The "Stranger Things" season 4 finale can best be described as "metal as hell," and its use of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" will likely thrust the time-honored metal band into the same viral streaming surge that Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" still runs (and runs and runs and runs) up.
In the finale, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) performs what he calls "the most metal concert ever" in the Upside Down during an attempt to help his friends vanquish the Big Bad of the season, a demon named Vecna.
Quinn, a new addition to the cast with his role as Eddie, a Dungeons & Dragons playing high school super-senior, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the pivotal scene in the finale, and his experience playing guitar, saying "I wouldn't consider myself a brilliant guitarist, but I can play it."
The actor, who has played guitar since he was seven-years-old, went on to tell EW that when the season 4 scripts made the rounds at some point during the pandemic, he did start "practicing pretty furiously" to gear up for his big scene in the Upside Down.
"I listened to a lot of heavy metal," Quinn says. "That was my ... God, it's impossible to not sound pretentious when you say it, but, yeah, that was my way in."
Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
Watch the fairly spoiler free scene featuring Quinn as Eddie playing Metallica's "Master of Puppets" below:
"Master of Puppets" is the title track of Metallica's 1986 album and is featured on the official soundtrack for "Stranger Things" season 4 alongside Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," off of her 1985 album, Hounds of Love. Reaching a whole new level of popularity after being featured in part one of "Stranger Things" season 4, "Running Up That Hill" broke three world records, landing at the top of the UK's Official Singles Chart for the first time in over thirty-six years.
Read more
about this topic
