Metallica: Back to the Front; A Fully Authorized Visual History of the Master of Puppets Album and Tour

When Metallica’s 1986 album, Master of Puppets, was released, it was “the turning point to hugeness” for the band, as guitarist Hetfield states in his introduction to this gorgeously illustrated coffee-table book. It contains everything that led up to the success of what was only the third recording for the now-legendary band. Taylor (Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard) expertly traces the history of the “dark horse sensation” that began “a golden age” for Metallica, “an era when the band, having tasted the blood of success, was still hungry, raw, and unstoppable both creatively and on stage.” Fans will love the numerous rare photos, tour passes, and other memorabilia throughout the book, from early rehearsals through a stint as opening act for Ozzy Osbourne to the band’s own 1986 world tour. Most of all, the book is a tribute to the influence of bassist Cliff Burton, whose innovative playing (“Cliff’s sister called him the world’s first lead bassist”) is a hallmark of the album, and whose death in a bus accident on that world tour brought an end to Metallica’s first golden age. Focusing on the year and a half before Burton’s death, the book adds depth to an important chapter in the band’s history. (Sept.)