In need of a new snare drum, Lars Ulrich was able to borrow a Tama ‘Black Beauty’ – the finest and one of the rarest instruments of its kind – from fellow Q Prime client Rick Allen, the drummer with Def Leppard, who at the time was recuperating from an accident in which he lost an arm (Lars then found the same drum for sale at a music shop in Copenhagen with a price tag that had been attached to it since 1979).ĭespite their high-class lodgings, Metallica would often dine at the home of their producer prior to the start of each day’s recording session. By now signed to Elektra Records – although in the UK Master Of Puppets would emerge on the independent Music For Nations label – and with heavyweight management from the Q Prime organisation, Metallica had both time and resources at their disposal. Billeted in relative luxury at the Scandinavia Hotel in Copenhagen’s lovely city centre, the drummer shared a junior suite with James Hetfield, while Kirk Hammett roomed with Cliff Burton. "It leaves a warm feeling in my heart to see artwork that I did over 20 years ago plastered on T-shirts and posters all over the world," he enthused.“I think that it’s a pretty safe bet that Lars was instrumental in persuading the rest of the band that they had to record the new album in Sweet Silence,” said producer Flemming Rasmussen with a good-natured smile.Īn improvement in commercial fortunes meant that Metallica at least had decent lodgings.
The artist told us that it was one of his favorites of the many covers he was responsible for.
According to Brautigam, the original was purchased by Jon and Marsha Zazula of Megaforce, the label that released Metallica's 1983 debut, Kill 'Em All. The finished work was 17x17 inches on an illustration board with a backing to prevent warping. "When you had as many top-end jobs coming in as I did, you're forced to work at a grueling rate but are still expected to produce nothing but the best artwork," he explained. The painter completed the piece - in acrylics using a combination of airbrush and paintbrush - in just three days, while juggling numerous other commercial commissions. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich had said that the image encapsulates the idea of people, whether they are soldiers ("Disposable Heroes") or drug addicts (the title track), being subconsciously manipulated - an overall theme of the record. Indeed, the Master of Puppets cover image was conceptualized and designed by Metallica with their manager Peter Mensch, and according to Louder, the final painting was based on a crude sketch by the band's singer-guitarist James Hetfield, which was sent to Brautigam as a guide.
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