We’ve all been there.  We all remember our first-time.  Metallica’s haunting, 1986 thrash metal magnum opus MASTER OF PUPPETS (or “MOP” for the acronym lovers) was, is and will continue to be (evermore) “one of those albums” that will forever affect you to your core. 

It doesn’t matter if it was yesterday or 35 years ago, EVERYONE has a MOP story! 

It’s “one of those albums”:  exquisitely (and brutally) transcendental in every facet of its creation, construction, and production.

It’s “one of those albums”: each listen reveals something new to the listener that was somehow unknown before, thereby completely changing the listening experience altogether going forward.

To sum up, MOP is “one of those albums” because it is, quite simply:  Sublime.  

Tell your supervisor you’ve got a headache, double up on your preferred relaxer (they’re good for headaches) and JOIN US as we dive into one of the most critically important albums in all of Metal:  Metallica’s Master of Puppets.

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Show Notes:

(00:00): - A most unusually #relaxeriffic intro…man / Metallica’s Master of Puppets (what is YOUR #MOP Story?) / #thenewcore:  #SonicSorceryCore / Ohhhhhhh…NOW it makes sense! / The Baklava of James’ rhythm guitar sound (#layers) / #classicalbum status and the first #mandatory #blackalbumreference of the show / #sportsballed / The Holy Grail of Metal and the power of MOP as it relates to transcendental nostalgia.

(10:42): – March 3, 1986 / The Library of Congress shoutout regarding MOP / #29 on Billboard 200 (impressive for ZERO commercial mainstream radio hype. #HAIL!) / Flemming Rasmussen is a hybrid Viking/ The impact of Cliff Burton on Metallica’s sound / The “unique” sound of the first few Metallica albums relative to the concept of “finding your voice” and stabilizing your “brand” as an artist and the #accidental #blackalbumreference.

(18:48): – The Tracks:  Battery (#cantbeloudenough) / One question:  HOW (does he play that fucking fast!?)!? / #again / #absomotherfuckinglutely / The Title Track (Master of Puppets) and being able to Master ALL of those guitar parts and “Nailing the Wrist Action” / “It was fun again because it was hard…”/ Imagine MOP being your very first exposure to Thrash!? #MasterofPuppetsASMR #dontdenythepowerof #headphones / The magic of Metallica’s gear (Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ and modded Marshall JCM800’s) and #bolth being right / French Vikings…wait, WHAT? #Frussians #Runch / The #fisting part of MOP right before the guitar solo and the #magical #oops part of the guitar solo 

(34:16): - #onmicburp / #HPLovecraft / Impressions of Lars’ St. Angler snare drum sound and Rick Allen’s snare on MOP and the high degree of tangentionalality between Def Leppard and Metallica / The Thing That Should Not Be (not so much thrashy as it is brutally heavy) #cantbeloudenough and also #bolth #cantbeheavyenough either (lacking the necessary “power and/or loudness” in the mastering relative to the other albums) / Early #djent #preblackalbumdjentcore / #onmicburp #ismellit #itsagrower.

(45:36): – Welcome Home (Sanitarium) and the blending of melody and heavy (#metalfengshui) / #fartfromtheballs / Kirk’s wah pedal usage on MOP vs say #theblackalbum (subtlety vs blatancy)

(55:30): – Side 2:  Disposable Heroes (Metalsome Mondays – 10High) / Very military sounding:  like marching into (enemy) fire / #cantbefastenough / 35 years later…STILL #perfect / “Just going in doing ‘the next record’” and not realizing that what they created was complete #magic / #straptheme (wait…WHAT!?) / Leper Messiah, Lars’ “gum solo” album and the magic of the number 5 (go to metalnerdery.com/merch to Buy our shit!) / #preblackalbumearlyvictorymetalcore / Kirk’s solo style / Various things the Metallica boys were listening to at the time…

(1:09:50): – Frosting or cocktailing?  Or #bolth? / Orion (easily one of THE finest and most tastefully executed instrumentals in Metal) / #wilson  #DoroASMR / #FrostPlus / #MOP = early Progressive Metal #progmetal/Damage Inc. #riprectum and #fbombs and #loads of #ASMR / That pre-solo part…and the big finish / Some more MOP #factoids regarding the “sound”/ ZERO TRACKING CHANGES NEEDED! #perfection / #HAIL to the #MOP / THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT METAL NERDERY AND FOR SUPPORTING METAL!