Master of Puppets Recording

Metallica returned to Sweet Silence Studios and Producer Flemming Rasmussen for their third studio release, Master of Puppets. The band recorded from September through December 1985 and released the album March 3, 1986. To this day, it is widely regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time. Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone, “We wrote Master of Puppets in probably eight weeks over that summer. Nowadays, it takes me eight weeks just to drive down to the studio. It’s like, ‘What the fuck did we do in the summer of ’85 where we could just give birth to that from the first note to the last note in eight weeks?’ How the fuck do you write a record like Master of Puppets in eight weeks?”​

IMAGES:​

Metallica and friends stand outside of Sweet Silence Studios during the recording of Master of Puppets, 1985. From the Collection of James Hetfield​

Producer Flemming Rasmussen at the soundboard of Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the recording of Master of Puppets, 1985. From the Collection of James Hetfield​

Box containing a reel from the recording of Master of Puppets, 1985. The box is labeled as containing tracks "Disposable Heroes," and "Damage, Inc." The back of the box cover has an original drawing by James Hetfield. From the Metallica Collection​

Original sticker from Sweet Silence Studios, circa 1985. From the Collection of James Hetfield