‘Master Of Puppets’ Vs ‘Ride The Lightning’: Exodus Drummer Tom Hunting’s Pick Will Shock Metallica Fans

In a recent interview with Radioactive MikeZ on 96.7 KCAL-FM‘s “Wired In The Empire,” Exodus drummer Tom Hunting shared his preference between two iconic Metallica albums: Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets.

When asked which he considered superior, Hunting stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I think I would pick Master. I think Ride The Lightning is a more brutal record, but I think Master Of Puppets, that was a moment captured in time of a band — just young men peaking creatively. It’s a perfect record from end to end. And Ride The Lightning is definitely a close second. I mean, Master is my favorite album. Pinning it against all the others, I think it’s better than all the others. The Black Album is a great record, lots of commercial success for that one for them. They just blasted the door down for everybody. But I’d definitely pick Master.”

Hunting further elaborated on the evolution of Metallica‘s frontman, James Hetfield‘s vocal prowess across their early albums. “I think James‘s vocals on that record… With any band, you could see the progression, if they’re doing it right. You could see the progression of a musician as they’re getting better. Kill ‘Em All, we were just kids and he was just figuring out how he was gonna be a metal singer. And he invented that sh*t — he invented the Metallica-style singing and then took it to another level on Ride The Lightning. And then Master Of Puppets, he just crushes.”

Hunting‘s comments come on the heels of Exodus‘s recent performance with returning vocalist Rob Dukes. Dukes rejoined the band for their first concert in nearly 11 years on April 5 at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly. This marked a significant lineup shift for Exodus, who announced in January the departure of longtime singer Steve “Zetro” Souza and the return of Dukes.

Souza had two stints with Exodus, from 1986 to their hiatus in 1993, and again from 2002 to 2004, before Dukes took over in 2005. Dukes fronted the band for four studio albums: Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005), The Atrocity Exhibition… Exhibit A (2007), Let There Be Blood (2008), and Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010), before Souza rejoined in 2014.

Despite not being consistently grouped with the “Big Four” of thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax), Exodus‘s 1985 album Bonded By Blood remains a highly influential record in the genre, inspiring numerous bands like Testament, Death Angel, and Vio-lence.