Master of Puppets
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Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records. Recorded at the Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the first Metallica album released on a major label. It was the band's last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus crash during the album's promotional tour. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. It was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping six million copies in the US.
Master of Puppets was released to critical acclaim and has been included in several publications' best album lists. Its driving, virtuosic music and angry, political lyrics drew praise from critics outside of the metal community. The album is considered the band's strongest effort of the period, and is one of the most influential heavy metal albums. Critics credit it for consolidating the American thrash metal scene with its atmospheric and meticulously performed songs. Many bands from all genres of heavy metal have covered the album's songs, including tribute albums.
The cover was designed by Metallica and Peter Mensch and painted by Don Brautigam. It 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 to promote the album, Metallica embarked on a five-month tour supporting Ozzy Osbourne in the United States. The European leg was canceled after Burton's death in September, and the band returned home to audition a new bassist. Metallica honored the album's twentieth anniversary in 2006 by playing it in its entirety.
Background and recording
Metallica's debut Kill 'Em All laid the foundation for thrash metal with its aggressive musicianship and vitriolic lyricism. The album revitalized the American underground scene, and records by contemporaries followed in similar manner.[2] The band's second album Ride the Lightning extended the limits of the genre with its more sophisticated songwriting and improved production. The album caught the attention of Elektra Records representative Michael Alago, who signed the group to an eight-album deal in the fall of 1984.[3] Elektra reissued Ride the Lightning on November 19, and the band began touring larger venues and festivals throughout 1985. After parting with manager Jon Zazula, Metallica hired Q Prime's Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch. During the summer, the band played the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, alongside Bon Jovi and Ratt in front of 70,000 fans.[4] Metallica was motivated to make an album that would impress critics and fans, and began writing new material in mid-1985. Drummer Lars Ulrich and frontman James Hetfield were the main songwriters on the album, already entitled Master of Puppets. The two developed ideas at a garage in El Cerrito before inviting bassist Cliff Burton and guitarist Kirk Hammett for rehearsals.[5] Hetfield and Ulrich described the songwriting process as starting with "guitar riffs, assembled and reassembled until they start to sound like a song". After that, the band came up with a song title and topic, and Hetfield wrote lyrics to match the title.[6] Master of Puppets was Metallica's first album not to feature songwriting contributions from former lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. Mustaine claimed he had co-written "Leper Messiah", based on an old song called "The Hills Ran Red". The band denied this, though admitting a section incorporates ideas of Mustaine's.[7]
When I saw two kids who worked there in London wearing T-shirts of a local San Francisco band, I knew I was onto something. When I heard their record, I knew they were the one band that could sell to both mainstream and underground metal audiences.
— Cliff Burnstein, on signing Metallica[8]
The band was not satisfied with the acoustics of the American studios they considered, and decided to record in Ulrich's native Denmark.[9] Ulrich took drum lessons, and Hammett worked with Joe Satriani to learn how to record more efficiently.[5] Metallica recorded the album with producer Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen from September 1 to December 27, 1985.[10] The writing of all the songs but "Orion" and "The Thing That Should Not Be" was completed before the band's arrival in Copenhagen.[7] Rasmussen stated that the band brought well-prepared demos of the songs, and only slight changes were made to the compositions in the studio.[11] The recording took longer than the last album because Metallica developed a perfectionist sense and had higher ambitions for this one.[9] Metallica eschewed the slick production and synthesizers of contemporary hard rock and heavy metal albums by Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. Despite a reputation for drinking, the band stayed dry on recording days.[7] Hammett recalled that the group was "just making another album" at the time and "had no idea that the record would have such a range of influence that it went on to have". He also said that the group was "definitely peaking" at the time and that the album had "the sound of a band really gelling, really learning how to work well together".[12]
