Master of Puppets

Metallica's 1983 debut Kill 'Em All laid the foundation for thrash metal with its aggressive musicianship and vitriolic lyrics. The album revitalized the American underground scene, and inspired similar records by contemporaries.{{cite web|title=Metallica Biography|url=https://rockhall.com/inductees/metallica/bio/|publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=November 12, 2014|archive-date=August 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815081109/https://rockhall.com/inductees/metallica/bio/|url-status=live}} 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. 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 executives Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch. During the summer, the band played the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, alongside Bon Jovi and Ratt to an audience of 70,000.{{cite book|last=Gulla|first=Bob|author-link=Bob Gulla|title=Guitar Gods: The 25 Players Who Made Rock History|year=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-35806-7|page=103}}

Metallica was motivated to make an album that would impress critics and fans, and began writing new material in mid-1985. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich were the main songwriters on the album, already titled Master of Puppets. The two developed ideas at a garage in El Cerrito, California, before inviting bassist Cliff Burton and guitarist Kirk Hammett for rehearsals.{{cite book|last=Wall|first=Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica|url=https://archive.org/details/enternightbiogra00wall_0|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4299-8703-5|pages=Chapter 7}} 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.{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|title=Heavy Metal, Weighty Words|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/10/magazine/heavy-metal-weighty-words.html?pagewanted=8|date=July 10, 1988|access-date=July 27, 2013|archive-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104150838/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/10/magazine/heavy-metal-weighty-words.html?pagewanted=8|url-status=live}} Master of Puppets is 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, but stated that one section incorporated Mustaine's ideas.

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|quote = 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.

|source = — Cliff Burnstein, on signing Metallica{{cite journal|first=Sue|last=Cummings|title=Road Warriors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_7o2bblz_cC&q=master+of+puppets+recording&pg=PA61|journal=Spin|volume=2|issue=5|pages=59–61|date=August 1986|access-date=July 26, 2013|archive-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916120628/https://books.google.com/books?id=6_7o2bblz_cC&q=master+of+puppets+recording&pg=PA61#v=onepage&q=master%20of%20puppets%20recording&f=false|url-status=live}}

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The band was not satisfied with the acoustics of the American studios they considered, and decided to record in Ulrich's native Denmark. Ulrich took drum lessons, and Hammett worked with Joe Satriani to learn how to record more efficiently. Ulrich was in talks with Rush's bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee to produce the album, but the collaboration never materialized because of uncoordinated schedules.{{cite web|last=Kielty|first=Martin|title=Metallica Wanted Geddy Lee for Master of Puppets|url=http://www.teamrock.com/news/2015-12-11/metallica-geddy-lee-rush-produce-master-of-puppets|work=Metal Hammer|date=December 11, 2015|access-date=March 3, 2016|archive-date=March 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316142019/http://teamrock.com/news/2015-12-11/metallica-geddy-lee-rush-produce-master-of-puppets|url-status=live}} Metallica recorded the album with producer Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 1 to December 27, 1985.{{cite book|last=Hadlan|first=Sem|title=The Illustrated Collector's Guide to Metallica: Fuel & Fire|year=1998|publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing|isbn=1-896522-09-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedcolle00hadl/page/53 53]|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedcolle00hadl/page/53}} The writing of all the songs except "Orion" and "The Thing That Should Not Be" was completed before the band's arrival in Copenhagen. Rasmussen stated that the band brought well-prepared demos of the songs, and only slight changes were made to the compositions in the studio.{{cite book|last=Tarquin|first=Brian|author-link=Brian Tarquin|title=Recording Techniques of the Guitar Masters|year=2012|publisher=Course Technology|isbn=978-1-4354-6016-4|page=14}} The recording took longer than the previous album because Metallica had developed a sense of perfectionism and had higher ambitions.

Metallica eschewed the slick production and synthesizers of contemporary hard rock and glam metal albums. With a reputation for drinking, the band stayed sober on recording days. 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."{{cite web|last=Kielty|first=Martin|title=Ulrich bored Hammett in Metallica's Puppet sessions|url=http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/metallica-lars-ulrich-bored-kirk-hammett-in-master-of-puppets-sessions/|work=Classic Rock|date=October 3, 2012|access-date=July 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011073632/http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/metallica-lars-ulrich-bored-kirk-hammett-in-master-of-puppets-sessions/|archive-date=October 11, 2012}}

Rasmussen and Metallica did not manage to complete the mixtapes as planned. Instead, the multitrack recordings were sent in January 1986 to Michael Wagener, who finished the album's mixing. 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. Ulrich explained that the artwork summarized the lyrical content of the album—people being subconsciously manipulated.{{cite book|last=Eddy|first=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Eddy|title=Rock and Roll Always Forgets: A Quarter Century of Music Criticism|date=2011|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-5010-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/rockrollalwaysfo00eddy/page/101 101]|url=https://archive.org/details/rockrollalwaysfo00eddy/page/101}} The original artwork was sold at Rockefeller Plaza, New York City for $28,000 in 2008.{{cite web|title=Original Master of Puppets Artwork Up for Auction|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/original-master-puppets-artwork-auction|work=Guitar World|date=October 29, 2008|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-date=September 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926004354/http://www.guitarworld.com/original-master-puppets-artwork-auction|url-status=live}} 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 multiple use of the infamous 'F' word. Otherwise, there aren't any 'shits', 'fucks', 'pisses', 'cunts', 'motherfuckers', or 'cocksuckers' anywhere on this record".

