Metallica

Master of Puppets

First released1986

Master of Puppets was recorded at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark, between September and December 1985, the same facility Metallica had used for their previous album Ride the Lightning. The album was produced by Flemming Rasmussen, who also engineered the sessions alongside the band, building on the working relationship established during the prior recording. Rasmussen helped the band achieve a heavier, more layered guitar sound by stacking multiple guitar tracks, with James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett recording rhythm and lead parts that gave the album its dense sonic texture. The recording took place during a period of rising commercial momentum for thrash metal, and the album was released in March 1986 on Elektra Records, becoming the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum in the United States. The production reflected a deliberate effort to create a cleaner yet more powerful sound compared to their earlier work, balancing sonic clarity with the aggressive energy that defined the genre.