Legendary debut album (originally released in 1985) of the US Speed / Power Metal pioneers. A re-issue including 8 pounding tracks with original mix/master.
I have no idea how this record is not as famous as Walls of Jericho, Battalions of Fear, and some other records like them. It is surely not any worse than the aforementioned two, that I know. Not many albums scream "original, authentic, irreplaceable 80s heavy/speed" more than this one. It does take good rhetoric to justify giving an album 100% that barely anyone talks about, but I feel like 100% is the minimum I would give this masterpiece. What makes it really outstanding? A better question would be "What doesn't?". Somehow, the band managed to create something extremely memorable without reminding you of some other band and ruining it with something that would annoy you. It is original, authentic, creative, skilled, and a blast to listen to.
Highlights are extremely difficult to choose, as every single song is a masterpiece of its own. Whether you are into slower, or mid-paced songs that are more melodic, or you are into fast screamers that blast through your speakers at the speed of an F1 car in the longest straight line of a racetrack, this album will not disappoint you. There are examples to both, and they are all excellent. Some of the best moments include "Bound to Be Free", "Master of Disguise", and "Sons of Inequity". However, I could have mentioned three other songs from the album, for they are just as good. It just comes down to whatever you enjoy more.
What makes the album that good though? It has to do with the musicianship. These guys really knew what they were doing, and their songwriting skills were way ahead of their "competition". This album has its own character and identity, without borrowing it from another release that inspired the members earlier on. The riffs are extremely colorful, advanced, and melodic. On top of that, the solos are even better. Those solos have been extremely well thought out and well written. No matter which guitarists you listened to before, I can guarantee you that these solos will impress you.
The pauses, pace-changes, fills, bridges are used very creatively throughout the record, so you can be assured there is not a second of filler in here. The drums are also on point, the double bass is clearly audible throughout the whole album, and there is a lot of it. Vocalist Mike Smith covers a lot of ground on the tone scale, and he does it with ease. There is literally no weak link in the album, all members are on the same, high level of musicianship. No matter how hard you try, you will not find one second that would be weak, boring, or uninteresting, that's how great this band is performing on this LP.
The production is great. This album doesn't need a crystal clear, close to perfect sounding at all. The dirtiness of the drums and the roaring, wild sound of guitars are perfect for this record. You can rarely ever hear this kind of sounding, as most bands in the genre tried to make the production as clear as possible. For example, Blind Guardian or Scanner. Their records are flawless, but that's not the only way it can be done. This experiment of mixing the dirty, almost thrash-like sounding with speed metal turned out extremely well.
Master of Disguise is an incredible record. How can you resist giving it 100%, when it is creative, well-written, unique, enjoyable, and original? For me personally, this is one of my favorite heavy/speed records now. It is just impossible to see what is missing from this album. Most likely nothing. It has everything it needs to have to impress the fans of the genre. If you are a speed or heavy metal fan, and you have not heard this before, you are missing out. You have to listen to this because it will make your musical journey a hundred times more meaningful than it is now. Whatever you listened to before, you will consider this record something special.
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