The album was recorded with the following equipment: Hammett's guitars were a 1974 Gibson Flying V, a Jackson Randy Rhoads, and a Fernandes Stratocaster copy;{{cite journal|first=Nick|last=Bowcott|title=Master Class|journal=Guitar World|date=January 2006|pages=120–128|issn=1045-6295}} Hetfield used a Jackson King V played through a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ amplifier modified as a pre-amp;{{cite web|last=Hodgson|first=Pete|title=Gear: Metallica –The Ultimate Shredhead's Guide|url=http://www.australianguitarmag.com.au/2013/03/metallica-the-ultimate-shredheads-guide/|work=Australian Guitar|date=March 24, 2013|access-date=November 24, 2014|archive-date=January 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109134555/http://www.australianguitarmag.com.au/2013/03/metallica-the-ultimate-shredheads-guide/|url-status=live}} Burton played an Aria Pro II SB1000 through Mesa Boogie amplifier heads and cabinets; Ulrich played Tama drum equipment, and borrowed a rare Ludwig Black Beauty snare drum from Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen.{{cite web|title=30 Battering Master of Puppets Facts|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/metallica-master-of-puppets-facts/|work=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=March 3, 2016|access-date=March 27, 2020|archive-date=May 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509112126/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/metallica-master-of-puppets-facts/|url-status=live}}

Master of Puppets features dynamic music and thick arrangements. Metallica delivered a more refined approach and performance compared to the previous two albums, with multilayered songs and technical dexterity. This album and its predecessor Ride the Lightning follow a similar track sequencing: both open with an up-tempo song with an acoustic intro, followed by a lengthy title track, and a fourth track with ballad qualities. 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. 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 two albums to a deeper, in-control, yet aggressive style.

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 depicted "ominous yet unnamed forces of power wielding total control over helpless human subjects".{{cite book|last=Moore|first=Ryan|title=Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture, and Social Crisis|year=2010|publisher=New York University Press|isbn=978-0-8147-5747-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/sellsliketeenspi00moor/page/100 100]|url=https://archive.org/details/sellsliketeenspi00moor/page/100}} The lyrics were considered perceptive and harrowing, and were praised for being honest and socially conscious by writer Brock Helander.{{cite book|last=Helander|first=Brock|title=The Rock Who's who|year=1996|publisher=Schirmer Books|isbn=978-0-02-871031-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/rockwhoswho00hela/page/434 434]|url=https://archive.org/details/rockwhoswho00hela/page/434}} 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". The compositions and arrangements benefited from bassist Cliff Burton's classical training and understanding of harmony.

"Battery" refers to angry violence, as in the term "assault and battery". Some critics contended that the title actually refers to an artillery battery, and interpreted it as "Hetfield {{interp|singing}} of a war tactic as the aggressor" personifying destruction. The song begins with bass-heavy acoustic guitars that build upon multitracked layers until they are joined by a sonic wall of distorted electric guitars. It then breaks into fast, aggressive riffing, featuring off-beat rhythms and heavily distorted minor dyads where root-fifth power chords might be expected. Hetfield improvised the riff while relaxing in London.

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|title = "Master of Puppets"

|description = The lyrics on "Master of Puppets" are from the point of a voice of a personification of addiction. Author Mick Wall puts forth manipulation by "the invisible forces of control that govern all our lives" as a theme that runs throughout the album.

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"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. The opening and pre-verse sections feature fast downpicked chromatic riffing at around 212 beats per minute in mostly {{music|time|4|4}} time. Every fourth bar of each verse and the outro is cut short by more than a beat; the time signature of these bars is often idealistically analyzed as being {{music|time|5|8}}, but it is performed with a delay after the third beat, making it closer to {{music|time|21|32}} ({{music|time|4+4+5+4+4|32}}).{{cite AV media|title=Metallica and the Missing 32nd Note- Master of Puppets Analyzed|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRBmavn6Wk0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/dRBmavn6Wk0| archive-date=2021-11-14 | url-status=live|via=YouTube|date=August 2, 2017|access-date=May 23, 2019}}{{cbignore}} 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 eventually returns to the main verse. A riff from "Andy Warhol" by David Bowie (at 0:48) is quoted in the track (at 6:19). It is a homage made by Burton and Hammett to whom Bowie was a huge influence.To Live is to Die, the life and death of Metallica’s Cliff Burton, by Joel McIver, second edition, Jawbone Press, 2016, p.265. The song closes with a fade-out of sinister laughter. The lyrical theme is cocaine addiction.

"The Thing That Should Not Be" was inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos created by famed horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, with notable direct references to The Shadow over Innsmouth and to Cthulhu himself, who is the subject matter of the song's chorus. It is considered the heaviest track on the album, with the main riff emulating a beast dragging itself into the sea. The Black Sabbath-influenced guitars are down-tuned, creating slow and moody ambience.

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|title = "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"

|description = The song's subject matter is madness and serves as a metaphor for honesty and truth.{{cite book|first1=Malcolm|last1=Dome|first2=Mick|last2=Wall|title=Metallica: The Music and the Mayhem|year=2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-721-1|pages=Chapter 11}} According to philosopher William Irwin, "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is perhaps the most revealing of Metallica's songs dealing with insanity.

