Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)

[Album 67/1001]

If I may generalize broadly, and completely ignore the varying degrees in between, there are two groups of Metallica fans:

Group A (Early Adopters) – yearn for speed metal, provided in bunches on albums such as Kill ‘Em All

Group B (Relatively Recent Converts) – heard the opening riff to Enter Sandman, caught the Metallica bug, and would argue that the band was at the zenith of their powers on the eponymous ‘black’ album

Compromises often leave both parties somewhat dissatisfied; however if there’s a record that should please Metallica fans of all eras, it’s Master of Puppets.

The opening two tracks demonstrate this common ground nicely.  The intro to Battery & the midsection of the title track signpost the direction James Hetfield & co. would take expanding their sound in the 90s.  Within the same songs, Lars Ulrich nearly wears out the double kick pedal on the opener and the “Master” cut outs should impress the fans who liked Metallica before they even existed!

Though perhaps a Venn Diagram + a few words says it more succinctly.  Inspired by the How I Met Your Mother Cecilia diagram: