Solitude in the Wasteland – 90%
wastedyu_vi, December 24th, 2017
Written based on this version: 1998, CD, Pavement Music
Since the dawn of human intellectualism, self-aware individuals have sought solitude. Paul Speckmann of Master finds his own solidarity in expressing apathy towards society. The late cynical comedian, George Carlin, once said “When you’re born in this world, you’re given a ticket to the freak show, and when you’re born in America you’re given a front row seat. And some of us get to sit there with notebooks.” George Carlin must be Paul Speckmann’s spirit animal. Speckmann indeed has his own notebook and we, the audience, are his bookworms. One decrepit worm deemed it suitable to acknowledge the introspective impact of Master’s 1998 release “Faith is in Season.”
Crusty bass lines and tom-centric drumming push “Faith is in Season” forward with a reliable tempo; these, coupled with intermittent guitar leads and Speckmann’s defiant screeches define Master’s new production – consistent and comprehendible death metal. This is further polished with thoughtful song intros that highlight each individual member’s musicianship. For instance, the percussion on the song “Imprisoned” showcases the drummer’s ability to, one, start the song with an elegant high-hat tempo and rhythmic off-beat kicks while, two, having the dexterity to gallop back into the traditional speed expected of Master. Furthermore, like a long beard needs strong hair follicles, hairy bass lines across songs like “Butchered By Numbers” and “Spiritual Bankruptcy” provides a resilient foundation to each song’s composition.
This foundation supports the guitar melodies and lyrical concepts we craving worms deserve. One important focal point is, again, the song “Spiritual Bankruptcy” in which the aforementioned bass coupled with the closing lyrics “Work every day like a slave so you can afford to be free” rings true to any hardworking American citizen. While heads bob to the beat in begrudging agreement, the album trudges into its final and most climactic track “Return to Vietnam.” Potent Invigoration. Engrain this opening guitar tune in the mind and go plunge into deep frigid waters.
Compositionally, each instrument in Master is worth its own weight in gold while also not overshadowing each other. This is a self-evident testament to Speckmann’s exemplary leadership because the band line-up on “Faith is in Season” was relatively brief. Unfortunately, possibly due to this brevity, the album does become monotonous over the course of an hour. Classy intros and outros aside, the juicy bulk of each song is predictable; especially in relation to the vocals. When Speckmann shouts, his lyrics normally include the same number of syllables across each line in a verse. Follow the lyrics on any song and it is easy to recognize that most lines include five to seven syllables resulting in song structures with little differentiation.
Nevertheless, there is a fine line between performing consistently versus repetitively in which Master achieved the former. Similar to 1990s contemporaries like Vader or Obituary, Master solidified their craft with “Faith is in Season” and has since strayed minimally. We worms can be certain that Paul Speckmann will continue sacrificing to the slaughtergod for George Carlin’s praise. However, if Master ever dies, one can fully anticipate Speckmann to leave society and become the solitary hermit he was destined to be. In the meantime, let’s continue to read the holy scriptures within Paul Speckmann’s notebook.
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