Master Killer
    This debut release from New York hardcore/metal merchants Merauder is a strong album and certainly promising for future success. Like many hardcore bands, Merauder sometimes have difficulty making each song and riff distinctive, but whenever they tread metallic territory they prove their musical worth, with occasional Slayer-esque riffs and some surprisingly melodic and harmonising riffs. Merauder have obviously tried very hard to please both metal and hardcore crowds with their fusion, and it works well. Every song has within it enough time and mood changes to keep it interesting and at times almost compelling. The guitar solos, especially, stand out as something different for this style which really gives depth to the compositions. Lyrically, Merauder are also one apart from the crowd with heavy political commentary, something that metal music of recent has certainly been lacking.
    As a metal album, Master Killer certainly fails when compared to the amazing things still happening in Scandinavia, it successfully gives a much needed fresh bresh of originality to hardcore, making it an interesting, if not essential, release.