Мастер (Master)

Мастер (Master) is a Soviet and Russian heavy metal and thrash metal band formed in April 1987. The group originated in Moscow and emerged from the active Soviet rock underground of the late 1980s, a period during which metal acts operated in a constrained but increasingly visible cultural space. Master went on to become one of the more established names in Russian heavy metal, remaining active across the Soviet and post-Soviet eras.

The band released a series of albums through the 1990s and beyond, building a catalog that spans the transition from Soviet state-era recording conditions to the independent Russian music market. Their sound draws primarily from thrash and traditional heavy metal, placing them within a broader tradition of Eastern European metal acts that developed largely parallel to, rather than derivative of, Western scenes. Collectors seek out their earlier Soviet-era pressings in particular, as physical releases from that period were produced in limited quantities under conditions typical of state-managed recording infrastructure, making original copies scarce on the secondary market.