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"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" was 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. The song opens with a section of clean single strings and harmonics. The clean, arpeggiated main riff is played in alternating {{Music|time|4|4}} and {{Music|time|6|4}} time signatures. The song is structured with alternating somber 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 would follow with "One" on ...And Justice for All and later "The Day That Never Comes" on Death Magnetic.

"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. The guitar passage at the end of each verse was Hammett's imitation of the sort of music he found in war films.

The syncopated riffing of "Leper Messiah" challenges the hypocrisy of the televangelism that emerged in the 1980s. The song describes how people are willingly turned into blind religious followers who mindlessly do whatever they are told.{{cite book|last=Irwin|first=William|author-link=William Irwin (philosopher)|title=Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery|year=2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-8208-9|page=48}} The 136 beats per minute mid-tempo riffing of the verses culminates in a descending chromatic riff in the chorus; it increases to a galloping 184 beats per minute for the middle section that climaxes in a distorted scream of "Lie!". The title derives from the lyrics to the David Bowie song "Ziggy Stardust".

"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 riff at half-tempo. The tempo accelerates during the latter part, and ends with music fading out. Burton arranged the middle section, which features its moody bass line and multipart guitar harmonies.

"Damage, Inc." rants about senseless violence and reprisal at an unspecified target.{{cite book|last=McIver|first=Joel|author-link=Joel McIver|title=Justice For All – The Truth About Metallica|year=2004|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=0-7119-9600-8|pages=Chapter 12|url=https://archive.org/details/justiceforalltru0000mciv_h8q4}} It starts with a series of reversed bass chords based on the chorale prelude of Bach's "Come, Sweet Death". The song then jumps into a rapid rhythm with a pedal-point riff in E that Hammett says was influenced by Deep Purple.

{{Music ratings

| MC = 95/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/master-of-puppets-remastered-expanded-edition/metallica |title=Master of Puppets [Remastered & Expanded Edition] by Metallica Reviews and Tracks |website=Metacritic |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-date=December 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208143821/https://www.metacritic.com/music/master-of-puppets-remastered-expanded-edition/metallica |url-status=live }}

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/master-of-puppets-mw0000667490|title=Master of Puppets|work=AllMusic|access-date=May 16, 2018|archive-date=September 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926052821/https://www.allmusic.com/album/master-of-puppets-mw0000667490|url-status=live}}

|rev2 = Chicago Tribune

|rev2Score = {{Rating|4|4}}{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|date=December 1, 1991|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/12/01/a-guide-to-metallicas-recordings/|title=A Guide to Metallica's Recordings|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=July 28, 2013|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927224542/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-12-01/entertainment/9104180330_1_star-cliff-burton-classic-status|url-status=live}}

|rev3 = Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s

|rev3Score = B−{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|year=1990|title=Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s|publisher=Pantheon Books|isbn=067973015X|chapter=Metallica: Master of Puppets|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=5460|via=robertchristgau.com|access-date=January 26, 2019|archive-date=January 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127094134/https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=5460|url-status=live}}

|rev4 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

|rev4Score = 10/10{{cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|author-link=Martin Popoff|title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: The Eighties|publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing|volume=2|year=2005|page=223|isbn=978-1-894959-31-5}}

|rev5 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2006|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|volume=5|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=725|isbn=0-19-531373-9|edition=4th}}

|rev6 = The Great Rock Discography

|rev6Score = 9/10{{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin C.|author-link=Martin C. Strong|year=2004|chapter=Metallica|title=The Great Rock Discography|publisher=Canongate U.S.|isbn=1841956155|edition=7th}}

|rev7 = Kerrang!

|rev7Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite book|last1=Brannigan|first1=Paul|last2=Winwood|first2=Ian|title=Birth School Metallica Death, Volume 1|year=2013|publisher=Faber and Faber|isbn=978-0-571-29416-9|pages=Chapter 5 & 7}}

|rev8 = MusicHound Rock

|rev8Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|editor-first=Gary|editor-last=Graff|editor-link=Gary Graff|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Detroit|year=1996|isbn=0787610372|chapter=Metallica}}

| rev9 = Pitchfork

| rev9score = 10/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/metallica-master-of-puppets/ |title=Metallica: Master of Puppets Album Review |work=Pitchfork |date=2 December 2017 |access-date=31 August 2021 |last=O'Connor |first=Andy |archive-date=December 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202074139/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/metallica-master-of-puppets/ |url-status=live }}

|rev10 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

|rev10Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite book|last1=Brackett|first1=Nathan|last2=Hoard|first2=Christian David|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|date=2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/538 538]}}

}}

Master of Puppets was hailed as a masterpiece by critics outside of the thrash metal audience and cited by some as the genre's greatest album. In a contemporary review, Tim Holmes of Rolling Stone asserted that the band had redefined heavy metal with the technical skill and subtlety showcased on the album, which he described as "the sound of global paranoia".{{cite magazine|last=Holmes|first=Tim|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/master-of-puppets-19860605|title=Master of Puppets|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=June 5, 1986|access-date=June 3, 2012|archive-date=June 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614041541/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/master-of-puppets-19860605|url-status=dead}} Kerrang! wrote that Master of Puppets "finally put Metallica into the big leagues where they belong". Editor Tom King said Metallica was at an "incredible song-writing peak" during the recording sessions, partially because Burton contributed to the songwriting.{{cite book|last=King|first=Tom|title=Metallica – Uncensored On the Record|year=2011|publisher=Coda Books Ltd|isbn=978-1-908538-55-0}} By contrast, Spin{{'}}s Judge I-Rankin was disappointed with the album and said, 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.{{cite journal|last=I-Rankin'|first=Judge|date=July 1986|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFgfrF29bfgC&pg=PA32|title=Spins|journal=Spin|volume=2|issue=4|page=32|access-date=July 28, 2013|archive-date=August 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817073617/https://books.google.com/books?id=DFgfrF29bfgC&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}

