Masters of Reality

While the buzz that once surrounded U.S. retro rockers Masters of Reality has long since dissipated and the band has returned to obscurity in North America, main Master Chris Goss has been busy recording and playing on records by bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Desert Sessions and Fatso Jetson. The latest incarnation of Masters of Reality is primarily a studio project, with the band whittled down to two members, but that seems to be of little importance as Welcome... is as wonderful a record as the Masters has ever recorded. The Uriah Heep-like bombast that was all over the band's self-titled Def American debut is gone, for the most part. The songs are now a little simpler while still retaining a heavy fuzz-inspired edge. Much like Matt Cameron's Wellwater Conspiracy, the Masters have become one of those savoury delectable morsels that are pure delight.