Band's List Brutal Death Masachist Scorned

Some people are going to get mad about this record. There will be those who will scream treason and those who will eventually accept and adopt this new facet of Masachist. And now some history. Back in 2009, Trufel of Azarath fame and a few other lads launched the blasting inferno that was Death March Fury: Masachist’ debut. Critical response was positive and many saw in Masachist yet another Polish band to count onto.

Three years later and after signing to Selfmadegod Records, Masachist just released their sophomore effort which is entitled Scorned. The first noticeable change, besides switching record labels, is visual. Where Death March Fury seems to be inspired by war-like themes like Bolt Thrower or Hail of Bullets, now this “seppuku”, the ritual Japanese suicide, featured on the cover art, it seems that Masachist appeal to something deeper. Guess the real change though will be the music itself.

Indeed, Drilling the Nerves, the album opener, does just that. It drills your nerves. It’s no longer relentless onslaughts of Brutal Death Metal but something a bit more sophisticated. In case you were wondering do not expect a real change of musical orientation. Masachist are not walking in the footsteps of fallen idols like Kataklysm or Cryptopsy. They haven’t turned Deathcore either like Decapitated did on their latest record. It's just that they've added genuine power and dissonance to a music which was, on their first album, sometimes too literal and straightforward and with little to no variation.

In case you were wondering if this change applied to the whole record, no it does not. Right from the second track, The Process of Elimination, Masachist unleash a brutal slab which will leave you panting, knees deep in the dirt. It would be a crude but somehow realistic approximation to say that part of Scorned consists of more slowed down and dissonant tracks and that the other part is made of “typical” Masachist tracks.

In a certain way, it is that but the Poles have succeeded in mixing their old sound with an altogether new approach. It is less direct than their first effort and at first quite misleading, which will lead people to think that, as previously mentioned, they’ve betrayed their sound. But the newfound dissonance in Masachist’ music adds depth and a variety which wasn’t to be found on Death March Fury. The sound also seems to be more organic, warmer than it was on the debut but without failing to reach this brutality we all cherish.

To some extent, the surprise that is the transition between this record and the previous one might be better pictured by drawing an analogy between Slayer’s Reign in Blood with South of Heaven. While at first, fans screamed at the top of their lungs that the band they revered so much was no more, time healed those wounds and now both records are viewed as classic pieces. I can only hope that this similar transition that Masachist has gone through will bear the same fruits.

On a more personal side, I do think that this evolution is showing a more mature Masachist, one that I can get along with much better. As much as I liked Death March Fury, the relentless pounding assaults made it difficult to play this record on and on. It was more like a “one dose” thing unless I wanted to overdose. Now with Scorned, I find the various time signatures and variety displayed through the record much more bearable and also more addictive. Replay value is fantastic and not only you will not tire of this record but chances are that the more you play it the more you will enjoy it.