Album Review: A Master’s Discipline by Graymalkin – A Ferocious Kiwi Metal Gem
Released in 2005, A Master’s Discipline by New Zealand’s Graymalkin is one of those albums that slaps you across the face and demands your attention. It’s raw, unpolished, and dripping with aggression—a true testament to thrash, black metal, and death metal influences mashed into one chaotic package. This isn’t for the faint-hearted; it’s for fans who crave intensity without compromise.
The album kicks off with “Burn The Treaty,” a track that sets the tone like a Molotov cocktail hurled at complacency. From the first riff, Michael Rothwell’s guitar work screams urgency while Gareth Craze’s vocals deliver an unhinged performance that feels equal parts venomous and cathartic. What makes this song unforgettable? Maybe it’s how Phil Osbourne’s drumming pounds like war drums on steroids or how the lyrics spit fire about defiance and rebellion. Whatever it is, it sticks with you long after the last note fades.
Another standout is “Undisputable Misery (Live).” If there was ever a track that captured the essence of live energy on record, this might be it. The mix has just enough grit to make you feel like you’re crammed into some sweaty underground venue in Auckland, beer sloshing everywhere as chaos erupts around you. The interplay between Rothwell’s razor-sharp riffs and Phil Kusabs’ gut-rumbling basslines creates a sonic assault that leaves no room for escape. And let’s not forget Gareth Craze’s vocal delivery here—it’s pure, visceral fury.
What’s wild about this album is how DIY everything feels. With Phil Kusabs wearing so many hats (bass, engineering, mixing), you’d think something would fall through the cracks. But instead, it all comes together in a way that feels authentic rather than overproduced. Even Jamie Saint Merat’s cover art adds to the vibe—dark, unsettling, and perfectly suited to the music within.
Tracks like “Cripple The Chastised” and “Reek Of Putrefaction” keep the momentum going, each bringing their own brand of brutality. But honestly, the whole thing flows like a relentless storm, never letting up until the final moments of “Surrogate.”
In a world where metal often gets bogged down by trends or overproduction, A Master’s Discipline stands out because it doesn’t try too hard—it just is. It’s messy, intense, and unapologetically real. Listening to it feels like stepping back in time to when metal wasn’t about perfection but passion.
Final thought? You know what struck me most? That little nugget about the label being “Not On Label.” There’s something kinda poetic about that. Like, hey, we don’t need no fancy corporate backing—we’ll do this ourselves, thank you very much. Rock on, Graymalkin.
