Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986, by Elektra Records. It was the first Metallica album released on a major label, and the last to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus crash in Sweden during the album's promotional tour. It was recorded at the Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen. Master of Puppets received critical acclaim for its atmospheric and meticulous approach to American thrash metal, and has been included in several publications' best album lists. Its driving music and angry, political lyrics drew praise from critics outside the metal community. The album is considered the band's strongest effort of the period, and remains one of the most influential heavy metal albums. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. In 2003 the Recording Industry Association of America certified at least six million copies shipped, and in 2012 Music Canada certified 600,000 copies.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Puppets

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1776:

American Revolutionary War: Samuel Nicholas and the Continental Marines successfully landed on New Providence and captured Nassau in the Bahamas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nassau

1875:

French composer Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, premiered at the Opéra- Comique in Paris. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen

1924:

The Free State of Fiume, a short-lived independent free state located in the modern city of Rijeka, Croatia, was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_of_Fiume

1951:

Jackie Brenston, with Ike Turner and his band, recorded "Rocket 88", often cited as "the first rock and roll record", at Sam Phillips' recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_88

2009:

The building housing the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne, one of the largest communal archives in Europe, collapsed (ruins pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Archive_of_the_City_of_Cologne

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

trenchant: 1. (obsolete) Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp. 2. (figuratively) Keen; biting; vigorously effective and articulate; severe. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trenchant

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

One must preach life, not death; spread hope, not fear and cultivate joy, man's most valuable treasure. That is the secret of the greatest of the wise, and it wil be the light of tomorrow.   --Émile Chartier https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Chartier