Review by Felix on December 4, 2025.

I am pretty sure that most people do not know Starkenbach (not to be confused with Falkenbach). I hear you asking "Starken… who?" It is the old German name for a town that is known as Jilemnice in English. Ah, now the fog begins to disappear; Jilemnice, wasn't this the place where an occult society made very strange, semi-magic things which gave the story for one of the most fascinating, most atmospheric black albums ever? Absolutely correct. Its spiritual fathers, especially Frantisek Štorm, are active again. But – and this is BIG but, much bigger than Starkenbach with its 5,000 inhabitants, one thing is certain: the "Maldorör Disco" does not stand in Jilemnice, and this is very regrettable.

Okay, now you're probably saying: well, Jilemnice was followed by "Šlágry". I do not know this album, but I am aware of its reputation and this alone sends me into the deepest and wettest valley of tears. But this new disco temple is really hard to endure as well. Usually, I would like to say that the album is simply bullshit. But Master's Hammer do not deserve this insult, no matter what they do. Thus, let me modify my overall rating: the album is individual bullshit. Yes, the unique insanity of the band is alive, but this time it is embedded in an almost non-metallic surrounding. Keyboards, keyboards and more keyboards characterise the sound – indeed, it is disco time, but at least a kind of alternative rock disco. Franta has turned into Commander Dancing Leg and delivers electronic melody lines in abundance. They are usually dark in colour, sometimes spooky, rarely follow conventional parameters, and are always remarkably weird. And I hate myself for writing this, but some songs are truly good. "Take It Or Leave It" sounds like the very late Czechian answer to "Temple of Love" (Sisters of Mercy), because the song has a good drive and heavenly, lascivious, dreamy female backing vocals. By the way, this kind of female singing occurs not only occasionally. It adds a pretty supernatural touch to the music, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

What I like in general is that the band goes its individual way. Conventions and conformity are wholeheartedly invited to f**k off. This approach results in a few truly shitty tunes on "Maldorör Disco", but at least it is Master's Hammer's own shit. This does not mean that the owner of the disco is immune against foreign influences. The arrangement of the strong, quite aggressive "Beast Within" indicates that the disco owner is familiar with the electronic period of Samael and especially with powerful tracks like "Slavocracy". Other songs, by contrast, sound a bit as if someone had handed the quartet four bottle openers and then locked them in the cellar of the Pilsner brewery for a week too long. This leads to a somehow heterogeneous overall impression. I don't know whether the band wants to entertain us – maybe it is their intention that we are a little afraid of the music.

All in all, I wish there would be more guitars and less keyboards, synthesizers or whatever else that penetrates us with non-human tones. I am open-minded, no doubt about it, but not longer than a maximum of 15 minutes per day. Thus, it is not easy for me to enjoy an album with a playtime of 40 minutes which has not much in common with the kind of metal I like. "El Teide" illustrates the dilemma. There are sinister guitars and deep, menacing vocals, but also almost childlike vocals which are accompanied by lively, but more or less soft electro-melodies. Indeed, "Maldorör Disco" is an output which has the potential to become the most polarizing work of the year. It's up to you which side you like to choose when it comes to this release with its powerful, clean but not sterile production. My advice is to be not too much under the influence of the aimlessly meandering closer at the end, because this comeback is worth a listen, although "Ritual." and "The Jilemnice Occultist" remain the undisputed masterpieces of the band. Anyway, an interesting sound experience is guaranteed. I just do not know whether you will like it. I don't even know if I like it.

Rating: 6 out of 10

P.S.: Too bad that the rating scale is not appropriate for an album like this one. One can give an "X,35" a "?!?", "101%" or whatever, but the conventional 0 – 10 cannot depict the crazy ways of Master's Hammer. So take my 60% only as a placeholder. This number just seemed a little less wrong to me than all the others.