In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Steve Huey viewed Master of Puppets as Metallica's best album and remarked that, although it was not as unexpected as Ride the Lightning, it is a more musically and thematically consistent album. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said the songs were the band's most intense at that point, and veer toward "the progressive tendency of Rush." Adrien Begrand of PopMatters praised the production as "a metal version of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound" and believed none of Metallica's subsequent albums could match its passionate and intense musical quality.{{cite web|last=Begrand|first=Adrien|date=September 12, 2002|url=https://www.popmatters.com/metallica-master-2496004801.html|title=Metallica: Master of Puppets|work=PopMatters|access-date=June 11, 2013|archive-date=September 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908120845/https://www.popmatters.com/metallica-master-2496004801.html|url-status=live}} BBC Music's Eamonn Stack called the album "hard, fast, rock with substance" and likened the songs to stories of "biblical proportions".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/j59x|title=Master of Puppets Review – Metallica|publisher=BBC Music|first=Eamonn|last=Stack|date=April 23, 2007|access-date=February 28, 2012|archive-date=November 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114015253/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/j59x|url-status=live}} Canadian journalist Martin Popoff compared the album to Ride the Lightning and found Master of Puppets not a remake, though similar in "awesome power and effect". Robert Christgau was more critical. Writing in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), he said the band's energy and political motivations are respectable, but the music evokes clichéd images of "revolutionary heroes" who are "male chauvinists too inexperienced to know better".

Released on March 3, 1986, the album had a 72-week run on the Billboard 200 album charts and earned the band its first gold certification. The album debuted on March 29 at number 128{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Master+of+Puppets%22+billboard&pg=PT76|access-date=July 27, 2013|title=Top Pop Albums|magazine=Billboard|page=H-16|date=March 29, 1986|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|archive-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916120649/https://books.google.com/books?id=CCUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Master+of+Puppets%22+billboard&pg=PT76#v=snippet&q=%22Master%20of%20Puppets%22%20billboard&f=false|url-status=live}} and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart. Billboard reported that 300,000 copies were sold in its first three weeks.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8CQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA40-IA4|access-date=July 27, 2013|last=Duff|first=S.L.|title=Indies Grab Torch from Majors—And Run|magazine=Billboard|page=H-16|date=May 10, 1986|archive-date=July 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715145119/https://books.google.com/books?id=8CQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA40-IA4#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}} More than 500,000 copies were sold in its first year, even with virtually no radio airplay and no music videos.{{cite web|last=Sheehan |first=Ivan J. |title=Master of Puppets 25th Anniversary |url=http://rockhall.com/story-of-rock/features/all-featured/6840_master-of-puppets-25th-anniversary/ |publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=July 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728223551/http://rockhall.com/story-of-rock/features/all-featured/6840_master-of-puppets-25th-anniversary/ |archive-date=July 28, 2013 }} In 2025, Master of Puppets was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with eight million copies shipped in the United States. Between the beginning of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991 and 2023, 7,980,000 copies were sold.{{cite web|last=Young|first=Simon|date=March 9, 2023|title=Here are the astonishing US sales stats for every Metallica album|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/metallica-album-sales-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311130902/https://www.loudersound.com/features/metallica-album-sales-us |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |access-date=March 12, 2023|website=Metal Hammer}} The album was less successful on an international level, despite entering the top 5 on the Finnish and the top 40 on the German and Swiss album charts in its inaugural year.{{cite web|url=http://suomenalbumilistat.blogspot.com/2014/07/huhtikuu-1986-april.html|title=Finnish Album Charts|language=fi|publisher=Timo Pennanen|access-date=April 21, 2019|archive-date=July 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715145119/http://suomenalbumilistat.blogspot.com/2014/07/huhtikuu-1986-april.html|url-status=live}} In 2004, it peaked within the Top 15 in Sweden. In 2008, the album reached the top 40 on the Australian and Norwegian album charts.{{cite web|url=http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Metallica&titel=Master+Of+Puppets&cat=a|title=Metallica – Master of Puppets|publisher=Hung Medien|language=de|access-date=August 1, 2013|archive-date=December 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205222259/http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Metallica&titel=Master+Of+Puppets&cat=a|url-status=live}} It received 6× platinum certification from Music Canada and a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 600,000 and 100,000 copies, respectively.

