I can't believe it's been almost 35 years since Metallica released their third album, Master of Puppets. Following 1983's debut, Kill 'Em All, and 1984's, Ride the Lightning, ...Puppets was the last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton who sadly died in a bus accident that happened in Sweden while the band was promoting the new album.

With Master of Puppets, Metallica delivered a more refined approach than on their previous albums and showcased their instrumental prowess on more multi-layered songs. Featuring such now-classic songs as, "Leper Messiah", "Battery", "Disposable Heroes", the multi-part instrumental, "Orion", the battering-ram, "Damage, Inc.", and a song that was based on Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(made into the popular film starring Jack Nicholson), "Welcome Home(Sanitarium)":

Critics(even those not part of the "thrash metal" scene) hailed the album as a masterpiece. Master of Puppets's influence on other bands is of no small consequence and the album certainly widened Metallica's fan-base, paving the way for studio album # 4, 1988's ... And Justice For All, which contained Metallica's first Top 40 hit, "One".

Thirty-four years ago on March 3, 1986, Metallica released another Metal Masterpiece. Happy Anniversary James, Kirk, Lars and especially, Cliff. You'll always be missed.

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