Master of Puppets voted best metal album

Rolling Stone readers have voted Metallica’s Master of Puppets the greatest heavy metal album of all time.

It’s a thrash-dominated top ten featuring four entries from James Hetfield and co, plus one from Slayer.

Black Sabbath took second and third place followed by Iron Maiden.

Slightly more controversial is the presence of Guns n’Roses’ debut record, Appetite for Destruction, which many metal fans would regard as outwith the speciality.

And Led Zeppelin, who appear at number 9, have often said they didn’t regard themselves as a heavy metal band.

Rolling Stone comments: “Master of Puppets blew the competition completely out of the water. It’s no big surprise – the disc captured Metallica at the height of their powers. It’s their final work with bassist Cliff Burton, and many feel it’s their last truly flawless record.

“Much like Black Sabbath’s early work, the album inspired musicians all over the world to first pick up their instruments. Though it’s a monumental disc, it took a few years for critics to fully appreciate it.”

Discussing Appetite for Destruction’s appearance at number 7 in the list, the magazine says: “There is some doubt – quite a bit, in fact – that this is a metal album. But that’s not for us to decide. It also hardly matters: the album is so perfect it should be on as many ‘all time greatest’ lists as it possibly can.”

Rolling Stone’s Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time
1. Metallica: Master of Puppets
2. Black Sabbath: Paranoid
3. Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath
4: Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast
5. Metallica: …And Justice For All
6. Slayer: Reign in Blood
7. Guns n’Roses: Appetite for Destruction
8. Metallica: Black Album
9. Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II
10. Metallica: Ride the Lightning