Metallica approves usage of 'Master of Puppets' in 'Stranger Things 4': 'We were totally blown away'
Legendary heavy metal band Metallica said it was "totally blown away" with how its 1986 classic Master of Puppets was used in the sci-fi hit series Stranger Things 4: Volume 2.
In Episode 9, fan favorite Eddie Munson, portrayed by Joseph Quinn, took center stage in a pivotal scene as he played an abridged version of Master of Puppets—with the Kirk Hammett shreds and all.
Metallica—composed of James Hetfield (vocals, rhythm guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), Hammett (lead guitar), Robert Trujillo (bass)—took to social media to give the series creators Duffer Brothers and Quinn a shout-out, as they shared the three-minute clip featuring the song.
"The way The Duffer Brothers have incorporated music into Stranger Things has always been next level," the band said, "so we were beyond psyched for them to not only include Master of Puppets in the show but to have such a pivotal scene built around it.
"We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away," Metallica said, adding that the rendition was "so extremely well done," so much so that some folks, according to the band, were able to guess the song just by seeing a few seconds of Quinn’s hands.
"It’s an incredible honor to be such a big part of Eddie’s journey and to once again be keeping company with all of the other amazing artists featured in the show," it said.
In the comments section, the official page of Stranger Things thanked Metallica for the "perfect track," saying it allowed the pivotal scene to become the "most metal concert in the history of any dimension."
Metallica took notice and replied with a sign of the horns emoji.
Master of Puppets is gaining popularity anew after being used in the series. As of July 6 local time, the song by the heavy metal band originally released 36 years ago, ranks 10th on Spotify's Top 50 in the United States, and 17th on the streaming platform's Global Top 50.
In 2015, it became the first metal recording to be selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Metallica, formed in 1981, has a wide discography, having released ten studio albums, eight live albums, three extended plays, 43 singles, ten video albums, 42 music videos, one soundtrack album, one collaboration album, and three box sets.
The band is a critical and commercial success. It won nine Grammys from 23 nominations, and has sold over 125 million albums worldwide as of 2018. It's also considered one of the greatest acts of all time, ranking 61st in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.