Paul Speckmann has been synonymous for “Metal” ever since 1982, since helping put together his first professional Doom Metal band War Cry. In 1983 he started Master as a thrash metal band. Due to internal problems, it was put on hold and Speckmann started another band, called Death Strike in 1984 for which he recorded one demo, which was later released on Nuclear Blast with different tracks recorded later in 1991, as an album.
After obtaining a deal for Abomination in 1989 on Nuclear Blast, Master was approached a week later, and Master re-surfaced to record a full-length album as well. The band subsequently broke up in its original form two days after the recording.
The previous two original members were replaced shortly afterward by Aaron Nickeas, from Abomination on drums, and Jim Martinelli from Burnt Offering on guitars. This period was followed by the Fleische tour with Master as headliner, Abomination as support, and Pungent Stench in the middle of both acts. Nickeas and Speckmann played in both groups for 26 dates on this tour.
Speckmann also re-recorded the self-titled debut album with some different track as well, which was really some of the Master songs re-recorded with Martinelli and Nickeas. Nuclear Blast turned this down, and decided to remix the original previous recording with Schmidt and Mittelbrun. The recording with Martinelli and Nickeas was then released as the Speckmann Project. Speckmann also played, and wrote all the songs for Abomination and recorded two albums with them.
He also played in the Master-Krabathor side-project Martyr and released one album with the troops! Speckmann and the band Krabathor, with which he played four years also recorded two albums together. In 2013, the American musician (currently living in the Czech Republic) also started a death metal project with hyperactive Swedish guitar player Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribsbreader, Down Among The Dead Men, etc).
Now, the Speckmann Project resurfaces to continue the legend. A new album, titled “Fiends Of Emptiness”, was recorded in 2021, with the aid of longtime partner Rogga Johansson, as well as guitar player Kjetil Lynghaug (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Stass, Those Who Bring The Torture) and drummer Jon Rudin (Those Who Bring The Torture, Just Before The Dawn). The album was released on April 22nd, 2022, via Emanzipation. Expect nothing but old-school death metal, the way it was meant to be made, by one of its original purveyors.
