Masters of Disguise hail from the land of thrash and speed, the land of Kreator, they are one of the finest exports to come from Germany in recent years. Their previous two releases generated noise on the underground scene, and have gathered them a serious following. Their third album is Alpha/Omega, and with a metal as anything cover to draw you in for first appearances, it promises to be a stellar album.
The Rise and Fall of Kingdoms is the opening track. A thumping drum and electric guitar slow and heavy burner, it is an intro track that sets up the album nicely, making the listener sit up and pay attention. Sacrifice with its jagged riffs and sharp rhythms and soaring vocals is a strong opener, and one sure to garner mosh pits. Demons From The Past has staccato riffs, thrashing metal madness riffs, a shredding solo and anthemic vocals, all in all it is a solid track. Shadows of Death follows, a clean and haunting intro with clean guitar and vocal melodies before moving into heavy anthemic and epic rhythms and lyrics.
Killer’s Redemption is a galloping, hard hitting slab of metal that makes Metallica’s earlier albums look tame in comparison, a song that is sure to garner huge shouts of approval when played live. Sing of the Cross seems to be a galloping screaming thrash gem of epic proportions about the Crusades and their impact on religious development. Alpha/Omega, the title track brings growling shifting riffs and vocal melodies to the core with an anthemic chorus and verse. Witchhammer has a slow and harmonised introduction before moving to the fast and breakneck riffage that this album is known for.
I Am The Law is next, changing through tempos and moods as the song progresses it a declaration of truth and justice, and of all things that seem to be going wrong and right within the world. The Leech has biblical undertones, and the heaviness of the song suggests that this is deliberate. Blackwitch the bonus track on the album begins with an acoustic motif with a electric volume swell accompanying before moving into heaviness. A fitting closer.
Alpha/Omega is a definite Speed Metal classic, it has the hallmarks of a great album and would be amazing to view live. A serious ten out of ten.