The band was still playing a hybrid of death metal and thrash metal here, with an almost punk attitude. The songs are generally fast-paced with little to no melody and a few guitar solos peppered throughout. There are usually just one or two riffs per song as well, adding to the punk feel to the songs. The songs are also very short, with only one coming close to five minutes in length. It is really just the guitar tone that separates this album from thrash metal or hardcore. It is a much deeper and heavier sound in the riffs.
Vocalist and primary member Paul Speckmann uses a gruff, barking vocal style throughout without much variation. Everything Master does is fairly straightforward and simple, yet there is an intensity and brutality to the band's sound that was influential on a great many bands in the years to come. Even the lyrics were not generally complex, with the possible exception of "Heathen" which tells a but more of a story than most of the other songs. "America the Pitiful" is a parody of "America the Beautiful" complete with the same melody. That one sounds like something Carnivore would do. "Whose Left to Decide" is probably the most interesting from a composition standpoint with a number of riffs, some interesting solos and some of the best lyrics on the album.
I have a number of albums by Master now and this one is probably my favorite. The speed and intensity is unmatched by most of the rest of the band's output that I have heard to this point. It really finds the band at their most vicious. I would probably go so far as to say that this should be the starting point to checking out Master.
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