20 Most Important Hard Rock Albums Of All Time
4. Master Of Puppets - Metallica
As thrash started to develop traction, Metallica were quickly becoming the spokesmen for the entire metal scene. While their beginnings on Kill Em All were a decent start, their sophomore effort Ride the Lightning hinted at something even more epic looming on the horizon. Once Master of Puppets was released, thrash had its first bonafied classic record.
Across just 8 tracks, the band deliver a masterclass in heaviness, from the crescendo and sonic assault of "Battery" to the tortured souls that permeate the ballad "Welcome Home." Though this record showcases everything great about thrash, the band even find ways of twisting the typical metal formula with songs that deal with everything from war to drug addiction.
When the band does eventually slow things down on songs like "Orion" or the breakdown of the title track, their way of weaving together beautiful melodies is something that was unheard of in the same scene that birthed Exodus and Testament. Even with all of the thrash trademarks intact, Metallica showed that there was a way to stay heavy that didn't mean sacrificing the melodicism of your sound. Going forward, Metallica went on to dominate the metal landscape and managed to transcend the thrash label altogether.