Before Stranger Things season 4 even premiered, fans knew they had at least one moment of righteous metal fury to look forward to.
No it wasn’t anything that had to do with Eleven, Hopper, a Demogorgon, or any of the other elements we were all familiar with. Instead, it was a brief shot teased in the very first full trailer that featured some Kirk Hammett-haired newbie named Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) absolutely shredding on a guitar in the Upside Down. Seriously, get a load of this Mad Max: Fury Road Doof Warrior brilliance:
Alas, the hour of Eddie’s guitar solo did not come to pass in any of the first seven episodes of Stranger Things season 4 that comprised of “Volume 1.” Thankfully, we know that the moment will surely arrive in volume 2, consisting of two lengthy episodes that premiere Friday, July 1 on Netflix. Joseph Quinn, the actor who portrays the now-beloved Dungeon Master/guitarist, confirmed as much to The Guardian.
” I can say there’s a guitar scene and that the scale and ambition are astonishing,” Quinn said.
Hell yeah, dude. 🤘
With the face-melting guitar solo now confirmed to be dropping soon, we are left with one question: what will Eddie be playing? There’s always the chance that Eddie opts for an original riff but where would the fun be in that? Stranger Things season 4 has already introduced a whole new generation to an ’80s (and forever) icon in Kate Bush by including “Running Up That Hill” as Max Mayfield’s (Sadie Sink) favorite song. There’s no way they could pass up the opportunity to expand younger viewers’ musical palettes even further with a crunchy ’80s metal solo.
Thankfully, as always, Stranger Things fans are on the case. Social media users on Tik Tok, Twitter, and YouTube have studied the movements of Eddie’s fingers in the first trailer like it was the Zapruder film. By combining the internet’s collective knowledge of music and the ’80s timeline, fans believe they’ve arrived at an answer.
While this has been a group internet effort, most of the credit for arriving at the best theory for what song Eddie is playing can be attributed to Tik Tok user Jaden Bricker (who has basically been a one-man Woodward and Bernstein when it comes to uncovering Stranger Things season 4 Easter eggs). Check out his video below:
Bricker’s theory, backed up by sound logic and many other Tik Tok detectives, is that Eddie Munson will be playing Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” You can listen to that below:
Moreso than any other song put forward for Eddie to be playing in season 4, “Master of Puppets” checks just about every box. On a technical level, the notes and key in the song match up with the movement of Eddie’s fingers on the frets as seen in the trailer. On a character level, Eddie would absolutely be a Metallica fan. On timing level, “Master of Puppets” was released on March 3, 1983 – just a couple of weeks before the events of Stranger Things season 4. And finally, on a thematic level, “Master of Puppets” would be an ideal choice for the show to include given that Vecna’s ultimate goal is to extend his dark, spidery influence across the world. He even raises his victims from the ground, where they hang limp like grim marionettes.
Let it be done that the Duffer Brothers and Netflix work hard but Stranger Things season 4 fans always work harder.
Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 will premiere Friday, July 1 on Netflix.