METALLICA's 'Master Of Puppets' Crowned 'Best Metal Album Of All Time' By Germany's METAL HAMMER Magazine

The German music magazine Metal Hammer celebrates its golden jubilee with its 500th issue, on newsstands from Friday, June 21, 2024. In this special edition, the magazine ranks the 500 greatest metal albums of all time, voted on by a nearly 100-member jury of editors, musicians, industry professionals, and notable metal fans. METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" takes the top spot: "Complex structures, musical depth, yet massive sing-along potential — and guitar solos for the ages," says the magazine's laudatory review. "The compositional lessons instilled in [James] Hetfield and [Lars] Ulrich by Cliff Burton since the band's inception reach their full bloom here. For Metal Hammer, this is now officially the best opus in metal history!"

METALLICA appears five times on the Metal Hammer list of the 500 best metal albums. Other heavy metal pioneers such as MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR and SLAYER are also present, alongside modern acts like SLIPKNOT, TOOL, NIGHTWISH, GHOST, IN FLAMES and SLEEP TOKEN.

"Compiling this list was certainly a mammoth task — but one we gladly took on for the extra-thick 500th issue," says Metal Hammer editor-in-chief Sebastian Kessler. "What an intense trip through the history of metal; perfect for celebrating Metal Hammer's 40th anniversary! There's rarely been so much discussion, philosophy, weighing, and argumentation. And with the release of the results, it's likely just the beginning."

The full list can be found in Metal Hammer issue 07/2024, featuring a golden cover and 32 extra pages. Other topics include concert reviews from METALLICA, AC/DC and I PREVAIL, exclusive features on new albums from DEEP PURPLE, KISSIN' DYNAMITE, ORDEN OGAN and NEAERA, and a report on the inclusive metal festival Rock In Rautheim.

In 2024, Metal Hammer celebrates its 40th anniversary, culminating in the Metal Hammer Awards ceremony on August 31 in Berlin.

Released on March 3, 1986, "Master Of Puppets" was METALLICA's third album — recorded in Denmark with producer Flemming Rasmussen — and it went on to sell over six million copies in the U.S. alone.

"Master Of Puppets" proved to be Burton's swansong with METALLICA. The bassist sadly died on September 27, 1986 in a coach accident while on tour promoting the album.

Nearly 40 years after it was first released, "Master Of Puppets" is an acknowledged classic of the thrash genre and proudly sits in the U.S. Library Of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry on account of being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."