John 5 Picks The Best Metallica Album

Regarded as one of the finest and most beloved metal albums in history, Metallica’s third studio release earned the distinction of being the first heavy metal album selected for preservation in the Library of Congress. While the musical prowess of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Kirk Hammett is unquestionable, credit is also due to Flemming Rasmussen, the Danish engineer who played a crucial role in refining Metallica’s sound on “Ride the Lightning” and, arguably, surpassed himself on “Master of Puppets.”

During аn interview оn the “Wired in the Empire” shоw оn 96.7 KCаL-FM rаdiо stаtiоn with Rаdiоаctive MikeZ, Jоhn 5, the guitаrist fоr Mötley Crüe, wаs аsked tо chооse between Metаllicа’s secоnd аnd third studiо аlbums. He expressed а preference fоr “Mаster оf Puppets,” emphаsizing the remаrkаble prоductiоn. In his wоrds, “I’m nоt sаying the sоngs аre аny better thаn ‘Ride The Lightning,’ оr ‘Ride The Lightning’ sоngs аre аny better thаn ‘Mаster’ оr аnything like thаt, but the prоductiоn оn ‘Mаster оf Puppets’ is crаzy greаt. аnd thаt just tаkes it оver the edge. I meаn, it’s perfectiоn.”

John 5 continued to praise the enduring quality of the album’s sound, stating, “It sounds so amazing, even today… It’s really a wonderful, wonderful record. And all those songs are just so well-written and so well-executed. But it’s just that production.” He also commended the album’s cover art, describing it as a “beautiful piece of art.”

Reflecting on his favorite Metallica song, John 5 surprisingly chose “…And Justice For All.” He attributed this selection to his personal experiences on the “…And Justice For All” tour, where he developed a special connection with the band. Despite acknowledging the criticism of the album’s production choices, including the nearly inaudible bass and thin guitar sound, John 5 affirmed his preference for “Master of Puppets” over “…And Justice For All.”

Comparing the importance of production to the overall appeal of classic albums, John 5 drew parallels with the early KISS records, emphasizing the charm of their primitive production. He noted that, despite potential improvements, some albums are best enjoyed in their original form, likening it to not wanting to change the classic taste of Coke. In a similar vein, he acknowledged Metallica’s commitment to quality production as a contributing factor to their greatness, a sentiment echoed by other musicians like ex-Megadeth’s David Ellefson.