In existence since 1983, Master are a paragon of purity in the Death Metal scene. Although album number ten may have a clearer, cleaner production than before, it’s instantly notable that vocalist and bassist Paul Speckmann has the same zombified gurgle as ever, a throat filled with rotting meat that makes for a pretty old-school experience as opposed to the blunted growlers of today. The music is old-school too, despite the modern sheen – Thrashy, headbanging Metal that owes more to the Scream Bloody Gores of the world than anything else. If you’re down with that, then there’s really little more that I need to sell you on as The Human Machine is a kickass album from start to finish. No reinvention, no progression, just a glorious array of killing songs from start to finish, sharp-edged riffs and blasting drums rarely letting up.

It’s a bit unfair to portray this as just another Death Metal album, however, as it is genuinely, brilliantly kickass, especially for us old-school folk. There’s a passion and power in the performances missing from many modern bands, especially in the vocals – Speckmann’s horrific gurgling here is political, and he never sounds less than completely committed to the aims of, well, as the lyrics to It’s What Your Country Can Do For You proclaim, “in an age of oppression these power mongers must be brought down to their knees and slaughtered like the swine they are! The rich should be made to share their assets with the poor and underprivileged of the world!” Guitarist Alex Nejezchleba is brilliant, old-school rumbles following along with the bass with consistently killer riffs, occasionally shooting up for a wild bit of soloing before plunging back into the morass, and drummer Zdenek Pradlovsky is an absolute beast.

Impressively, the three work as one, some very tight musicianship for this style of music meaning that there’s no obstruction to the tidal wave of headbanging coming your way. From the sledgehammer pound of the opening title track onwards, the band have the listener in their grasp, and never let go – as Alex pointed out in his review of Slaves To Society, Master are nothing if not experienced songwriters, and they prove this here over and over again. The likes of the aforementioned It’s What Your Country Can Do For You switch between d-beat Thrashy Grind to outright rotten Death Metal, grooving through twisted architecture with relish. Uproarious thrashers like Twisted Truth (with some great soloing) can rip right past you if you’re not paying attention, whilst the Bolt Throwerish blast of True Color makes its five minute-plus running time zoom by.

There are literally no bad tracks to be found, from the kickass Suppress Free Thinking to the neckcracking groove of A Replica Of Invention. Although the album never really slows down or lets up, it doesn’t need to. The best Death Metal needs no excuse for its own existence other than itself, and Master are no exception – Speckmann is a legend of the scene who gets none of the respect or love that he deserves, and Master are a band that all too few appreciate. Get with the program!