They had the momentum of a successful album and world tour behind them, and the confidence of a world class athlete an hour before a big game.
It was easier said than done, but Metallica were up to the challenge. Now, all Metallica needed to do was create the next-level songs for their epochal third album, Master of Puppets, which they started writing in mid-1985 and released March 3, 1986. They had already established a blueprint.
