Master of Puppets (1986): the Metallica thrash classic, decoded

The album

Master of Puppets, released March 3, 1986 on Elektra, is Metallica's third studio record and one of the canonical thrash-metal records of the 1980s. Recorded at Flemming Rasmussen's Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen between September 1985 and January 1986, the record was the band's first major-label release after their previous independent records on Megaforce. Eight tracks across 54 minutes, with the title track and the bass-feature Orion among the most-cited compositions in the metal canon.

Who played on it

The classic Metallica lineup: James Hetfield (rhythm guitar, vocals, songwriting), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar), Cliff Burton (bass), Lars Ulrich (drums). Burton died on tour in Sweden later that year, making Master of Puppets his final studio record. Jason Newsted replaced him for the next album cycle.

What they played

Hetfield and Hammett both tracked Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010-.046) on their rhythm and lead parts, primarily in standard E with selected tracks in Eb. The Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ tube amp, with Hetfield's preferred high-gain settings, drove the saturation on the rhythm tracks. EMG 81/85 active humbuckers were not yet the canonical Hetfield spec at this point in the catalog, his guitars on the album included a Gibson Explorer with EMG humbuckers and various other instruments.

Burton's bass tracks ran Rotosound Swing Bass 66 (.045-.105) on his primary Rickenbacker 4001 and an Aria Pro II SB-1000. Burton's bass tone was unusually distorted for the era, signal chain ran through a Bi-Amp wah and various distortion pedals, producing the trebly, harmonic-rich bass voice heard on Orion and across the rhythm tracks.

The cultural moment

Master of Puppets pushed Metallica from underground extreme-metal status into mainstream cultural visibility. The record peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200, the first thrash-metal album to break the top 30 without significant radio airplay. The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2016, making it the first metal album so honored. The title track resurfaced in 2022 in Stranger Things season 4 and reached the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, charting at #25 thirty-six years after release.

If you want this rig

Ernie Ball

Regular Slinky (.010-.046)

Price tier: $

Why this one: The Hetfield + Hammett gauge across the Master of Puppets sessions and most of Metallica's catalog. Standard E and Eb standard, the same .010 set across both rhythm and lead tracks.

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James Hetfield
Kirk Hammett
Cliff Burton
Lars Ulrich
Metallica
Thrash metal
Los Angeles, California (Metallica's home base since 1981)

Frequently asked questions

What guitar strings did Metallica use on Master of Puppets?

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010-.046) for both Hetfield rhythm tracks and Hammett lead tracks. Standard E and Eb standard tunings across the record. The .010 set into Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amplification produces the canonical Master of Puppets rhythm tone.

What tuning is Master of Puppets in?

Mostly standard E with selected tracks in Eb standard. The title track and Battery sit at standard E; Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is in Eb. The album's production maintained pitch stability through the use of Hetfield's heavier-than-typical right-hand attack on a .010 set, which is one reason he eventually moved to heavier signature gauges later in his career.

Who produced Master of Puppets?

Flemming Rasmussen produced the record at his Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rasmussen had produced Metallica's previous record Ride the Lightning (1984) at the same studio and continued the collaboration through ...And Justice for All (1988). The Sweet Silence-era Metallica records are the canonical thrash-metal-production benchmark.

What did Cliff Burton play on the album?

Rickenbacker 4001 bass and an Aria Pro II SB-1000 across most of the bass tracks. Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass 66 in the canonical British rock-bass stainless-steel formula. Master of Puppets includes Burton's bass solo Orion, one of the most-cited bass-solo sections in modern metal. He died in a tour-bus accident in Sweden later that year, making this his final studio record with Metallica.

What's the cultural impact of Master of Puppets?

Master of Puppets is one of the founding records of thrash metal as a genre and the album that pushed Metallica from underground extreme-metal status into mainstream cultural visibility. The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2016, the first metal album to be inducted. The title track resurfaced as a generational hit in 2022 when it was featured prominently in Stranger Things season 4, peaking at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 (its first time on the chart).

At a glance