Wow, there are 11 days left in October and I’ve only posted on here twice this whole month. Frankly, I’m embarrassed and ashamed. What the fuck has become of me? I guess that’s between me and the metal gods, so I may as well start atoning publicly with a review of the new album from Chicago’s finest death dealers, Master. Yes, this band (and by “band”, I mean main-man Paul Speckmann) relocated to the Czech Republic some time ago, but at the end of the day, no geographical pivot in the world can take away that Midwestern piss and vinegar, which fuels the fire that is their latest affair, Among the Seeds of Death.
The album title in and of itself can be interpreted twofold. Sure, it can refer to the subject matter of Master’s music, rife with destruction and dread. However, Master themselves were “Among the Seeds of Death”, so to speak, way back in 1983 when they first formed. Though bands like Possessed and Mantas (later Death) are the first to get all the glory, Master were an equally crucial gamechanger, their demos becoming the stuff of legend, standing head and shoulders above the ongoing thrash craze in terms of sheer brutality. Over 40 years later, Speckmann and this current incarnation of Master show no sign of slowing down.
Much like 2024’s Saints Dispelled and every other album bearing the Master moniker, Among the Seeds of Death is a non-stop, meat and potatoes platter of raging death-thrash derangement. Though the songs themselves aren’t of the same caliber as their heyday (How can one top the likes of “Master” or “Funeral Bitch”?), they still pack a ferocious punch and stay true to the band’s ethos. The opening “Twas Always a Plan” goes for the throat with its prehistoric death-thrash attack, its breakneck pace and lethal riffage sounding straight out of ’85. Cuts like the title track, “A Cell with No Door and a Slave”, and “Watch as Children Burn” further push the limit, fusing the aural savagery with a misanthropic Hellhammerian murk.
Now if anything is to set this record apart from past Master releases, it’s that Among the Seeds of Death might be their punkiest outing to date. Master have always had a punkish streak going for them, from their anti-authoritarian lyricism to their anarchistic musical delivery. When it comes to this album, however, there are a ton of riffs and rhythms evocative of early crossover thrash, with some cuts being out and out metalpunk. Look no further than “Unsettled Loss” or “Let’s Revoke”. Strip away the deadliness, and you’ve got yourself an old GBH or Exploited banger, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
While the production could’ve been a tad stripped down for my liking (Saints Dispelled really nailed this), Among the Seeds of Death is nothing to scoff at. Master have once again lived up to their name, defying the naysayers and daring anyone who stands in the way of their trail of devastation. I envy the euro festival crowds who will get to rage to these songs live, in all their death metalpunk glory. Perhaps I’ll be dusting off the passport for an excursion come summer of ’27? Any further listens of this album will be tempting me to do so!
7 out of 10
Label: Hammerheart Records
Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Massacre, Autopsy, Death Strike
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