Rasmussen and Metallica did not manage to complete the mixtapes as planned. Instead, the master tapes were sent in January 1986 to Michael Wagener, who finished the album's mixing.[5] The cover was designed by Metallica and Peter Mensch and painted by Don Brautigam. It depicts a cemetery field of white crosses tethered to strings, manipulated by a pair of hands in a blood-red sky. The original artwork was sold at Rockefeller Plaza, New York City for $28,000.[13] The band mocked the warning stickers promoted by the PMRC with a facetious Parental Advisory label on the cover: "The only track you probably won't want to play is 'Damage, Inc.' due to the multiple use of the infamous 'F' word. Otherwise, there aren't any 'shits', 'fucks', 'pisses', 'cunts', 'motherfuckers', or 'cocksuckers' anywhere on this record".[9] The album was recorded with the following equipment: Hammett's guitars were a black 1974 Gibson Flying V, a black Jackson Randy Rhoads, and a black Fernandes Stratocaster nicknamed "Edna".[14] Hetfield used a Jackson King V played through a Mesa Boogie Mark C+ amplifier modified as a pre-amp.[15] Burton played an Aria Pro II SB1000 through Mesa Boogie amplifier heads and cabinets.[16] Ulrich played Tama drum equipment, and borrowed a rare S.L.P. Black Brass from Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, who had his arm severed in a car accident.[3]
Music and lyrics
Master of Puppets features dynamic music and thick arrangements. Metallica delivered a more refined approach and performance over the last two albums, with multi-layered songs and technical dexterity.[17] This album and its predecessor Ride the Lightning follow a similar track sequencing: both open with a fast thrasher with an acoustic intro, followed by a lengthy title track, and a fourth track with ballad qualities.[7] Although both albums are similarly structured, the musicianship on Master of Puppets is more powerful and epic in scope, with tight rhythms and delicate guitar solos.[18] According to music writer Joel McIver, Master of Puppets introduced a new level of heaviness and complexity in thrash metal, displaying atmospheric and precisely executed songs. Hetfield's vocals had matured from the hoarse shouting of the first to albums to a deeper, in-control yet aggressive style.[9] The songs explore themes such as control and the abuse of power. The lyrics describe the consequences of alienation, oppression, and feelings of powerlessness. Author Ryan Moore thought the lyrics depict "ominous yet unnamed forces of power wielding total control over helpless human subjects".[19] The lyrics were considered perceptive and harrowing, and were praised for being honest and socially conscious.[20] Referring to the epic proportions of the songs, BBC Music's Eamonn Stack stated that "at this stage in their careers Metallica weren't even doing songs, they were telling stories".[21] The compositions and arrangements benefited from Burton's classical training and understanding of harmony.[9]
"Battery" is about anger and refers to "battery" in the sense of "assault and battery". Some critics contend that the title actually refers to an artillery battery, and interpreted it as "Hetfield [singing] of a war tactic as the aggressor" personifying destruction. The song begins with bass-heavy acoustic guitars that build layer by multitracked-layer until they are joined by a wall of distorted electric guitars.[9] It then breaks into fast, aggressive riffing featuring off-beat rhythms and heavily distorted minor diads where root-fifth power chords might be expected. Hetfield improvised the riff while relaxing in London.[14] "Master of Puppets" consists of several riffs with odd meters and a cleanly picked middle section with melodic solo. The song shares a similar structure with "The Four Horsemen" from the band's first album: two verse-chorus sets lead to a lengthy interlude to another verse-chorus set.[22] The opening and pre-verse sections feature fast downstroked chromatic riffing at 220 beats per minute.[14] The persistent and precise eight-note riffing of the verse is made more intense by switching to an off-kilter 5
8 time signature on each fourth bar.[22] A lengthy interlude follows the second chorus, beginning with a clean, arpeggiated section over which Hetfield contributes a melodic solo; the riffing becomes distorted and progressively more heavy and Hammett provides a more virtuosic solo before the song returns to the main verse.[22] The song closes with a fade-out of sinister laughter. The theme is cocaine addiction, a topic considered taboo at the time.[23]
"The Thing That Should Not Be" was inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's short story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", whose main protagonist battles unearthly forces.[24] It is considered the heaviest track on the album whose main riff emulates a beast dragging itself into the sea. The Black Sabbath-influenced guitars are downtuned two-and-a-helf steps to C♯, creating slow and moody ambience.[14] "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is based on Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and conveys the thoughts of a patient unjustly caged in a mental institution.[24] According to philosopher William Irwin, it is perhaps the most revealing of Metallica's songs dealing with insanity.[25] The song opens with a section undistorted single strings and harmonics. The clean, arpeggiated main riff is played in alternating 4
4 and 6
4 time signatures.[14] The song is structured with alternating sombre, clean guitars in the verses and distorted, heavy riffing in the choruses, unfolding into an aggressive finale. This structure follows a pattern of power ballads Metallica set with "Fade to Black" on Ride the Lightning and was to revisit with "One" on ...And Justice for All.[22]
