Artist: METALLICA
Album: MASTER OF PUPPETS (CD)

Release date: 1986
EAN/UPS: 0042283814127
Media type: CD

1985 was opened up in style with the 'Ride The Lightning' US tour, commencing January 10th at the Skyway Club in Scotia, New York alongside a ill-matched W.A.S.P. These dates wrapped up in Oregon during mid-March. Although METALLICA's ascendancy to greater things seemed assured, in early 1985 the media momentarily focussed its attention onto the erstwhile band figure of Dave Mustaine, back in the ring in 1985 launching his debut album for MEGADETH. The album included the track 'Mechanix', a revised version of which appeared on METALLICA's debut as 'The Four Horsemen'. The world's Rock press, and Mustaine it seemed, would be keen to devote print acreage to the acrimonious split between the two parties.

On August 17th 1985 Thrash Metal arrived in the UK in style thanks to METALLICA's inaugural appearance at the infamous 'Monsters Of Rock' festival held at the Donington Park racing circuit in Leicestershire. Playing a creditable fourth on a bill above Brit Pomp Rock outfit MAGNUM and San Diego Glamsters RATT and just below BON JOVI, MARILLION and a headlining ZZ TOP, METALLICA played an eight song set lasting around 55 minutes and certainly impressed the gathered clans.

Returning to San Francisco the band put in a "secret" show as THE FOUR HORSEMEN at Ruthie's Inn on August 24th warming up for a showing at the Oakland 'Day On The Green' festival on the 31st. The band returned to Europe on September 14th, performing at the 'Metal Hammer Fest' in Loreley, Germany sharing a diverse billing with NAZARETH, VENOM, HEAVY PETTIN, WISHBONE ASH, SAVAGE GRACE, RUNNING WILD, TYRAN PACE, PRETTY MAIDS and WARLOCK.

1985 was topped off with a crushingly heavy New Year's Eve gig at the Civic Center in San Francisco. Joining METALLICA on the bill were EXODUS, METAL CHURCH and, one suspects somewhat awkwardly, MEGADETH. Notably, this show was highlighted by the first public airing of new track 'Master Of Puppets'.

In downtime Hetfield and Burton assembled the kickabout band SPASTIC CHILDREN. With Hetfield on drums, SPASTIC CHILDREN undertook club gigs with vocalist Fred Cotton and guitarist Jack McDaniel.

METALLICA had originally planned to record their third album in America retaining Flemming Rasmussen's services. However, a fruitless search for the perfect environment in Los Angeles led to the band returning to Sweet Silence in Copenhagen. Hetfield dampened the momentum by breaking his wrist skateboarding. Undeterred the band enlisted METAL CHURCH man James Marshall and Hetfield's guitar tech to fill in on rhythm guitar while the bones healed. The resulting 'Master Of Puppets' album, released in March 1986, proved to be a huge stride forward.

Despite the undoubted impact of 'Master Of Puppets' the glory was marred by Dave Mustaine putting in a claim that the song 'Leper Messiah' was in fact a reworked version of a cut titled 'The Hills Ran Red'. METALLICA flatly refuted the suggestion, admitting the song was based on an old riff but not one that Mustaine delivered. The American teen Metal press lapped it up offering regular METALLICA vs. MEGADETH articles.

'Master Of Puppets' was to hit the Gold mark in America during 1986, for sales in excess of 500,000 copies, becoming the first Thrash era band to break the national Billboard top 100, surely aided by their exposure out on the road across the USA opening for OZZY OSBOURNE throughout March and into June. The following month spot Scandinavian gigs with OZZY OSBOURNE, at the Wvaskyla Saapasjalka in Finland on the 5th and the Danish Roskilde festival the day after, witnessed a renewed partnering again with ANTHRAX. These two acts then resumed action backing OZZY OSBOURNE in the USA throughout July.

On September 10th METALLICA launched a headline European trek, backed by ANTHRAX, at the St. David's Hall in Cardiff. It seemed that METALLICA's momentum was assured as they were by this juncture undoubtedly Heavy Metal's hottest ticket. Unfortunately this success came with a price, the tragic death of Cliff Burton. METALLICA concluded their UK dates then set about a series of Scandinavian shows, kicking off at the Lund Olympen in Sweden on the 24th prior to concerts in Oslo and Stockholm. It all came to a jarring halt on the morning of Saturday, September 27th 1986. En route from Stockholm to Copenhagen, METALLICA's tour bus skidded off an icy road near the Swedish town of Ljungby, throwing Cliff Burton out of the window near his bunk and tipped over on top of him, killing him instantly.

METALLICA actually received encouragement from Burton's parents to press on in the aftermath of the accident. Auditions were held with ARMORED SAINT's Joey Vera, LДДZ ROCKIT's Willy Lange, WATCHTOWER man Doug Keyser and Les Claypool. Eventually recruited was the Phoenix, Arizona based FLOTSAM AND JETSAM man Jason Newsted (born March 4, 1963) to fill the void left by Cliff's death.

Newsted was broken in on November 8th with an unannounced concert at the Reseda Country Club opening for old friends METAL CHURCH, the bill also featuring HERETIC. The next day METALLICA also performed at Jezabelle's in Anaheim. The band then committed themselves to a previously scheduled Japanese tour, which opened on November 12th, a little over a month since the accident. US road work gave them no respite, METALLICA resuming proceedings, supported by METAL CHURCH, on November 28th at the Poughkeepsie Mid Hudson Civic Center.

TRACKLIST:

1. Battery
2. Master Of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanatorium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage Inc.

LINE-UP:

James Hetfield (vocals/ guitar)
Kirk Hammett (guitar)
Cliff Burton (bass)
Lars Ulrich (drums)