Master

Master

Vindictive Miscreant

release date: November 28th, 2018

label: Transcending Obscurity Records

Master’s Paul Speckmann has been tearing it up since the early 1980s. That was a long time ago, kids. Master is a cult favorite for death metal fanatics due to the long discography and associated acts like Abomination and Death Strike, and the regular schedule of album releases.

Lyrically, Master is outspoken about its left, liberal political perspective, and this has been the case since the beginning, basically, talking about nuclear holocaust and weapons of mass destruction, criticizing political/social/religious institutions, all done in the rage of extreme metal. The lyrics rant and rave against politicians in general, and especially against Republican presidents of the United States (Paul is American, but the band is based in the Czech Republic and Paul has lived there for a long time).

In 2018 Master delivers on the groove death metal that is their trademark. It’s death metal with an old-school rock and roll way of writing songs. It goes something like this: thrash-style drumming and punk-metal drumming set to heavy, thick, grooving guitars, that utilize loudness and simplicity to connect right away. It’s bottom-heavy, pounding grooves with gruff, painful, furious growling.

The problem with this description is that it cannot arrive at the real uniqueness of the old-school Master death metal: good songwriting, with unmistakable vocals, that sounds like only Master does. There is charm, that quality that comes from old age, rock and roll, old metal, experience, from touring for years and years and years and understanding that in a live setting Master fans want to rock. Give them what they want. The people do not come to this show to gaze at their shoes, look at their belly buttons and stand there in contemplation of the meaning of the floor. They come to drink, mosh, scream and get rowdy.

Master knows its audience, and the audience wants Master to do what they do year round, year after year, sticking to the only the story that they have ever told. What a story it is. Listen to Master and have a good time. Do it again.

masterdeathmetal.bandcamp.com