"Disposable Heroes" is an anti-war song about a young soldier whose fate is controlled by his superiors. With sections performed at 220 beats per minute, it is one of the most intense tracks on the record.[26] The guitar passage at the end of each verse was Hammett's imitation of the sort of music he found in war films.[7] The syncopated riffing of "Leper Messiah" challenges the hypocrisy of the televangelism that had emerged in the 1980s. The song describes how people are willingly turned into blind religious followers who mindlessly do whatever they are told.[25] The 136-bpm mid-tempo riffing of the verses culminates in a descending chromatic riff in the chorus; it increases to a galloping 184-bpm for the middle section that climaxes in a distorted scream of "Lie!".[22] The title derives from the lyrics to the David Bowie song "Ziggy Stardust".[7] "Orion" is a multipart instrumental highlighting Burton's bass playing. It opens with a fade-in bass section, heavily processed to resemble an orchestra. It continues with mid-tempo riffing, followed by a bass solo at half. The tempo accelerates during the latter part, and ends with music fading out.[16] Burton arranged the middle section, which features its moody bass line and multipart guitar harmonies.[7] "Damage, Inc." rants about senseless violence and reprisal at unspecified target.[9] It starts with a series of reversed bass chords based on the chorale prelude of Bach's "Come, Sweet Death".[7] The song then jumps into a rapid rhythm with a pedal-point riff in E that Hammett says was influenced by Deep Purple.[14]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [17] |
Chicago Tribune | [27] |
Robert Christgau | B–[28] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [29] |
Kerrang! | [3] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [30] |
Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5[31] |
Master of Puppets received positive reviews from music critics.[32] Editor Tom King said that Metallica was at an "incredible song-writing peak" during the recording sessions, partially because Burton contributed to the songwriting.[23] The album was hailed as a masterpiece by critics outside of the heavy metal audience and cited by some as the genre's greatest album.[17] In a contemporary review, Tim Holmes of Rolling Stone asserted that the band had redefined heavy metal with the technical skill and subtlety on the album, which he described as "the sound of global paranoia".[33] Kerrang! wrote that Master of Puppets "finally put Metallica into the big leagues where they belong".[5] By contrast, Spin magazine's Judge I-Rankin was disappointed with the album and said that, although the production is exceptional and Metallica's experimentation is commendable, it eschews the less "intellectual" approach of Kill 'Em All for a MDC-inspired direction that is inconsistent.[26]
In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Steve Huey viewed it as Metallica's best album and remarked that, although it was not as unexpected as Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets is a more musically and thematically consistent album.[17] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the songs were the band's most intense at that point, despite veering towards "the progressive tendency of Rush."[27] Adrien Begrand of PopMatters praised the production as "a metal version of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound" and felt that none of Metallica's subsequent albums could match its passionate and intense musical quality.[24] BBC Music's Eamonn Stack called the album "hard, fast, rock with substance" and likened the songs to stories of "biblical proportions".[21] In a less enthusiastic review, Robert Christgau said that the band's energy and political motivations are respectable, but felt that they evoke clichéd images of "revolutionary heroes" who are "male chauvinists too inexperienced to know better".[28]
Accolades and legacy
Master of Puppets has appeared in several publications' best album lists. It was ranked number 167 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[34] Time included the album in its list of the 100 best albums of all time. According to the magazine's Josh Tyrangiel, Master of Puppets reinforced the velocity of playing in heavy metal and diminished some of its clichés.[35] Slant Magazine placed the album at number 90 on its list of the best albums of the 1980s, saying Master of Puppets is not only Metallica's best recording, but also their most sincere.[36] The album is featured in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[37] IGN named Master of Puppets the best heavy metal album of all time. The website stated it was Metallica's best because it "built upon and perfected everything they had experimented with prior" and that "all the pieces come together in glorious cohesion".[38] Music journalist Martin Popoff also ranked it the best heavy metal album.[39] The album was voted the fourth greatest guitar album of all time by Guitar World in 2006,[40] and the title track ranked number 61 on the magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar solos.[41] Total Guitar ranked the main riff of the title track at number seven among the top twenty guitar riffs.[42] The April 2006 edition of Kerrang! was dedicated to the album and offered readers the cover album Master of Puppets: Remastered.[43]
