Master of Puppets

by Metallica

The debate over whether Metallica's third album, Master of Puppets, is overrated has long been a point of contention among metal fans. However, there are some things that need to be said, and said clearly: this album is indeed overrated. Some might argue that this album transcends rational evaluation, stirring up a kind of universal "emotion." Yet, when assessed by the standards of metal, and thrash metal in particular, it falls short of being considered a masterpiece. Especially when compared to its predecessor, which signaled the arrival of thrash metal and contained numerous stellar thrash tracks, this album's flaws stand out. The number of solid thrash songs has decreased, and at times it seems more focused on overly repetitive riffs and bloating the song lengths.

The track that most encapsulates both the strengths and weaknesses of this album is none other than the title track, "Master of Puppets," Metallica's signature song. The famous opening riff is undeniably excellent. It’s thrashy, and not just another simple power-chord palm-muted riff; it grabs the listener’s attention. However, what follows—a frustratingly middling tempo riff, the endlessly drawn-out song length with no new sections or riffs left to offer, and the awkwardly placed break—undermines the song's merits. If this track had tighter composition with faster riffs and a 3-5 minute runtime, it could have been far better. A track with a similar length, "Disposable Heroes," shares almost identical issues, and overall, it’s even less impressive.

But the real problem with this album lies in songs like "The Thing That Should Not Be" and "Leper Messiah." Neither track, aside from the bridge in "Leper Messiah," even pretends to be thrash metal. Of course, not being thrash metal doesn’t inherently mean a song is bad. But in the case of these two tracks, it certainly does. Both are bogged down by mid-tempo, plodding riffs, and neither leaves any lasting impression. When we look back at Metallica’s previous two albums, neither contained tracks that were as frustratingly sluggish to the point of feeling out of place, and with hindsight, these songs feel like harbingers of the direction Metallica would take in their next two albums.

Of course, this album isn’t entirely a disaster. There are some redeeming qualities. The opening track "Battery" is a reasonably solid thrash number, and while "Orion" doesn't quite reach the heights of Ride the Lightning’s "The Call of Ktulu," it’s still a well-crafted instrumental that serves as a backbone for the album. Tracks like "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and "Damage, Inc." aren’t exactly standout songs, but they are passable enough. These four tracks mentioned help the album remain at a fairly average level. With all of this in mind, it’s telling that few thrash metal fans consider this album the pinnacle of either the genre or the band’s discography.