Metallica
Master Of Puppets

THE REVIEW

Annus Domini 1986. A legend is born. "Master Of Puppets" is born.

I look at the box where I ate the ice cream. In the meantime, I've inserted the CD. Something distracts me: it's just the window shutter banging. I close it and... oh... what's that noise? Ah yes, the CD I just put in... let's see what these Metallica are like. But wait, what a sound! Guitars at full throttle, technical drums; what speed in execution! The vocalist has started singing, determined and strong. Here's a solo, no, it's not a solo, the rhythm continues. Instrumental part... here's the solo! What speed! The solo finishes... the song ends. I pause the CD for a moment. I need to recover. What music! What is the name of this song? "Battery"... let's hope the other seven are of the same level! Let's continue... ARGH! I knew I shouldn't have put it on maximum! Anyway, what guitars here, what's it called? "Master Of Puppets"... ... ... The song finished. I'm stunned. Not because they're ultra-technical (because they're not), not because they're emotional (they're not this either), but because, as they say, they "rock". "Master Of Puppets" is the complete song, it has everything: riff, lyrics, solo, break... Meanwhile, "The Thing That Should Not Be" starts. Immediately, I notice that it has a captivating rhythm and that Hetfield puts all his anger into it. "Welcome home (sanitarium)" has a lot of technique (and I like it because I've been listening to prog for a while) and a truly incredible ending. A "Great Final", I would call it. Meanwhile, I've already gotten used to the album's rhythm. So far, one of the best moments of my life! And this moment will continue...

But what track is this? I read "Disposable Heroes"... after the first minute I can already say: "This will be the bass player's best performance!". What strikes me most about this song is the riff with an abrupt pause! With that riff in my head, I listen to "Leper Messiah". I must say it is indeed a very heavy song! But... wait... from the solo, it becomes very fast! Great progression! As in "Master Of Puppets", after the second chorus. Hearing "Orion", I reconsider what I said before: it's here where Burton shows his best! After listening, I can say it's one of the most beautiful instrumentals I've ever heard! And unfortunately, we are at the last song of the album... "Damage, Inc.". It starts slow, but... here it goes! And who can stop those guitarists now! A little masterpiece! And what a chorus! The solo comes... powerful, beautiful, and rhythmic!

The album ends. What a pity. With the album ended one of the most beautiful moments of my life. An hour ago, I didn't think these eight tracks could engage me so much. Now instead, I've listened to the most beautiful record in thrash metal history. All the band members impressed me, Hetfield, Hammett, Burton, Ulrich. They just miss a keyboardist. But, alas, Metallica will not repeat the beauty of this album.

But I will surely listen to it again two, three, four, ten, twenty times. But the thing I wonder is: "How can a thrash metal album engage me so much?". I think I'll never know.