1986 is seen as a pinnacle year for thrash metal in which the genre broke out of the underground thanks to albums such as Megadeth's Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? and Slayer's Reign in Blood. Anthrax released Among the Living the following year, and by the end of 1987 these bands were being called the "Big Four" of thrash metal.[9] Master of Puppets frequently tops critic and fan polls of favorite thrash metal albums—the most frequent rival is Slayer's Reign in Blood, also released in 1986 and also considered that band's peak. The rivalry partially stems from a contrast in approaches on the two albums, between the sophistication of Master of Puppets and the velocity of Reign in Blood. Histories of the band tend to position Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All as a trilogy over the course of which the band's music progressively matured and became more sophisticated.[22]
Commercial performance
Released in early 1986, the album had a 72-week run on the Billboard 200 album charts and earned the band its first gold certification.[4] The album debuted on March 29, 1986, at number 128[44] and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart.[6] Billboard reported that the album sold 300,000 copies in its first three weeks.[45] Despite virtually no radio airplay and no music videos, the album sold more than 500,000 copies in its first year.[46] In 2003, Master of Puppets was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped six million copies in the United States. Between the beginning of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991 and 2009, the album has sold 4,578,000 copies.[47] The album was less successful on international level, entering the top 40 on the German and Swiss album charts in its inaugural year.[48]
Master of Puppets became thrash metal's first platinum album and by the early 1990s it successfully challenged and redefined the mainstream of heavy metal. Metallica and a few other bands headlined arena concerts and appeared regularly on MTV, although radio play remained incommensurate with their popularity.[49] Master of Puppets is widely accepted as the genre's most accomplished album, and paved the way for subsequent development.[50] The album, in the words of writer Christopher Knowles, "ripped Metallica away from the underground and put them atop the metal mountain".[51] David Hayter from Guitar Planet recognized the album as one of the most influential records ever made and a benchmark by which other metal albums should be judged.[18] MTV's Kyle Anderson had similar thoughts, saying that 25 years after its release the album remained a "stone cold classic".[52] Carlos Ramirez from Noisecreep believes that Master of Puppets stands as one of the most representative albums of its genre.[53]
Touring
Metallica opted for extensive touring instead of releasing a single or video to promote the album.[7] Metallica spent March to August 1986 touring as the opening act for Ozzy Osbourne in the United States, the first tour Metallica played to arena-sized audiences.[4] The group used to play Black Sabbath riffs during sound checks, which Osbourne perceived as a mockery toward him. Metallica was noted by the media for its excessive drinking habit while touring and earned the nickname "Alcoholica".[3] The band members occasionally wore satirical T-shirts reading "Alcoholica/Drank 'Em All".[8] The band usually played a 45 minute set often followed by an encore. Referring to that occasion, Ulrich stated that Metallica was honored to play with Osbourne, who treated the band well on the tour.[8] According to Ulrich, the audiences in bigger cities were already familiar with Metallica's music, unlike in the smaller towns they've visited. "In the B-markets, people really don't know what we're all about. But after 45 or 50 minutes we can tell we've won them over. And fans who come to hear Ozzy go home liking Metallica."[54] Metallica won over Osbourne's fans and slowly began to establish a mainstream following.[55]
The tour, however, was noticeable for several incidents. Hetfield broke his wrist in a mid-tour skateboarding accident, and his guitar technician John Marshall played rhythm guitar on several dates.[56] The European leg of the Damage, Inc. Tour commenced in September, with Anthrax as the supporting band. After the September 26 performance in Stockholm, the band's bus rolled over on a patch of icy road the following morning. Burton was thrown through a window and killed instantly. The driver maintained that he hit the patch of black ice, but Hetfield disputed that.[32] The driver was charged with manslaughter.[7] The band returned to San Francisco and hired Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted to replace Burton.[57] Many of the songs that appeared on the band's next album, ...And Justice for All, were composed while Burton was still alive.[16]
Live performances
All of the songs have been performed live and some became permanent setlist features.[58] Four tracks were featured on the nine-song setlist for the album's promotional tour: "Battery" as opener, "Master of Puppets", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", and "Damage, Inc."[9] The title track became a live staple and the most played Metallica song. When played live, the crowd fills in some of the vocal parts while the group performs the instrumentals. Loudwire's Chad Childers characterized the band's performance as "furious" and the song as the set's highlight.[59] Rolling Stone described the live performance as "a classic in all its eight-minute glory".[60] While filming its 3D movie Metallica Through the Never at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, crosses were rising from the stage during the song.[61]
