“Big thank you to Metallica for giving you that song. That doesn't happen very often”: 11-year-old metal guitarist nails Master of Puppets on America’s Got Talent – with Dave Mustaine’s signature model

Maya Neelakantan playing a Gibson Flying V on stage, with a drummer in the background.

11-year-old shredder Maya Neelakantan has gone viral again for her epic rendition of Metallica’s Master of Puppets at the America’s Got Talent quarterfinals. The young guitarist had previously covered Papa Roach's Last Resort in front of a packed live audience at the AGT auditions.

This time, however, Maya Neelakantan was accompanied by a full band. She wielded a Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP in a silver metallic finish – perhaps a nod to the Megadeth leader's early tenure with the group – and performed the Metallica classic before exclaiming, “AGT, are you ready?”