The Human Machine

Few bands in the extreme metal world who have been round the block as many times as Master have remained as under-appreciated as these death metallers still are. Formed in 1983 before there was ever a 'death metal' and still going strong today, numerous line-up changes around mainman Paul Speckmann, and a relocation from Chicago to Czech Republic, "The Human Machine" is the bands' 10th studio album, and to anyone who knows previous Master, is still very much in the same thrashy, pissed-off politically charged vein that has always defined their work. After a slow start to their career in terms of frequency of releases, the last 9 years have seen 5 albums of new material emerge with a consistency of release around the marks other old-timers like Obituary and Grave have stuck to, making it very hard to dislike anything they ever do.

On the other hand, and like Obituary and Grave too in this respect, none of these releases have ventured in to the leagues of the truly great records, where if my listening habits are anything to go by, they steal playing time away from the old favourites. In comparison to my 'old favourites' (that being the "Unreleased 1985 Album" and "On the Seventh Day God Created... Master") the sound is naturally smoother and clearer, a far cry from the sick vocal sounds still eminating from Speckmann's mouth. His gurgling vocal style best evidenced in songs like "It's What Your Country Can Do For You" suggests a man not happy with the world around him, and is far more effective in doing so than a standard deep-throated growl. Being as resolutely as old-school as Master are little concession is made in the song-writing to appease more modern fans of the genre; each songs spits and flies by at a fast tempo in a similar vein throughout, reminiscent of early DM albums such as Possessed's "Seven Churches" and Death's "Scream Bloody Gore", where bands played to a feeling and consistency than aiming for the greatest level of technicality or variation.

Through this "The Human Machine" is admirably full of riffs solid enough to please even the most battle-hardened extreme metal warrior, shown by "Worship the Sun" where the temptation not to nod along is all too difficult. The old wardogs Master have not attempted to reinvent themselves, let alone the genre, with "The Human Machine", but it is reassuring to know that the oldest surviving band for whom 'extreme metal' is a true and honest fit have not watered down their tone and ferocity 27 years after formation, leaving them here still releasing albums full of anger and aggression in 2010. All bow to the Master!

Originally written for www.Rockfreaks.net

It’s sort of hard to believe that Master has been around for 20-years now. I remember seeing these guys at nearly every club in Chicago back in the day, and front-man Paul Speckman and crew seldom disappointed. The discography is an impressive collective of honest, brutal death metal that is straight from the book of said genre. From 2000 to 2005 Master has produced a solid release every single year, so they’ve never gone away and have only gotten more brutal with age.

The latest effort, The Human Machine, is a mild kick in the chest void of subtlety or reserve. It’s well-produced, fast-paced death metal that has a technical side emanating from it, quite polished I might add. Maturity through death metal often means a band either waters down its style and subject matter in accordance to some imaginary borders or they manage to progress from the roots and grow from within. Master has managed to grow without letting up. Chuck Schuldiner’s Death comes to mind if pressed for a viable comparison. From Scream Bloody Gore in 1987 to Sounds of Perseverance in 1998 is an amazing example of how maturity in death metal doesn’t mean dumbing-down the music or selling out the ideal. In fact, Master’s The Human Machine could stand up well against death album from the past year or so. It’s both viable and stirs the senses.

The songs are typically Master: free-thought-promoting, sensible dirges, and violent reactions to all things inane or unjust. In the long lineage that is Master’s discography, the ever constant theme is subjugation, be it internal, mental or governmental. “Supress Free Thinking” from the CD is a full-on bitch-fest about losing the ability to think for one’s self. Speckman’s vocals are so reminiscent to Tom G. Warrior from Celtic Frost it’s haunting. His influences show throughout the CD, as does the proficiency of the band he’s assembled with Alex Nejezchleba on guitars and Zdenek Pradlovsky drumming. The trio is amazingly talented and produces through a mere trio what some bands can’t accomplish with five members.

Heavy metal has always prided itself on being cerebral, thought-provoking music, insisting that one thinks outside the proverbial box and finds answers not always conducive to popular collective thought. Master accomplishes this through the barrage of heaviness that could crush a Sherman tank. Especially evident on the track “A Replica of Invention,” the headbang-inducing track gets under your skin and provides an additional outlet for suppressed rage and strife that might be lingering inside somewhere.

From start to finish, The Human Machine is a death metal lesson in coloring outside the lines. This is the way death metal should be presented: fast, thought-provoking and legible. Another fine release from a vastly underrated band is ready for ingestion.

(Originally written for http://www.metalpsalter.com)