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is the second-most performed song from the album.[62] The live performance is often accompanied by lasers, pyrotechnical effects and film screens.[61] "Battery" is usually played at the beginning of the setlist or during the encore, accompanied by lasers and flame plumes.[63] "Disposable Heroes" is featured in the video album Orgullo, Pasión, y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México (2009) filmed in Mexico City, in which the song was played on the second of three nights at the Foro Sol.[64] "Orion" is the least-performed song from the album.[62] Its first live performance was during the Escape from the Studio '06 tour, when the band performed the album in its entirety, honoring the 20th anniversary of its release.[65] The band performed the album in the middle of the set.[66] "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Damage, Inc." and the full-length "Master of Puppets" were revived for the band's concerts in 1998 and 1999, after having been retired for a number of years.[22]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by James Hetfield
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Battery" | Hetfield, Lars Ulrich | 5:12 |
2. | "Master of Puppets" | Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett, Ulrich | 8:36 |
3. | "The Thing That Should Not Be" | Hetfield, Hammett, Ulrich | 6:37 |
4. | "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" | Hetfield, Hammett, Ulrich | 6:27 |
5. | "Disposable Heroes" | Hetfield, Hammett, Ulrich | 8:17 |
6. | "Leper Messiah" | Hetfield, Ulrich | 5:40 |
7. | "Orion" (Instrumental) | Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich | 8:28 |
8. | "Damage, Inc." | Hetfield, Burton, Hammett, Ulrich | 5:29 |
Total length: | 54:46 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
9. | "Battery" (Live in Seattle 1989) | 4:53 |
10. | "The Thing That Should Not Be" (Live in Seattle 1989) | 7:02 |
Total length: | 66:41 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[68]
Metallica
- James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
- Cliff Burton – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Lars Ulrich – drums
Production
- Flemming Rasmussen – producer, engineer
- Metallica – producers, cover concept
- Andy Wroblewski – assistant engineer
- Michael Wagener – mixing
- Mark Wilzcak – assistant mixing engineer
- Mike Gillies – mixing of digital reissue bonus tracks
- George Marino – mastering, remastering on 1995 reissue
- Michael Alago A&R executive
Packaging
- Peter Mensch – cover concept
- Don Brautigam – cover illustration
- Ross Halfin; Rich Likong; Rob Ellsi – photography
Charts
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[71] | 6× Platinum | 600,000^ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[72] | Platinum | 81,051[72] |
United Kingdom (BPI)[73] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[74] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
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- ^ Ramirez, Carlos (March 31, 2011). "Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' Celebrates 25th Anniversary". Noisecreep. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (2011). Rock and Roll Always Forgets: A Quarter Century of Music Criticism. Duke University Press. p. 102.
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- ^ Ray, Michael (2013). Disco, Punk, New Wave, Heavy Metal, and More: Music in the 1970s and 1980s. Encyclopedia Britannica. p. 53.
- ^ "Metallica's Hetfield And Ulrich Discuss Importance Of 'Master Of Puppets'". Blabbermouth.net. August 31, 2006. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ Childers, Chad (December 5, 2012). "Metallica Unveil 'Quebec Magnetic' Footage of 'Master of Puppets' Performance". Loudwire. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ "Metallica Tear Through 'Master of Puppets' in Quebec". Rolling Stone. December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ a b Harcott, Kyle (August 26, 2012). "Metallica at Rogers Arena, Vancouver". The Snipe. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ a b "Songs". Metallica.com. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ Steffen, Chris (June 10, 2013). "Metallica Dig Deep for Orion Fest Setlist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Hart, Josh (March 22, 2012). "Metallica Post "Disposable Heroes" Video from 'Three Nights in Mexico City' DVD". Guitar World. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Rutledge, Daniel (October 15, 2010). "Metallica treat Kiwi fans to 'Orion'". 3 News. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ "Metallica perform Master of Puppets in its entirety". MTV. June 5, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (June 26, 2006). "Metallica Put Catalog On iTunes — Quietly". MTV. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
- ^ Master of Puppets (CD liner notes). Metallica. Elektra Records. 1986. 9-60439-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Metallica UK Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- ^ "Master of Puppets - Metallica : Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Metallica – Master of Puppets". Music Canada.
- ^ a b "Metallica" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ^ "British album certifications – Metallica – Master of Puppets". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Master of Puppets in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Metallica – Master of Puppets". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Master of Puppets at Discogs (list of releases)