Master

Paul Speckmann is a pretty important name in the land of death metal, as the bassist/vocalist has been delivering classic material since the early '80s, including the influential 1985 Death Strike EP, Fuckin' Death. But it's his main act, Master, which have been the most consistent, with their latest release, The Witchhunt, marking their 12th album in 30 years. Originally from Chicago, IL, and now based in the Czech Republic, the trio (including guitarist Alex Nejezchleba and drummer Zdenek Pradlovsky) are straight-up death metal with punk/rock'n'roll attitude, à la Motörhead. Featuring 11 fierce, politically charged tracks, ranging from fast to super-fast, The Witchhunt commands with traditional thrash-style, groovy riffs and Lemmy-esque, harsh, strained vocals. Many of the tracks, including highlights "The Witchhunt," "Plans of Hate," "The Parable" and "God of Thunder," are blitzkrieg attacks of speed riffs and machine-gun drumming, while tunes like "Waiting to Die" and "Raise Your Sword" feature slower, intensely heavy grooves.