In a recent chat with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program ‘Wired In The Empire,’ As I Lay Dying’s lead vocalist Tim Lambesis explained why he likes James Hetfield’s voice on ‘Master of Puppets.’
The rocker was asked if he prefers Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ or ‘Master of Puppets.’ He replied by saying:
“It’s tough because, and I noticed this from being in a band, that production quality affects the way people perceive music. And so ‘Master of Puppets’, to me, encapsulated the thrash sound. I think James’s [Hetfield] voice was like a little bit gruffier, and so the songs translate to me very well.”
Lambesis reflected on why ‘Master of Puppets’ is nostalgic for him:
“And it’s also nostalgic for me because it’s the first… I actually heard them, because of my age, in a reverse order — I heard ‘Master of Puppets’ first, ’cause I was too young to have heard ‘Ride The Lightning’ when it came out. So I heard ‘Master of Puppets’ [first] and then I went back and heard ‘Ride The Lightning’. So, for me, that’s my answer.”
Dino Cazares’ Choice Is ‘Ride The Lightning’
Still, not every artist agrees with Tim. In February, Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares also talked on Wired In The Empire about Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ and ‘Master of Puppets.’ He shared how seeing Metallica live during the ‘Ride The Lightning’ era made a big impression on him:
“Because they opened up for Armored Saint. Now, I love Armored Saint to death. But that day, Metallica on ‘Ride The Lightning’ killed Armored Saint. Half the crowd left, and it was, like, ‘Wow.’ And I was just blown away. And I think that experience, to me, to see the band raw, just ripping and just destroy a crowd, it would have to be ‘Ride The Lightning.’”
Although he admitted ‘Master of Puppets’ is a masterpiece, the musician noted the raw feel of ‘Ride The Lightning,’ saying:
“Now, ‘Master of Puppets’ is a great record — don’t get me wrong; it’s a masterpiece — but it’s something about the rawness in ‘Ride The Lightning’; ‘Fight Fire With Fire,’ which is ripping. But a year or two later, I saw them open up for Ozzy [Osbourne], and at that point, Ozzy was kind of transitioning to a little glammy. He had his poofy, curly hair, and he kind of was wearing this sequins thing; it almost looked like a dress.”
On the other hand, Tesla’s Brian Wheat previously agreed with Lambesis and revealed that he prefers ‘Master of Puppets’ over ‘Ride The Lightning’ because he feels the songs and performances are better.
You can watch Tim’s full interview below.