### Merauder: Master killer

#### 04/12/13 || Habakuk

##### Introduction

Merauder eh? You’ve probably seen that name somewhere, but honestly, it’s not like you’d run across it every other day in metal discourse.

Both band and album name speak of the days of old, when not every Counterstrike nerd kid – damn, nerd kids don’t even play Counterstrike anymore, do they – would be called eponymously to the record and put a “meh-rauder” comment underneath their Youtube videos. There was no fucken YouTube and everything was so much cooler. So why not celebrate that by putting this thing into our good old Class6(66) section, which has been sorely neglected as of late.

##### Songwriting

“Master Killer”, Merauder’s debut, is far from “meh”-inducing, make no mistake – despite a decided focus on mid-tempo groove. Clearly the band took their inspiration both from metal and hardcore alike, inspiring bands like Hatebreed along the way. A favor those guys repaid with a cover of doubtful quality. Slowly but steadily the fat guitar /bass combo steamrolls through the songs, always giving precedence to the riff over pure rhythm, thus actually enhancing both. If you want to call this hardcore, go ahead, but don’t forget the sidenote that it lacks the breakdown crap entirely which that genre is almost synonymous to today. Still one cannot deny a certain degree of stripped-down simplicity, which gives this such a down-to-earth yet efficient feel. 9.

##### Production

The fact alone that it isn’t one of those super-polished interchangeable modern productions makes it noteworthy. That it still manages to be heavy and somewhat punchy makes it all the more appealing. The thick guitar sound especially is worthy of some praise, and the rest is balanced well around it. I’m not the kind of guy to go to great lengths describing production jobs, so just take my word / number for it: 8.

##### Guitars

Chromatic, chugging mid-tempo is the name of the game here, with a bit of open riffing employed to contrast the prevalent palm-muted goodness. There actually are some solos strewn throughout the album, but they serve more as an acknowledgment of the metal influence than an integral part of the music. This is fully endorsed by me, as it keeps the focus on the menacing power of the chug. If the second “riff” (two notes!) of the album, thirty seconds into the first track doesn’t do anything for you, then steer clear. We are talking stripped-down to the essentials material. 9.

##### Bass

You can at all times tell by the ever present snarly tone in the background that someone is working the four strings. A few solo moments showcase the deep, hollow low-end sound for real, but bass is clearly here to enhance the riffs’ punch, nothing more. 8.

##### Drums

The performance on the drums is testimony to both a strong sense of groove and a consciousness of serving the songs taking precedence over flashy effects. Double-bass is notably used expertly and extensively, but apart from that, not much can be singled out that is especially striking about the drumming. Except maybe for the overall impression of perfect flow and timing, which is more than enough to warrant an 8.

##### Vocals

Clearly a high point of the album. You’d probably call this “tough guy shouting” from today’s perspective, but that generic, derogatory term fails to capture the awesomeness it provides to the instrumental base. This dude really makes the album what it is. 9.

##### Lyrics

“I the master killer – strike you down Can`t be detected, I own the crown” Ouch. That clearly is the low point here, but I assure you the rest is a lot better. Sometimes more socio-political, sometimes more personal, overall decent. If you wanna have a good laugh though, feel free to check out this interview with the vocalist and doubt my score before listening: I WAS JUST DOIN’ DA WHOLE STREET THING, WITHOUT GIVEN DETAILS NA’ MEAN? 6.

##### Logo

Nothing to see here, move on. 4.

##### Cover art

Okay, this is actually embarrassing. 2.

##### Booklet

https://www.spotify.com n/a.

##### Overall and ending rant

I am really at a loss as to why bands like Merauder or the Cro-Mags seem to be largely forgotten in metal these days. Maybe crossing the boundaries early on translates to falling between the cracks later. Which is a damn shame, considering the quality at hand? To anyone who’s not been completely turned off by the mass of mediocre metalcore releases in the recent years, this album might just be worth some attention.

- Information
- Released: 1995
- Label: Century Media
- Website: Merauder MySpace

- Band
- Jorge Rosado: vocals
- Javier “SOB” Carpio: guitars
- Anthony Muccini: guitars
- Rick Lopez: bass
- Pokey: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Time ends
- 02. Life is pain
- 03. Mirror shows black
- 04. Master killer
- 05. Downfall of Christ
- 06. Dead end path
- 07. Take by force
- 08. Fear of sin
- 09. Besiege the masses
- 10. Crossfire