Bassist Robert Trujillo cited Master of Puppets as his favorite album, "I feel Master of Puppets has a lot of everything. It's got instrumentals, it's got great segues, great riffs. It's got one of my favorite songs ever by Metallica, and that song is "Disposable Heroes". So any time I can hear that particular song, count me in. "Battery" is an amazing song. So it's just got everything that I love about Metallica."{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/robert-trujillo-names-his-favorite-metallica-album|title=ROBERT TRUJILLO Names His Favorite METALLICA Album|website=Blabbermouth.net|date=May 9, 2023 |accessdate=May 9, 2023|archive-date=May 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510070024/https://blabbermouth.net/news/robert-trujillo-names-his-favorite-metallica-album|url-status=live}}

Master of Puppets has appeared in several publications' best album lists. It was ranked number 167 on the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,{{cite magazine|title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/metallica-master-of-puppets-20120524|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 31, 2009|access-date=July 29, 2013|archive-date=July 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715052503/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/metallica-master-of-puppets-20120524|url-status=dead}} maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list,{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/metallica-master-of-puppets-2-156844/| year=2012| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| publisher=Rolling Stone| access-date=September 18, 2019| archive-date=August 17, 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817073646/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/metallica-master-of-puppets-2-156844/| url-status=live}} and upgrading to number 97 in a 2020 revised list.{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/metallica-master-of-puppets-3-1063136/| year=2020| title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time| publisher=Rolling Stone| access-date=April 1, 2021| archive-date=July 15, 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715145134/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/metallica-master-of-puppets-3-1063136/| url-status=live}} The magazine would also later rank it second on its 2017 list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time", behind Black Sabbath's Paranoid.{{cite magazine|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|title=100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-all-time-w486923/anthrax-among-the-living-1987-w486946|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media LLC|access-date=June 22, 2017|date=June 21, 2017|archive-date=June 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624025337/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-all-time-w486923/anthrax-among-the-living-1987-w486946|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite magazine|last=Tyrangiel|first=Josh|author-link=Josh Tyrangiel|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/master-of-puppets/|title=The All-TIME 100 Albums: Master of Puppets|magazine=Time|date=October 13, 2006|access-date=October 22, 2014|archive-date=April 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421031649/https://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/master-of-puppets/|url-status=live}} Slant Magazine placed the album at number 90 on its list of the best albums of the 1980s, saying Master of Puppets is Metallica's best and most sincere recording.{{cite web|title=Best Albums of the 1980s|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_2/P2|work=Slant Magazine|date=March 5, 2012|access-date=July 26, 2013|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927225607/http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_2/P2|url-status=live}} The album is featured in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.{{cite book|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die|year=2005|editor-first=Robert|editor-last=Dimery|first=Joel|last=McIver|edition=1st|publisher=Universe Publishing|isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3|page=548}} 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".{{cite web|author1=Ed T.|author2=Spence D.|title=Top 25 Metal Albums|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/20/top-25-metal-albums?page=7|website=IGN|date=January 19, 2007|access-date=June 11, 2013|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310110749/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/20/top-25-metal-albums?page=7|url-status=live}} Music journalist Martin Popoff also ranked it the best heavy metal album.{{cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|author-link=Martin Popoff|title=The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time|year=2004|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-600-3|pages=Chapter 1}} Rock Hard ranked the album as the second greatest rock and metal album of all time, behind AC/DC's Back in Black.{{cite book |last=Rensen |first=Michael |title=Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten |publisher=Rock Hard |year=2005 |isbn=3-89880-517-4 |editor-last=Rensen |editor-first=Michael |page=229 |language=de |trans-title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |chapter=Master of Puppets |access-date=May 8, 2024 |chapter-url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/metallica-master-of-puppets |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508135839/https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/metallica-master-of-puppets |url-status=live }} The album was voted the fourth greatest guitar album of all time by Guitar World in 2006,{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/50-greatest-guitar-albums?page=0,4|title=50 Greatest Guitar Albums|work=Guitar World|date=February 19, 2009|access-date=June 9, 2013|archive-date=January 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105035837/http://www.guitarworld.com/50-greatest-guitar-albums?page=0,4|url-status=live}} and the title track ranked number 61 on the magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar solos.{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Guitar Solos: 51–100 |url=http://www.guitarworld.com/100_greatest_guitar_solos_51100?page=0%252C1,1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016004729/http://www.guitarworld.com/100_greatest_guitar_solos_51100?page=0%2C1%2C1 |archive-date=October 16, 2014 |work=Guitar World |date=October 30, 2008 |access-date=July 30, 2013 |url-status=dead }} Total Guitar ranked the main riff of the title track at number 7 among the top 20 guitar riffs.{{cite news|title=Guns N' Roses top rock riff poll|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3677965.stm|work=BBC News|date=May 2, 2004|access-date=July 31, 2013|archive-date=August 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814230144/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3677965.stm|url-status=live}} The April 2006 edition of Kerrang! was dedicated to the album and gave away to readers the cover album Master of Puppets: Remastered.{{cite news|title=Machine Head, Trivium, Mastodon Pay Tribute to Metallica On 'Remastered' CD|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/machine-head-trivium-mastodon-pay-tribute-to-metallica-on-remastered-cd/|work=Blabbermouth.net|date=March 21, 2006|access-date=June 11, 2013|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150129/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/machine-head-trivium-mastodon-pay-tribute-to-metallica-on-remastered-cd/|url-status=live}}

