Before streaming and Spotify rewrote the rules of discovery, music found us in stranger, slower ways. A flicker of a music video on Headbangers Ball. A battered cassette passed between friends. The name of a band that “sounded dangerous.” For some, Lizzy Borden was that band. And for others, Master of Disguise was the album that played like a midnight movie—part horror show, part rock opera, all heart.
Released in 1989, Master of Disguise wasn’t just another metal record. It felt like a full-blown soundtrack to a film that never existed. Soaked in gothic energy and draped in theatrical mystery, it gave outsiders a place to belong.
These characters didn’t hide in the shadows. They posed, preened, and embraced their darkness. Lizzy created a sonic world where misfits were the stars.
Enter the Master
Lizzy Borden wasn’t just a frontman. He was a character, a mask, a myth come to life on stage. Born Gregory Charles Harges, he took the name of an infamous historical figure and turned it into a larger-than-life persona. With each album, the spectacle grew, but Master of Disguise marked the moment when everything clicked.
The title track opens with strings and cinematic flair, setting the tone for a record that refuses to stay in one lane. Glam. Speed metal. Musical theater. It’s all here.
And it wasn’t just the music. The album art, the liner notes, the wardrobe—everything about Master of Disguise screamed ambition.
A World Built in Sound
Unlike many albums of the era that stuck to formula, Master of Disguise expanded the sonic palette. Orchestral arrangements. Horn sections. Layered harmonies. Piano. Even harp.
You can hear the echoes of Queen, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, and Kiss. But Lizzy never sounded like a copy. He sounded like a chameleon playing ten roles at once. Operatic one moment, snarling the next, then delivering a line that cut straight to the heart.
Lost and Found
Master of Disguise built a world where the so-called monsters had heart. And they weren’t afraid to show it.
Today, Master of Disguise remains a bold and misunderstood artifact from its era. It doesn’t pander. It doesn’t apologize. It leans in. And it dares you to do the same. In a sea of glam and gloss, it stood apart because it was honest. Theatrical, emotional, and raw.
If you’ve never heard Master of Disguise, or it’s been collecting dust in your memory, now’s the time.
Songs in this Episode
Intro - Sins of the Flesh
30:09 - Master of Disguise
35:57 - One False Move
38:25 - Notorious (from the album Menace to Society)
43:22 - Sins of the Flesh
53:26 - Love is a Crime
1:06:13 - Phantoms
Outro - We Got the Power
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