Year: 2024
Label: Hammerheart Records / Metal Star (local edition)
Rating: 7,2 / 10
My acquaintance with the legendary MASTER began a few months before the release of "Saints Dispersed", so after receiving the CD from Metal Star, I listened to it with fresh impressions that I gathered from listening to the most of the previous discography. My personal problem with MASTER is that it is Thrash Death Metal (in that order), which means that the music is not fast and biting enough, and at the same time not heavy enough. I know people who like this approach (most of them are well over 50), but I don't like this balance. You are either playing thrash, or something in the style of MALEVOLENT CREATION - now, that I would totally love!
But, only an incorrigible fucker can scold a band for their choice of genre, and I won't do it. MASTER, or personally Paul Speckmann, still deserves respect for its / his endurance and steadfastness. If you do not take into account the infamous debut album of 1985, where they had almost 100% Death Metal, MASTER has been working in the same genre through all its career, and any fan of the band can be sure that they won't disappoint. So, on ”Saints Dispelled", the band offers 8 + 2 tracks of absolutely traditional, old-fashioned American (despite the fact that Speckmann has been living in the Czech Republic for a long time) thrash death metal without any tricks and surprises.
MASTER albums differ from each other mainly in the speed and complexity of the sound. “Saints Dispelled" turned out to be somewhere in the middle between the extreme options. It's not the heaviest, but it's quite weighty. Speckmann's vocals used to be more bestial, but even now they sound convincing and energetic, although the grandpa is 61 year old already. The performance speed is slightly higher than average, but the onslaught is strong and continuous. For some, it may even be too much, because the album really (s)pecks, pecks and pecks at your head with its rhythm section, and after 50 minutes you feel like Pinhead. The tracks, as usual, consist of 100% metallic whole-body riffs that meet all the standards of the genre. Again, nothing outstanding, but the overall level is quite high. There is very little to say about the lyrics, because Speckmann's texts have always been terribly boring - generalized phrases about conditional "them" who control everything, deceive everyone, lead us to the abyss, earn money on blood, etc, etc; a typical set of words about everything and nothing at the same time, that can be applied to any ideology. To sum up, I would say that "Saints Dispelled" is a good option for the first acquaintance with MASTER's work and a great gift for fans, but there are stronger albums in the band's discography (there are also weaker ones).
The local edition from Metal Star and ФОНО (primarily from the latter, since it was their initiative) differs from the original only in format (jewel instead of digipak). It also has a full booklet and tracklist with two bonus tracks (why they became bonuses is unknown, since they are no different from the rest of the material). You can order it at Possession. Details on a video.
English (UK) 
Крыўская