Back Cover), Rob Ellis (Lars/Back Cover)

Management: Q-Prime, Inc.

All songs © 1986 Creeping Death Music (Global Music Rights)
℗ & © 1986 Blackened Recordings

Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica.
It was the last album with the bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident in Sweden during the album's promotional tour.

Artwork, designed by Metallica & Peter Mensch and painted by Don Brautigam, depicts a cemetery field of white crosses tethered to strings, manipulated by a pair of hands in a blood-red sky. Instead of releasing a single or video in advance of the album's release, Metallica embarked on a five-month American tour in of Ozzy Osbourne. The European leg was canceled after Burton's death in September 1986, and the band returned home to audition a new bassist.

Master of Puppets peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its music and political lyrics.
It was certified six times platinum by the RIAA in 2003 for shipping six million copies in the United States, and was later certified six times platinum by Music Canada and platinum by the BPI.
In 2015, Master of Puppets became the first metal recording to be selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

It is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential thrash metal albums of all time.

Main runouts of 1986 vinyl releases per country.

US
R-134552-A, S̶T̶E̶-̶6̶0̶4̶3̶9̶-̶A̶-DMM-1 Elektra.

UK
R̶R̶ ̶9̶9̶1̶7̶ RR 9717 MFN-60 Music for Nations + Elektra, misprint + mispress.

EU
RR 9717 MFN 60 Music for Nations + Roadrunner.

Versions

Filter by
    596 versions
    Image , In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory
    Version Details Data Quality
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    Music For Nations – RR 9717 Europe 1986 Europe1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-03-04, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, SR
    Elektra – 60439-4 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-03-00, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    Elektra – 96 04391 Canada 1986 Canada1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    Elektra – MFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Music For Nations – TMFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-03-03, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Allied Pressing
    Elektra – 9 60439-1 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-03-08, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Stereo
    New Electric Way – 2320 1986 1986
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-05-21, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    CBS/Sony – 28AP 3169 Japan 1986 Japan1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-08-01, CD Master Of Puppets
    CD, Album
    CBS/Sony – 32DP 448 Japan 1986 Japan1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-08-00, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    WEA – 60439-1 Australia 1986 Australia1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-03-00, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    Music For Nations – MFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Club Edition
    Elektra – 9 60439-1 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Club Edition
    Elektra – 9 E1-60439 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Picture Disc
    Music For Nations – MFN 60P UK 1986 UK1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-08-11, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Elektra – 60439-4 Australia 1986 Australia1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-03-00, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Test Pressing
    Music For Nations – MFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    Needs Changes
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, Club Edition
    Elektra – 60439-4 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, Dolby HX Pro, B NR
    Elektra – 96 04394 Canada 1986 Canada1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Philips – 842219-4 Colombia 1986 Colombia1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-04-11, CD Master Of Puppets
    CD, Album
    Music For Nations – CDMFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Promo, SP - Specialty Pressing
    Elektra – 9 60439-1 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Music For Nations – MU 444 1986 1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Unofficial Release
    CBS/Sony (2) – HM 26 South Korea 1986 South Korea1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-06-17, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album
    Elektra – 96 04391 Canada 1986 Canada1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Test Pressing, White Label
    Music For Nations – MFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    New Electric Way – C 2320 1986 1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Repress
    New Electric Way – 2320 1986 1986
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Music For Nations – TMFN 60 Europe 1986 Europe1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-02-21, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Stereo, Specialty Pressing
    Elektra – 9 60439-1 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Reissue
    New Electric Way – 193201 1986 1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-02-28, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Test Pressing, White Label
    Music For Nations – MFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Stereo
    Music For Nations – MFN 60 Europe 1986 Europe1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-06-00, CD Master Of Puppets
    CD, Album
    Elektra – 60439-2 US 1986 US1986
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, Club Edition, Dolby HX Pro, B NR
    Elektra – E4-60439 Canada 1986 Canada1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, Reissue
    New Electric Way – 193204 1986 1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Vinyl Master Of Puppets
    LP, Album, Club Edition
    Elektra – E1 60439 Canada 1986 Canada1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – 838 141-4 Philippines 1986 Philippines1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986-02-21, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album
    Elektra – 9 60439-4 US 1986 US1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, AR
    Elektra – 9 60439-4 US 1986 US1986
    New Submission
    Cover of Master Of Puppets, 1986, Cassette Master Of Puppets
    Cassette, Album, Clear Shell
    Music For Nations – TMFN 60 UK 1986 UK1986
    New Submission

