The Significance of Metallica In Stranger Things 4

Ever since Ross and Matt Duffer brought their retro-styled flavor of horror to Netflix in 2016, the chilling cinematic phenomenon known as Stranger Things has spawned a renewed interest in music from the 1980s.

Just ask Kate Bush.

A Strong Retro Soundtrack

Each season has allowed the Duffer Brothers to incorporate classic 1980s music into the show’s soundtrack, bringing waves of auditory nostalgia to older viewers and the thrill of experiencing new music to younger audiences as they hear the tracks for the first time.

But while the show’s soundtrack includes a solid lineup of rock, pop, and other popular formats from the eighties, metal is one style that has been virtually nonexistent in the Stranger Things universe, though it was popular at the time.

While Rock You Like a Hurricane by the debatably-metal band Scorpions appeared in Stranger Things 2, the show wouldn’t dive into the mosh pit until the latter end of the fourth installment.

Better late than never, especially when the song is a good choice for the scene.

And throwing Metallica into the mix couldn’t have been more apropos.

Eddie Munson’s performance from atop the caravan in the Upside Down should be considered an iconic scene in cinematic history.

The scene contains one of the season’s most standout and talked about tracks.

Just ask James Hetfield.

Enter Master of Puppets

With its relentless barrage of heavy downpicking and blistering guitar solo, Master of Puppets was a solid song selection for the Demobat luring scene.

A worthy choice for metal’s grand entrance into Stranger Things.

While actor Jason Quinn is a skilled guitarist, and did play most of Master of Puppets for filming, it was 20-year-old Aidan Fisher who supplied the finger skills for the on-camera solo.

You might remember Fisher from the viral video in 2013 where he played “Eruption” and “You Really Got Me” in front of a large crowd at a Steel Panther concert when he was 11.

Fisher had been in the crowd holding a sign that read, “I CHALLENGE SATCHEL TO A GUITAR SOLO.”

Luckily for Fisher, he got his stage time.

A Vision for Sound

Filmmakers always have a vision for what they are producing, and that includes the soundtrack, of course.

In addition to sound effects and visuals, music help set the mood for each scene and shape the viewer’s experience.

If metal wasn’t in the soundtrack before Stranger Things 4, there’s a good chance the filmmakers didn’t think it was a good fit for the scenes they were doing at the time.

Besides, with the diverse combination of classic eighties tracks and custom scores, the Duffer Brothers have done an impressive job setting the musical soundscape for the series.

Metal just had to wait until Stranger Things’ fourth installment to be part of the series’ thrills and chills.

Better late than never.

(Images: Netflix)