UMUR "The Witchhunt" is the 12th full-length studio album by US/Czech Republic death metal act Master. The album was released through F.D.A. Rekotz in September 2013. Master and especially founder/singer/bassist Paul Speckmann are legendary on the death metal scene. They are often mentioned among the seminal US death metal acts even though Master´s debut album wasn´t released until 1990. Master was already formed in 1983 though. Changed name to Death Strike and then in 1985 changed the name back to Master. Master was signed by Combat Records and recorded an album in 1985, but it was shelved and not released back then (since 2003 it´s been available through Displeased Records as the "Unreleased 1985 album"). They are what you call a true cult band with a cult following.

Stylistically the music on "The Witchhunt" continues the old school death metal style with raw thrash metal leanings that the band have more or less played since day one. They were never the most distinct sounding nor the most interesting death metal act out there, but they sure deliver their music with both passion and conviction. If you like them raw and to the point "The Witchhunt" certainly applies. The band are relatively well playing and Paul Speckmann´s vocals are both brutal and aggressive. The music does become a bit one-dimensional after a while, but this is "by the book" old school death metal, so that´s to be expected. Songtitles like "Waiting to Die", "Plans of Hate" and "Manipulated to Exterminate" also point in a generic old school death metal direction. It should be mentioned that there has always been a political angle to the band´s lyrics, that not many death metal acts pursue, but the lyrics are not exactly genius in nature. The sound production is raw, powerful and generally suits the music well.

"The Witchhunt" may not be a death metal revelation and Master as such haven´t really done much to develop their sound in years, but that´s of little consequence when they deliver their music the way they do. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted.

J-Man Unlike many of their contemporaries, legendary death metal act Master has proven itself to be a force immune to 'current' musical trends and styles. For roughly a quarter-century, the band has delivered music that reeks of a time when death metal was still an emerging form of extreme thrash metal, and though this hasn't allowed Master to consistently shatter the boundaries of death metal, 2013's The Witchhunt is proof that their uncompromising dedication to everything old school can still result in a killer record!

Folks familiar with Master's previous work should more-or-less know what to expect from The Witchhunt, as the album's thrashy and politically relevant approach to death metal represents what the band has been creating for its entire career. Paul Speckmann's distinct growled vocals still remind me of what Lemmy would sound like as the frontman for an extreme metal act, and the playing is as tight as you'd expect from musicians with this level of experience.

The Witchhunt isn't the sort of record that will change anyone's perception of Master, but if you're a fan of catchy old-school American death metal, there are enough quality riffs here to keep your head banging for days!