Master of Puppets became thrash metal's first platinum album and by the early 1990s thrash metal 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.{{cite book|author1=Walser, Robert|display-authors=etal|editor=Nicholls, David|editor-link=David Nicholls (musicologist)|date=November 19, 1998|title=The Cambridge History of American Music|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory0000unse_y6c4/page/378 378]|isbn=0-521-45429-8|author-link1=Robert Walser (musicologist)|url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory0000unse_y6c4/page/378}} Master of Puppets is widely accepted as the genre's most accomplished album, and paved the way for subsequent development.{{cite book|last=Bayer|first=Gerd|title=Heavy Metal Music in Britain|year=2009|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited|isbn=978-0-7546-6423-9|page=82}} The album, in the words of writer Christopher Knowles, "ripped Metallica away from the underground and put them atop the metal mountain".{{cite book|last=Knowles|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Knowles (comics)|title=The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll|year=2010|publisher=Cleis Press|isbn=978-1-57344-564-1|page=163}} 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.{{cite web|last=Hayter|first=David|title=Classic Album of the month: Metallica – Master of puppets|url=http://www.guitarplanet.eu/classic-album-of-the-month-metallica-master-of-puppets.html|website=Guitar Planet|date=March 22, 2011|access-date=July 31, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303205932/http://www.guitarplanet.eu/classic-album-of-the-month-metallica-master-of-puppets.html|url-status=live}} MTV's Kyle Anderson had similar thoughts, saying that 25 years after its release the album remained a "stone cold classic".{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Kyle|title=Metallica's Master Of Puppets Turns 25|url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/03/03/metallica-master-of-puppets/|publisher=MTV|date=March 3, 2011|access-date=July 31, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609020622/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/03/03/metallica-master-of-puppets/|archive-date=June 9, 2012}} Carlos Ramirez from Noisecreep believes that Master of Puppets stands as one of the most representative albums of its genre.{{cite web|last=Ramirez|first=Carlos|title=Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' Celebrates 25th Anniversary|url=http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/03/31/metallicas-master-of-puppets-celebrates-25th-anniversary/|website=Noisecreep|date=March 31, 2011|access-date=June 11, 2013|archive-date=August 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822133509/http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/03/31/metallicas-master-of-puppets-celebrates-25th-anniversary|url-status=live}}

The year 1986 is seen as a pinnacle year for thrash metal in which the genre broke out of the underground due to albums such as Megadeth's Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? and Slayer's Reign in Blood. Anthrax released Among the Living in 1987, and by the end of the year these bands, alongside Metallica, were being called the "Big Four" of thrash metal. Master of Puppets frequently tops critic and fan polls of favorite thrash metal albums. 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.{{cite book|first=Glenn T.|last=Pillsbury|title=Damage Incorporated: Metallica and the Production of Musical Identity|pages=34, 53–54, 61–63, 72–73|year=2006|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-97374-8}} In 2015, the album was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.{{cite web|title=Metallica First Metal Recording in US Historical Registry|url=https://news.yahoo.com/metallica-first-metal-recording-us-historical-registry-183829175.html|agency=AFP|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2016|archive-date=March 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328061708/http://news.yahoo.com/metallica-first-metal-recording-us-historical-registry-183829175.html|url-status=live}}

Kerrang! released a tribute album titled Master of Puppets: Remastered with the April 8, 2006, edition of the magazine to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Master of Puppets. The album featured cover versions of Metallica songs by Machine Head, Bullet for My Valentine, Chimaira, Mastodon, Mendeed, and Trivium—all of which are influenced by Metallica.

The title track was also featured in the fourth season finale of the Netflix series Stranger Things, as the character Eddie Munson plays the song in the Upside Down dimension to draw the dimension's monsters away from his friends.{{cite news |last1=Korrs |first1=Ivan |title=Metallica's 'Masters of Puppets' Streaming Surge Possible After 'Stranger Things' Feature |url=https://www.musictimes.com/articles/85658/20220701/metallicas-masters-puppets-streaming-surge-possible-stranger-things-feature.htm |access-date=July 3, 2022 |date=July 1, 2022 |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701220059/https://www.musictimes.com/articles/85658/20220701/metallicas-masters-puppets-streaming-surge-possible-stranger-things-feature.htm |url-status=live }} Kelly McClure of Salon compares the song's newfound popularity to Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", another song featured in the show's fourth season.{{cite news |last1=McClure |first1=Kelly |title=The "Stranger Things" season 4 finale gives Metallica's "Master of Puppets" the Kate Bush push |url=https://www.salon.com/2022/07/02/the-stranger-things-season-4-finale-gives-metallicas-master-of-puppets-the-kate-bush-push/ |access-date=July 3, 2022 |work=Salon |date=July 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715145120/https://www.salon.com/2022/07/02/the-stranger-things-season-4-finale-gives-metallicas-master-of-puppets-the-kate-bush-push/ |url-status=live }} The song's appearance on Stranger Things saw the song resurging on Spotify's charts, behind "Running Up That Hill", and the band stated on social media that "It’s an incredible honor to be such a big part of Eddie’s journey and to once again be keeping company with all of the amazing artists featured in the show."{{cite web | url = https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-07-05/metallica-stranger-things-master-of-puppets | title = 'Master of Puppets' got some 'Stranger Things' love. Now Metallica returns the favor | first = Alexandra | last = Del Rosario | date = July 5, 2022 | accessdate = July 5, 2022 | work = Los Angeles Times | archive-date = April 15, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230415164433/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-07-05/metallica-stranger-things-master-of-puppets | url-status = live }}

Metallica opted for extensive touring instead of releasing a single or video to promote the album.{{cite journal|last=Wall|first=Mick|title=Master Piece|journal=Guitar World|date=January 2006|pages=52–61, 104–110|issn=1045-6295}} The Damage, Inc. Tour began in March 1986, and the band spent March to August touring as the opening act for Ozzy Osbourne in the United States, the first tour Metallica played to arena-sized audiences. During sound checks, the group played riffs from Osbourne's previous band Black Sabbath, which Osbourne perceived as mockery. Ulrich, however, stated that Metallica was honored to play with Osbourne, who treated the band well on the tour. Metallica was noted by the media for their excessive drinking habit while touring and earned the nickname "Alcoholica". The band members occasionally even wore satirical T-shirts reading "Alcoholica/Drank 'Em All".

