On 26 February 1985 the thrash metal group Metallica recorded the album Master Of Puppets, the band's third album. It was released on March 3, 1986, with the label Elektra Records, reaching 29th place in the Billboard 200. The album was the band's first gold record after selling 500,000 copies in the United States, although later it would have exceeded 6 million. 'Master of Puppets' is Metallica's latest album featuring bassist Cliff Burton, who will die in a tragic bus accident months after the album's release.