Every self-respecting metalhead absolutely must know Vader, one of the most important death metal bands of the last 15 years, on par with groups that have become practically institutions in metal such as Death, Carcass, and Morbid Angel. The Polish band has revolutionized the genre by breaking down every barrier between death and thrash, creating a completely personal style in their playing and vocals (in growl, of course). However, in the last 3-4 years, Vader seems to have lost their way a bit due to recent releases, namely "Revelations" from 2002 and "The Beast" from 2004, albums that are merely "lukewarm" when compared to true sound devastation masterpieces like "De Profundis" and "Litany," from 1997 and 2000 respectively. It is also true that, although the last two Long Plays published are not the greatest, the EPs released in these last 3 years can be easily placed among the group's best releases, namely "Blood" from 2003 and this "The Art Of War," released in November 2005. It hasn't been an easy time for Vader: considering the death of their dear drummer Doc, the group had to replace him with another drummer, Daray, who has characteristics quite similar to his predecessor.
A string choir perfectly introduces the dark and militaristic atmospheres of the album, ultimately supported by drumming that strengthens the image of a huge army ready for attack. A visionary, engaging, and disturbing track: "Para Bellum" is a perfect introduction to what follows. With "This Is The War," the first real track, the army launches the first attack and war breaks out in a whirlwind of devastating riffs supported by blastbeats that even hark back to black metal bands like Marduk. It’s utter chaos: screams of wounded soldiers, death, and destruction spread rapidly over the territory and their devastating effects continue in the next track "Lead Us!!!" which continues the narrative by increasing violence with drumming fired at the speed of a machine gun against the enemies. And after the interlude "Banners On The Wind" comes "What Colour Is Your Blood?," probably the best track of the lot, a piece in full Vader style where the first part, fast and violent, gives way to another more "slow" one, yet still within the same context, before resuming the initial musical onslaught until the end. "Death In Silence" is the atomic bomb dropped at the end of the war, the perfect conclusion to this bloody EP, which with its blastbeats comparable to the radiation of the device does nothing but devastate everything and everyone, both soldiers and civilians. Death spreads rapidly and only at the end, when everyone is dead, does this massacring mini-CD of only 14 minutes come to an end.
In conclusion, "The Art Of War" is a solid effort, certainly not a masterpiece, but with this new work the band could potentially start exploring different horizons, to further evolve their style. While awaiting a possible new album, this appetizer is more than substantial... "This Is The War!!"...
Tracklist
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