The band usually played a 45-minute set often followed by an encore. 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."{{cite book|last=Eddy|first=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Eddy|title=Rock and Roll Always Forgets: A Quarter Century of Music Criticism|year=2011|publisher=Duke University Press|page=102}} Metallica won over Osbourne's fans and slowly began to establish a mainstream following.{{cite book|last=Harrison|first=Thomas|title=Music of the 1980s|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-36599-7|page=59}} Hetfield broke his wrist in a mid-tour skateboarding accident, and guitar technician John Marshall played rhythm guitar on several dates.{{cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|title=Metallica: The Complete Illustrated History|date=2013|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=978-0-7603-4482-8|page=69}}

The European leg of the tour commenced in September, with Anthrax as the supporting band. The morning after a performance on September 26 in Stockholm, the band's bus rolled off the road, and Burton was thrown through a window and killed instantly. The driver claimed he hit a patch of black ice, but others believed he was either drunk or fell asleep at the wheel. The driver was charged with manslaughter but was not convicted. The band returned to San Francisco and hired Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted to replace Burton.{{cite book|last=Ray|first=Michael|title=Disco, Punk, New Wave, Heavy Metal, and More: Music in the 1970s and 1980s|year=2013|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|page=53}} Many of the songs that appeared on the band's next album, ...And Justice for All, were composed during Burton's career with the band.{{cite book|last=McIver|first=Joel|title=To Live Is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton|year=2009|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-24-4|pages=159–160, 165, 226}}

File:Kirk Hammett playing.jpg

All of the songs have been performed live, and some became permanent setlist features.{{cite news|title=Metallica's Hetfield And Ulrich Discuss Importance Of 'Master Of Puppets'|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-s-hetfield-and-ulrich-discuss-importance-of-master-of-puppets/|work=Blabbermouth.net|date=August 31, 2006|access-date=July 31, 2013|archive-date=October 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025233235/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-s-hetfield-and-ulrich-discuss-importance-of-master-of-puppets/|url-status=live}} Four tracks were featured on the nine-song set list for the album's promotional tour: "Battery" as opener, "Master of Puppets", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", and "Damage, Inc." The title track, which was issued as a single in France,{{cite web|title=Master of Puppets release date|url=http://www.metallica.com/releases/master-of-puppets-single.asp|publisher=Metallica.com|access-date=June 17, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714005715/http://www.metallica.com/releases/master-of-puppets-single.asp|archive-date=July 14, 2013}} became a live staple and the most-played Metallica song. Loudwire{{'}}s Chad Childers characterized the band's performance as "furious" and the song as the set's highlight.{{cite web|last=Childers|first=Chad|title=Metallica Unveil 'Quebec Magnetic' Footage of 'Master of Puppets' Performance|url=http://loudwire.com/metallica-unveil-quebec-magnetic-footage-of-master-of-puppets-performance/|work=Loudwire|date=December 5, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2013|archive-date=July 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710163910/http://loudwire.com/metallica-unveil-quebec-magnetic-footage-of-master-of-puppets-performance/|url-status=live}} Rolling Stone described the live performance as "a classic in all its eight-minute glory".{{cite magazine|title=Metallica Tear Through 'Master of Puppets' in Quebec|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/metallica-tear-through-master-of-puppets-in-quebec-20121205|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=December 5, 2012|access-date=June 12, 2013|archive-date=June 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613232941/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/metallica-tear-through-master-of-puppets-in-quebec-20121205|url-status=dead}} While filming its 3D movie Metallica: Through the Never (2013) at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, crosses were rising from the stage during the song, reminiscent of the album's cover art.{{cite news|last=Harcott|first=Kyle|title=Metallica at Rogers Arena, Vancouver|url=http://www.thesnipenews.com/music/concert-reviews/metallica-rogers-arena-vancouver/|newspaper=The Snipe|date=August 26, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2013|archive-date=December 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215165436/http://www.thesnipenews.com/music/concert-reviews/metallica-rogers-arena-vancouver/|url-status=live}}

