Metallica: Master of Puppets (1986)

Their third album, last with bassist Cliff Burton (killed in a car accident shortly after its release) and a machine-gun powered sledgehammer of disciplined thrash metal, furiously focused guitar solos and angrily delivered socio-political lyrics. One of the definitive, aggressive but masterfully controlled albums in the genre. Musicianship so tight you couldn’t slip a pin between its various parts.

Next: Metallica, And Justice For All and Metallica (The Black Album)

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