UMUR
"Collection Of Souls" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US death metal act Master. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in 1993. It´s the successor to "On The Seventh Day God Created... Master" from 1991. Since the release of the predecessor session guitarist Paul Masvidal has returned to Cynic and he is replaced here by two new guitarists in Brian Brady and Jeff Kobie. The remaining part of the lineup, who recorded the predecessor, are lead vocalist/bassist Paul Speckmann and drummer Aaron Nickeas. "Collection Of Souls" marks the end of the band´s partnership with Nuclear Blast Records.
Master was always a pretty simple old school death metal act with thrash metal leanings, and that sound is as such continued on "Collection Of Souls". It´s even more simple this time around though and there are also quite a few nods toward punk. On the preceding releases by the band there were always at least one or two memorable tracks, but the material on "Collection Of Souls" is a bit of a shallow experience, with next to nothing to hold on to. It´s never a sign of good health when the most memorable track on your album is a hideous slaughter of "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy (which on a funny sidenote is credited to Paul Speckmann and not Thin Lizzy)...
...add to that some sloppy playing (Speckmann´s vocals are pretty weak on this release too), and powerless unpolished production values, and "Collection Of Souls" ends up a very mediocre release by Master. After two decent releases they hit rock bottom with this one, and a 2.5 star (50%) rating isn´t all wrong.