Five years and a little over one month ago, Master’s fourteenth full-length Vindictive Miscreant fell into my lap, courtesy of one Master of Muppets. Thanks to this serendipitous windfall, I get dibs on all Master records going forward, despite their classic pedigree and extensive back catalog which predates my own existence on planet Earth by almost ten years. What should belong to one of our olde curmudgeons, like Steel or even Dr. A.N. Grier, belongs to me.1 Today, Saints Dispelled grants me another opportunity to swing my big dibs-stick and acquire Master’s newest slab of fun, wretched, thrashy death metal madness.
Saints Dispelled is business as usual for the formerly Illinois-based, now Czechia-based death-thrash trio. Alex “93” Nejezchleba’s vicious riffs abound as sole remaining founding member Paul Speckmann vomits all over the place with his distinctive and remarkably well-maintained retches. Master’s riffs have always straddled the fence between serrated death metal and fiery thrash metal, but something about Saints Dispelled’s constructs feel more youthful, invigorated, and bloodthirsty than their other recent efforts. Perhaps new drummer Peter Bajci breathed this freshness into the band’s compositions, as his performance across the board is nothing short of staggering. Blistering beats of all kinds enmesh with Alex’s riffs so naturally that it truly feels like they’ve been playing together for ages, and Paul’s charismatic bass and vocal performance compliments that chemistry extremely well. Indeed, this latest iteration of Master plays death thrash with more vim and vigor than many newer, younger bands, and Saints Dispelled is the proof.
Enlivening their trademark style, Master’s songwriting on Saints Dispelled marks a notable upgrade over recent works. Partly due to tightened runtimes and partly due to sheer unrestrained energy, Saints Dispelled rips through thirty-eight minutes (fifty-one including the two CD bonus tracks) so ravenously that I find myself foaming at the mouth for another spin. Major hits like “Destruction in June,” “Saints Dispelled,” and “Minds Under Pressure” launch the first half in a blaze of death-thrash glory, chock full of exciting riffs, sharp shreds, and punchy percussion that are guaranteed to open only the most destructive of pits. While not quite as vital as the front half, Saints Dispelled’s back end still houses several potent offerings, namely “Find Your Life,” “Wizard of Evil,” and first bonus track “Nomads.” While on average lengthier than earlier cuts, these latecomers maintain a high degree of momentum thanks to muscular, rippling riffs, engaging tempo shifts, and smart transitions.
An unfortunate consequence of jamming the longest songs into the record’s second half, Master exposes a weakness when exploring the long form. Second bonus track “Alienation of Insanity” is egregious at over eight minutes. While not an outright bad song by any means, it lacks the quality and quantity of ideas necessary to make a high-energy, thrash-based entry of that scale land. A similar problem arises in Saints Dispelled’s longer songs proper, such as “The Wiseman.” In possession of a few legitimately great moments (like the eerie, soft opening sequence, memorable main riff, and killer bass solos), “The Wiseman” offers insufficient compelling material otherwise to support almost six minutes. While not especially lengthy at four-and-a-half minutes, “Marred and Disease” struggles to get off the ground as well, only hitting its stride in the final third of its span. Consequently, the song feels twice as long and half as strong as it should.
Master might have been able to get away with the more expansive runtimes and protracted buildups if those selections challenged the foundation of the genre. But that’s just not what Master does. They play tried and true, old school death thrash, respected and revered. Therefore, when it lacks oomph, it’s hard not to notice. Thankfully, Saints Dispelled harbors but a scant few such stumbles. The majority of the record whips banger after banger straight to your countenance, and there’s no dodging them. They hit hard, they strike fast, and they leave you bloody and broken. That’s what Master is all about. If you’re looking to have a rollicking good time, not a long time,2 look no further than Saints Dispelled.
Rating: Very Good.
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hammerheart Records
Websites: master.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/TheRealMasterofficial
Releases Worldwide: January 19th, 2024
