"Master of Puppets" is a song by the American trash rock band Metallica. Released in 1986 on the album of the same name, which was the third to be released by this famous and acclaimed rock band. For many fans, it is on this album where bassist Cliff Burton shows all his talent on the four strings.
This song was recorded in September 1985 in Copenhagen and the composition was worked on by the four band members.
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Musically it is a rock opera of great quality, with an intriduction of guitar, bass and drums synchronized that already tells you that the energy of this band is coming with all its energy. It also has remarkable changes of rhythms within it and an instrumental part where James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett show us all their skills in terms of riffs and melodic plucking of their guitars that sound masterful and make you move your hair while Burton recites verses with a deep and mysterious voice.
Master of Puppets has several musical similarities with other songs of the band, for example: Ride the Lightning and ...And Justice for All where they also use long instrumental sections and Downpicking, which is a rhythmic downward pick movement made by the guitarists.
About the theme of the lyrics of the song we can mention that it is about the abuse of drugs and how they leave the consumer as a puppet who depends on their effects to be able to live.
About this, vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield explained in an interview in 1988, "It's about the drug problem, how it's changed people, that now they're not in control of what they're doing and what they're taking. For example, the part that says "...chop your breakfast on a mirror" talks about the act of preparing for cocaine use".
Master of Puppets is one of the most recognized songs of this band, being considered as a musical emblem of trash metal.