Vader

Lead US!!!

Regain Records 2007

This is sort of a rarities comp from Polish death metal gods, Vader.  It contains three original compositions and a spot on cover of Slayer's Raining Blood.  And that's just the music aspect of this EP.  There are also three videos on it for This is the War, Helleluyah!!!, and Sword of the Witcher.  As per usual though I will be concentrating on the musical aspect of this release.  I'll admit that Vader fell off the map for me a long time ago, but this EP shows me what an excellent band I have been missing.  It is a testament to a band that is both skilled and confident.  The music is excellent, catchy and memorable.  Lead Us opens the album and sets the tone with powerful and crushing death metal belted out with a brutal precision.  Perfect drumming and Morbid Angel inspired riffs compliment this unstoppable war machine's arsenal.  The Book is a slower excursion featuring hefty doses of Morbid Angel styled rhythms and some tribal inspired beats this time around.  But the true gem of this release is Die!!!(Ein Psie) which its amazing thrashy main riff and melodic leads that would give Gothenburg's finest a series of envious shudders.  As I already stated the Slayer cover is a dead-to-rights cover that really adds nothing new but still manages to kick some serious ass.  The production is some of the best I have heard in a long time as the guitars are so crunchy and heavy and everything is melded together as a perfect machine.  The performance is tight and professional and their many years of experience in the studio is obvious.  Vader has been too long overlooked by me and after being blown away by this EP I will be forced to check out their modern material.