Band:	Master
Album:	Saints Dispelled
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	January 2024

01. Destruction In June
02. Walk In The Footsteps Of Doom
03. Saints Dispelled
04. Minds Under Pressure
05. Find Your Life
06. Marred And Diseased
07. The Wiseman
08. The Wizard Of Evil
09. Nomads [bonus]
10. Alienation Of Insanity [bonus]

Once Masters of death metal, always masters of death metal, even after 41 years.

The once Chicago-based death metal group Master have been around for some time now, having been among the acts that helped shape the death metal movement from its very beginning, along with fellow pioneers such as Obituary, Morbid Angel and Death. However, unlike those big names that we now associate with OSDM today, Master's particular style has always been somewhat different, perched on the fence between death and thrash. This may explain why they've remained in the shadows of those big names, and perhaps been overlooked by many.

Now, once again led by founding member Paul Speckmann (bass/vocals), the Masters return, presenting their fifteenth and latest full-length offering to date, Saints Dispelled. This release sees a new drummer on board in Peter Bajci, to help complement the bass work of Paul Speckmann, in the hope of igniting that initial spark that's perhaps been missing in the rhythm section from their previous few records. The record also features guitarist Alex Nejezchleba once more, who recently rejoined the ranks in 2022 after leaving in 2019 with former drummer Zdeněk Pradlovský. So, with this newly established trio in action, have Master managed to revitalize themselves?

From the opening track, "Destruction In June", the band's latest addition seems to make an instant impact; the drumming beats are stylistic, rapid, and as tight as ever. Bajci nicely complements the groovy riffs of Nejezchleba conjured with an ultra-ripping buzzsaw effects, which are equally exciting as the frenzied shredding solos, while Speckmann delivers heavy and effective bass, along with his distinctive trademark gnarly growls. Where many death metal bands may show signs of tiredness having been on the scene for this amount of time, Master show us that this is clearly not the case with Saints Dispelled; instead there's a refreshing energy throughout the 38-minute duration.

Each track has its own individuality, with each containing its own distinctive riff, and an impressive solo is featured in every track. The tempo and rhythm is relentless throughout, and the ferocity never lets off steam at any point; it's like a crazy locomotive heading for inevitable derailment. There are only a handful of moments that move away from this core ferocious flow, most noticeably the acoustic intro to "The Wiseman", which is certainly an stark contrast to what the rest of the album offers. Another striking passage occurs with several false fade-out endings to the closing track "The Wizard Of Evil"; just when you think the song is over, the instrumentation makes its way back in, only to fade away once more.

Although the performance from each member of the trio is nothing short of excellent, it's the drumming performance that particularly stands out above all, and Peter Bajci gets to show off his capabilities even more on the tracks "Marred And Diseased" and "Minds Under Pressure", with impressive opening drum solos. Paul Speckmann also shows no sign of deterioration, continuing in his fine form, and the memorable chorus of "Minds Under Pressure" shows off his thrash-like aggressive shouts most effectively.

Overall, Saints Dispelled is a solid effort. Yes, it doesn't reinvent the wheel; it doesn't make your head spin with super complex structures, or modern technical madness. It's simple, groovy, exceptionally performed, headbanging fun; it's the Masters of death metal back to doing what they do best.