METALLICA’s ‘Master Of Puppets’ Named ‘Best Metal Album of All Time’ by Germany’s METAL HAMMER Magazine

German music magazine Metal Hammer is celebrating its 50th anniversary with its 500th issue, available from Friday, June 21, 2024. This special edition features a ranking of the 500 greatest metal albums ever, selected by a jury of nearly 100 editors, musicians, industry professionals, and notable metal fans.

METALLICA’s “Master Of Puppets” has been awarded the top spot. The magazine praised the album for its “complex structures, musical depth, and massive sing-along potential — and guitar solos for the ages.” They noted that “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 has five albums featured on the Metal Hammer list of the 500 best metal albums. Other legends in heavy metal such as MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR, and SLAYER are also represented, along with modern acts like SLIPKNOT, TOOL, NIGHTWISH, GHоST, 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,” said 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, which features 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” was also the final album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who tragically died on September 27, 1986, in a coach аccident while on tour promoting the album.

Nearly 40 years after its release, “Master Of Puppets” is a recognized classic of the thrash genre and has been preserved in the U.S. Library Of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”