Master of Puppets

Metallica, 1986. Solo by Kirk Hammett.

A thrash epic with a melodic interlude and a fast, fluid lead.

The song has two distinct lead sections. After a clean, arpeggiated interlude, James Hetfield plays a melodic solo over the slow middle section, followed by harmonized twin leads largely played by Kirk Hammett. When the thrash riffing returns, Hammett takes the final, fast solo, built from parts he composed during downtime and punched in. During one take he bent a string right off the fretboard, producing a siren-like wail the band decided to keep. The contrast between the lyrical middle and the ferocious final lead is a big reason this track became a model for thrash song structure. Listen for Hetfield's melodic solo first, then compare how differently the fast Hammett lead attacks the same song.

Master of Puppets by Metallica is ranked #55 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Kirk Hammett and the song was released in 1986. It appears on 13 lists, placing as high as #19 (TheTopTens).

The story of Master of Puppets

"Master of Puppets" is the title track of Metallica's third album and follows the short, furious opener "Battery". Dave Mustaine has claimed that Lars Ulrich came up with the opening riff while Mustaine was still in the band, and Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett, both big David Bowie fans, slipped in a riff that pays homage to Bowie's "Andy Warhol". The full band shares the writing credit, with James Hetfield writing the lyrics.

Hetfield has explained that the song is about addiction: how the user starts out thinking he controls the drug, only for the drug to end up controlling him. The "master" of the title is the substance itself, pulling the strings of a helpless puppet. In concert the lyric has become a mass sing-along, with audiences shouting the word "Master!" back at the band at the key moments, an irony given the song's grim subject of dependency and loss of control.

Metallica recorded the album between October and December 1985 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, co-producing with engineer Flemming Rasmussen on 24-track analog tape. To tighten the performance the band played at a slightly slower tempo and lower tuning, and Rasmussen then sped the tape up so the song landed at standard pitch; Ulrich later felt the result ended up almost too tight.

Released in 1986, the eight-and-a-half-minute song became the centerpiece of the album and was issued as a single backed with "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)". Decades later, its use in the 2022 finale of Stranger Things season four sent it onto the Billboard Hot 100 and UK singles chart for the first time. Its eight-minute length and long instrumental middle were unusual for mainstream metal and became a template for the band's epic songs.

The solo

The song has two distinct lead sections. After a clean, arpeggiated interlude, James Hetfield plays the first, melodic solo over the slow middle section, followed by harmonized twin leads that Kirk Hammett largely performed. When the thrash riffing returns, Hammett takes the final, fast solo. Guitar World reports that Hammett used a Gibson Flying V and a Fernandes Strat-style guitar with a Floyd Rose, adding an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a Dunlop Cry Baby wah. Both guitarists ran Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ heads as preamps into 100-watt Marshall power amps, captured by Rasmussen with around six microphones per cabinet. Hammett composed his parts during downtime and punched in sections. During one take he bent a string right off the fretboard, producing a high, siren-like wail the band decided to keep.

Legacy

Metal Hammer and Loudwire have both named it Metallica's best song, VH1 ranked it the third-greatest metal song, and Rolling Stone placed it second among the greatest heavy metal songs in 2023. Q put it 22nd among the 100 greatest guitar tracks. It is the song Metallica has played live more than any other, with crowds chanting along to the title. The Stranger Things scene introduced it to a new generation in 2022, and it now holds multi-platinum certifications in several countries.

Top 10 facts about Master of Puppets

According to Dave Mustaine, Lars Ulrich wrote the song's opening riff while Mustaine was still a member of Metallica.
Wikipedia
A riff in the song is a homage to David Bowie's "Andy Warhol", included by Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett.
Wikipedia
The band recorded slightly slower and lower, and Flemming Rasmussen sped the tape up to reach standard 440 Hz tuning.
Wikipedia
James Hetfield plays the melodic first solo, while Kirk Hammett plays the fast closing solo.
Songfacts
During his solo Hammett accidentally pushed a string off the fretboard, creating a siren-like sound the band left on the record.
Songfacts
Both guitarists used Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ heads as preamps driving 100-watt Marshall power amps and 4x12 cabinets.
Guitar World
Hetfield tracked all rhythm guitars, recording layers in both his own tone and Hammett's tone.
Guitar World
Metallica first played the song live on December 31, 1985, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, and it has become their most-played song.
Wikipedia
In a 2023 Total Guitar interview, Hammett said he gets bored playing the same solo note-for-note every night, not of the solo itself.
Guitar World
Apocalyptica recorded a cello version on its 1996 debut, Plays Metallica by Four Cellos.
Loudwire

Live versions

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco (1985) Live debut on New Year's Eve 1985 before about 7,000 fans, before the album was released.
Cliff 'Em All (1987) Home video tribute to Cliff Burton featuring a full performance.
Live Shit: Binge & Purge (1993) Box set containing both full and edited versions of the song.
S&M (with the San Francisco Symphony) (1999) Orchestral arrangement performed with the San Francisco Symphony.
Stranger Things season 4 finale (2022) Eddie Munson's performance in the show sent the song back onto charts; Metallica said they were blown away.

Notable covers

Apocalyptica (1996) Four-cello version on Plays Metallica by Four Cellos.
Trivium (2006) Faithful recreation sung by a 20-year-old Matt Heafy.
Pendulum (2009) Drum-and-bass version on Live at Brixton Academy.
Dream Theater Technically flawless live rendition praised by Loudwire.
Van Canto German a cappella metal version using only voices and drums.
Vitamin String Quartet Classical string arrangement of the song.

In our lists

The Most-Taught Solos — #16
See Them Live — #14
Deep Cuts — #23
The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #43
The 25 Greatest Metal Guitar Solos — #5
The 25 Greatest Thrash Guitar Solos — #3
The 1980s — #13

Sources

What guitar was used on the Master of Puppets solo?

An esp through a Mesa/Boogie amp, with wah, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Master of Puppets rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#55 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 13 of them.

Who plays the solos on "Master of Puppets"?

James Hetfield plays the melodic middle solo, and Kirk Hammett plays the harmonized leads and the fast final solo.

What is "Master of Puppets" about?

Hetfield said it is about drug addiction, where the drug ends up controlling the user.

Where was "Master of Puppets" recorded?

It was recorded in late 1985 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen with Flemming Rasmussen.

What guitar did Kirk Hammett use on "Master of Puppets"?

He used a Gibson Flying V and a Fernandes Strat-style guitar with a Floyd Rose, plus a Tube Screamer and Cry Baby wah.

Was "Master of Puppets" in Stranger Things?

Yes, the character Eddie Munson plays it in the 2022 season four finale, which sent the song onto the charts.