Paul Speckmann is back with his 14th album as Master. At 60 years old he shows little sign of slowing down. Is it more deliberate than their 1990 album? Yes, but the songwriting is more polished. There is much less evidence of the Venom influence that marks the first album. Staying on brand the rapid-fire attack is very straightforward with no surprises waiting around the corner from the establishing riff that often drives the song. Their attack has always felt similar to a band like Rigor Mortis, where they clearly emerged from the thrash scene but were steering themselves into less charted waters alongside bands like Possessed who led the early days of death metal.
There are some rock n roll vibes to how "Saints Dispelled" unloads the guitar solos, and the double bass comes and goes, but by and large, it storms along a similar path as the first two songs. The most death metal riffs so far can be found on "Minds Under Pressure". Speckmann's vocals carry enough rasp to convince younger listeners without a frame of reference for where music was at when this band came on the scene. The chanted chorus is hooky and makes it one of the album's most effective songs. "Find Your Life" works for what it is, but is much less impressive than the previous song.
The drums lead into "Maimed and Diseased" in a more Motorhead manner. The vocals are much Venom-like on this one calling back to their first album. Though to their credit it does evolve into something that has a more modern hammering to it. The first glimpse of melodic embellishment and a wide dynamic range of songs appears in"The Wiseman" though the bulk of this is relegated to the song's intro. There is a fun syncopated groove that crops up in a few places. The album closes with the forward charge of "The Wizard of Evil". It feels like fast Celtic Frost to my ears. There is a clever ending, but nothing groundbreaking. There are also two bonus tracks that do not expand much from what they have already established here. I will give this album an 8.5, fans of this era of death metal or this band will appreciate this album and find it a worthy addition to their collection, not sure this is going to opening any new doors or broaden their fan base, but proves they are still relevant in 2024.
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