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    Reviews

    • nkoscak's avatar
      nkoscak
      Sounds very dynamic and powerful. Much better than 2017 remaster.
      • 0xA7X's avatar
        0xA7X
        I have a serious budget for anyone who has a copy with an LP in excellent condition for sale (condition of the sleeve is not that important). Feel free to message me.
        • YukonAndroid's avatar
          YukonAndroid
          Some low level surface noise between tracks, but this pressing has great punch to it and an overall balanced / transparent presentation to my ears. I don’t have other pressings to compare to, but nice thick slab of vinyl is dead flat and centered. If you love this album (and who doesn’t?), you won’t be disappointed.
          • jacekhabrajski's avatar
            jacekhabrajski
            Edited 16 days ago
            This edition replicates the back cover with text : >we have attempted to preserve the sound as closely to possibly to the sound of original analog<
            Which is not true, because it was compressed to DR9db.
            It's still better than the 2010 SHM-CD = UICY-94664, which has only 6db and is a pile of crap. The first editions on CD are 12db.
            Buy only the first releases.
            • Lanakias1's avatar
              Lanakias1
              Edited one month ago
              I have think a lot over the years and I believe this version here has a remaster or they used different mastering against "George Marino" version. Someone did this mastering and it was included "only" in the US market. The original DMM (Allied/Specialty) pressings have again very bright, sharp sound like this version. The difference is the DMM process on "Allied/Specialty" while this was mastered with the ordinary proccess.
              The EU versions share all of them the "George Marino" mastering which it is noticiable with the massive low end he had put in this album. The EU pressings (MFN, RR, New Electric etc) had the same DNA on the sound. They have the mastering that it was in the original CD. To the opposite, the US vinyl versions sound completely different. Ultra bright, ultra sharp, cleaner vocals, more aggressive and explosion on the sound.

              Some guy did a different mastering when the album came which was never released in digital form and only "George Marino" was released. I wish this mastering was released in digital form. It is what this album needs. Sharp, brightness and explosion
              • hugomet78's avatar
                hugomet78
                Por lo que se sabe de esta edición fue realizada en el Distrito Federal (hoy Ciudad de México) a finales de 1986. Bootleg(conocido en méxico como edición pirata). Sonido con mucha scratch, hoy se considera solo para coleccionar por la rareza, fué un tiraje muy bajo.

                From what we know, this edition was produced in Mexico City (now Mexico City) in late 1986. It's a bootleg (known in Mexico as a pirated edition). Its sound is heavily scratched, and today it's considered a collector's item due to its rarity. It was a very small print run.
                • Moop106's avatar
                  Moop106
                  sounds simultaneously too muddy and too thin somehow, at least there isn't much surface noise
                  • searchingforagem's avatar
                    Some people seem to like this disc, so I say I wish that MoFi would put this album out on SACD, along with Lightning and Justice. (Hey, I can be utopian, can't I?)
                    • Lethargy01's avatar
                      Lethargy01
                      My runouts match this pressing exactly except for the last “SM5”. Can’t seem to find that on any pressing, so perhaps there’s another variant to this..? Either way, sounds killer!
                      • monddialle's avatar
                        monddialle
                        Edited 2 months ago
                        This one is ( very very likely) crafted using the original masters. The whole sound structure is on par with initial vinyl STERLING DMM OG version.
                        Excellent separation, analogue vibe and purity of high frequency - all these features are here but NOT on the
                        subsequent releases with RE prefix and small matrix font. Moreover those sound excessively loud and a bit harsh.
                        To my ears this exact pressing ( with "classic" big SRC matrix font, without RE prefix and IFPI) is the only competitor to 1986 vinyl release.

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