To commemorate the 500th edition of the beloved German music magazine Metal Hammer, the new issue ranks the 500 greatest metal albums of all time. Metal Hammer, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, tallied up the votes of nearly 100 editors, musicians, industry professionals, and notable metal fans for their list. Coming in at No. 1 as the best metal album of all-time is Metallica’s groundbreaking 1986 album, Master Of Puppets.

“Complex structures, musical depth, yet massive sing-along potential — and guitar solos for the ages,” says the magazine of their number one metal album. “The compositional lessons instilled in [James] Hetfield and [Lars] Ulrich by Cliff Burton since the band’s inception reach their full bloom here. For Metal Hammer, this is now officially the best opus in metal history!” The full list can be found in the special July issue of Metal Hammer, which features 32-extra pages and an eye-catching golden cover. (Blabbermouth)