Metallica Master of Puppets was originally released on March 3rd 1986 on Elektra Records and went on to become the first Metallica album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Master of Puppets deals with the fear of powerlessness. The arrangements are thick and muscular and the material varies enough in texture and tempo to hold interest through all its twists and turns. Some critics have called Master of Puppets the best heavy metal album ever recorded; if it isn t it certainly comes close