The latest album, "5," is Mike Masser's ten-track return to hard rock after a four-year hiatus, and it shows that some voices can only get more badass as time goes on. At just under 40 minutes long, "5," Masser taps into this vein with heavy, intensely personal storytelling.
The album is about pulling back layers of life, loss, and resilience. The most moving track, an elegy for his late best friend, is both heartbreaking and celebratory in its rousing chords. Another cuts to the bone, honoring his father’s battle with Alzheimer’s, a song that is as emotionally devastating as it is musically crushing.
Yet still, Masser interleaves personal reflection with pure adrenaline. Songs like “No Sin” highlight his envelope-pushing capacities. Meanwhile, “Run” barrels forward with a blistering intensity that personifies the restless nature of rock ’n’ roll itself. Both serve as evidence for why Masser has long been a cult figure in hard rock circles.
And when you think you have an idea where he’s going, Masser throws a curveball with three audacious cover tracks, transformed into unique works of art as only he can do. Instead of imitation, they are reborn songs, forged through the fire of Masser’s own forceful energy and viewpoint.
The result is an album that feels both fiercely intimate and outsize. It’s the sound of an artist not afraid to bleed all over his music while still commanding a wall of sound large enough to shake the rafters.
For longtime fans, "5" is the triumphal return they’ve been pining for. It’s the best door opener to the unapologetic world of Mike Masser for new listeners.
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