"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is the second-most performed song from the album.{{cite web|url=http://www.metallica.com/song_list.asp?sorting=1&sortdir=2&sortby=s.times_performed|title=Songs|publisher=Metallica.com|access-date=May 21, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315121145/http://www.metallica.com/song_list.asp?sorting=1&sortdir=2&sortby=s.times_performed|archive-date=March 15, 2012}} The live performance is often accompanied by lasers, pyrotechnical effects and film screens. "Battery" is usually played at the beginning of the setlist or during the encore, accompanied by lasers and flame plumes.{{cite magazine|last=Steffen|first=Chris|title=Metallica Dig Deep for Orion Fest Setlist|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/metallica-dig-deep-for-orion-fest-setlist-20130610|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=June 10, 2013|access-date=June 12, 2013|archive-date=June 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612003512/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/metallica-dig-deep-for-orion-fest-setlist-20130610|url-status=dead}} "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.{{cite web|last=Hart|first=Josh|title=Metallica Post 'Disposable Heroes' Video from 'Three Nights in Mexico City' DVD|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/metallica-post-disposable-heroes-video-three-nights-mexico-city-dvd|work=Guitar World|date=March 22, 2012|access-date=June 12, 2013|archive-date=June 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621140011/http://www.guitarworld.com/metallica-post-disposable-heroes-video-three-nights-mexico-city-dvd|url-status=live}} "Orion" is the least-performed song from the album. 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.{{cite web|last=Rutledge|first=Daniel|title=Metallica treat Kiwi fans to 'Orion'|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Metallica-treat-Kiwi-fans-to-Orion/tabid/418/articleID/181485/Default.aspx|publisher=3 News|date=October 15, 2010|access-date=July 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307052353/http://www.3news.co.nz/Metallica-treat-Kiwi-fans-to-Orion/tabid/418/articleID/181485/Default.aspx|archive-date=March 7, 2014|url-status=dead}} The band performed the album in the middle of the set.{{cite web|title=Metallica perform Master of Puppets in its entirety|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1533518/dmx-charged-with-multiple-traffic-infractions.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209064851/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1533518/dmx-charged-with-multiple-traffic-infractions.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 9, 2012|publisher=MTV|date=June 5, 2006|access-date=June 12, 2013}} "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Damage, Inc." and the full-length "Master of Puppets" were revived for the band's concerts in 1997 and 1998, after having been retired for a number of years.

All lyrics written by James Hetfield.

The bonus tracks on the digital re-release were recorded live at the Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, on August 29 and 30, 1989, and also appeared on the live album Live Shit: Binge & Purge (1993).

{{track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Battery

| music1 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Lars Ulrich}}

| length1 = 5:13

| title2 = Master of Puppets

| music2 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Cliff Burton|Kirk Hammett}}

| length2 = 8:36

| title3 = The Thing That Should Not Be

| music3 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Hammett}}

| length3 = 6:37

| title4 = Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

| music4 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Hammett}}

| length4 = 6:28

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side two

| title5 = Disposable Heroes

| music5 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Hammett}}

| length5 = 8:17

| title6 = Leper Messiah

| music6 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich}}

| length6 = 5:40

| title7 = Orion

| note7 = instrumental

| music7 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Burton}}

| length7 = 8:28

| title8 = Damage, Inc.

| music8 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Burton|Hammett}}

| length8 = 5:33

| total_length = 54:52

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Bonus tracks (digital reissue){{cite web|first=Gil|last=Kaufman|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1537125/metallica-put-catalog-on-itunes-8212-quietly.jhtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121206020350/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1537125/metallica-put-catalog-on-itunes-8212-quietly.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 6, 2012|title=Metallica Put Catalog On iTunes — Quietly|publisher=MTV|date=June 26, 2006|access-date=April 11, 2012}}

| title9 = Battery

| note9 = Live

| music9 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich}}

| length9 = 4:53

| title10 = The Thing That Should Not Be

| note10 = Live

| music10 = {{hlist|Hetfield|Ulrich|Hammett}}

| length10 = 7:02

| total_length = 66:42

}}

In 2017, the album was remastered and reissued in a limited edition deluxe box set with an expanded track listing and bonus content. The deluxe edition set includes the original album on vinyl and CD, with two additional vinyl records containing a live recording from Chicago; nine CDs of interviews, rough mixes, demo recordings, outtakes, and live recordings recorded from 1985 to 1987; a cassette of a fan recording of Metallica's September 1986 live concert in Stockholm, which was Cliff Burton's final performance before his death; and two DVDs of interviews and live recordings recorded in 1986.{{cite web |title=Master of Puppets (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) |url=https://www.metallica.com/releases/reissues/release-5231.html |website=Metallica.com |publisher=Metallica, Blackened Recordings |access-date=March 29, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207140526/https://www.metallica.com/releases/reissues/release-5231.html|archive-date=December 7, 2022}}

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Master of Puppets|type=CD liner notes|others=Metallica|year=1986|publisher=Elektra Records|id=9-60439-2}}

Metallica

• James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, 1st guitar solo on "Master of Puppets", 2nd guitar solo on "Orion"
• Lars Ulrich – drums, percussion
• Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
• Cliff Burton – bass, backing vocals

Production

• Metallica – production
• Flemming Rasmussen – production, engineering
• Andy Wroblewski – assistant engineer
• Michael Wagener – mixing
• Mark Wilzcak – assistant mixing engineer
• George Marino – mastering, remastering on 1995 re-release
• Howie Weinberg, Gentry Studer – 2017 remastering

Artwork

• Metallica, Peter Mensch – cover concept
• Don Brautigam – cover illustration
• Ross Halfin – inner sleeve photos
• Rich Likong, Ross Halfin, Rob Ellis – back cover photos

Digital reissue bonus tracks

• Jason Newsted – bass and backing vocals
• Mike Gillies – mixing

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{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Discogs master|type=album|6495|name=Master of Puppets}}

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