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Words Justin Tawil.
Dirty and raw, the only two words that can describe just about every single element of Master Beta’s debut EP. Taking on the task of recording the EP entirely on their own, they achieved a sound representative of what they’re all about, getting dirty and throwing down beefy riffs. It’s a testament to the idea that you don’t need to fork out thousands of dollars to put out good solid tunes, because at the end of the day, even the cleanest and crispest recordings won’t make a boring band sound hot. How’s the saying go? A turd is still a turd no matter how you dress it.
The opening track Captain comes out the gates charging harder than a speed-fiend at Revolver with an explosive lead coming on top of a set of big fat juicy riffs. Not the most original thing in the world, but it’s the type of song that doesn’t need to, because it’s grabbing you by the balls and screaming in your ear to shut the fuck up and check out this fat solo. A lot of lead work in rock music these days can be pretty wanky, but as ironic as it is coming from a band called Master_Beta, they hit the mark on being able to write a solo oozing with flare while avoiding any pretention. The leads on this song is really what makes it a great opener and the second most memorable track of the EP.
Captain would be the most memorable if it wasn’t for the unforgettable chorus in the EP’s second track, simply titled Slut. Nothing quite sticks in your head like the word Slut chanted in your ears over and over again, so definitely points for catchiness. Honestly I wouldn’t rate this song all that highly, but it’s the type of song that sticks in your head after you listen to it once, the type of song that after a gig, the first thing that 90% of people will talk about is this very song. So while it might not be the most musically amazing thing, it’s a crowd pleaser, and that is certainly something that Master Beta seem to excel at.
Devil, third track up on the EP, is just as wild as the opening track with a mad party vibe, lots of energy being thrown around, but what sets this apart is that it’s the first track where the vocals really take the spotlight and fucking nail it. Apart from that, it’s just some solid groove all the way through, sweet licks, tasty riffs, really just hitting home runs on all fronts with this one.
So after three tracks with some up-tempo party rock and roll steeze, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking the last track would be more of the same, however you’d be dead wrong. Cum With Me Boy is a monolithic powerhouse. Six minutes of bestial and brutal weight being thrown about on the drums, bass, guitars and vocals. Every element is kicked up a notch, making this song a real butthole-tearer with only a few moments of down time to check the damage. Absolute ripper track with a cheeky little acoustic blues jam at the end, complete with harmonica, slide guitar and lyrics about ass to mouth to top things all off.
Master Beta’s debut EP may be one dimensional for the most part, but it really doesn’t need to be anything else. The EP embodies a band that loves a party and riffs with some balls on ’em, which you don’t need to write a huge masterpiece loaded with a concoction of different styles and ideas to get across. What the EP does, it does really well, and for a homebrewed release, it actually sounds pretty great.