You know where it was that I first heard of Vader? In a magazine I read in my dentist's office! Back in the early 90's when "The Ultimate Incantation" came out, I was waiting to get my teeth cleaned and thusly waiting to give my dentist a large some of cash for about half an hour worth of work. I know what you're thinking... you're thinking how did he find out about Vader in a dentist's office? Were there Metal mags laying around? Well, no there wasn't. I actually read a review of the band in a Rolling Stone mag that was in the waiting room! Rolling Stone! I was flipping through the pages quite rapidly because I was more worried about having a cavity than what tripe was written in the pages of Rolling Stone when I saw the cover art for "The Ultimate Incantation" and the Vader logo, and that's what made me take notice. Don't ask me how or why this high profile pop magazine had this within the pages of their 'zine, but that little Vader write up made me go out and buy their debut album. And while I may not have kept up on the band's discography in the last few years, I have always considered myself a big fan of theirs. The last album of theirs I bought was "Litany", which I thought ruled. So you can take this is you will, but I think their new E.P. "The Art Of War" is not only better than that, but it's the best thing they've ever done in this humble reviewers' opinion.
"The Art Of War" sees the band remaining as technical as they've always been, perfectly blending the heaviness of Death Metal and the neck-snapping speed and catchiness of over the top Thrash Metal. Vader has always been considered to be a band full of fantastic musicians, but nothing will prepare you for how good the musicianship is on this E.P. It's like the band is made up of Metalized Machinations full of kill-bot technology. Their one and only purpose is to create and play crushing Death Metal with razor-sharp precision. Ahhhhhhh, I just love this stuff!!!! To shift gears a bit, I was extremely bummed out when I heard of Doc's passing. He was a true icon in extreme Metal drumming. He's also a drummer that thankfully got the props he deserved when he was alive. A lot of musicians are fondly remembered as being great after they are gone, but Doc was always touted as one of the best when he was still alive, and rightfully so. Fans will be pleased to note that Vader has found a fine drummer to take over the Vader skins in Darek 'Daray' Brzozowski. This guy is amazing! I don't know how long they had to look to find a replacement drummer that is on the same level as Doc, but they did it! The rest of the musicians are just as great; the bassist knows his shit and there are not only crushingly heavy guitar chords on here, but some excellent solos as well. One track titled "Banners On The Wind" is a cool little ambient piece that sounds like the soundtrack for a post apocalyptic feature film. This is a style I've never heard the band used before, and it actually sounds pretty cool in between the Metal songs on the album.
The sound of "The Art Of War" perfectly compliments the great musicianship found within. There's not a thing I would have changed in this regard as everything sounds perfect, and I mean perfect!
Peter's vocals are both technical and guttural, and when it comes to Death Metal, not many vocalists can pull it off as well as he did here. No one sounds like he does, and he doesn't try to sound like anyone else either. Kudos to that! I have no idea what the lyrics are about on this E.P., but they seem war oriented.
The cover art for "The Art Of War" shows a Sci-Fi styled battle setting. The color scheme and attention to detail is pretty damn good, and the concept is a nice break away from other Death Metal album covers. I can't comment on what else may be included in terms of layout and packaging because this was not included with the promo I got.
Older fans of Vader that have not picked up their last few albums are going to be surprised at how much better they have gotten! They've always been great, but time has molded them into one tight as hell Metal outfit to be reckoned with. It's nice to see them develop their sound a bit without selling out or watering down their music at all. If anything, they are faster and heavier now than they have ever been! The one and only problem I have with this E.P. is the simple fact that it's an E.P.. At under fifteen minutes in length, it just makes me want more and more! Way before I am ready for it to end, it ends! But in all honesty, this in one of the best fifteen minutes I've heard on a Death Metal album years. There is a video of "This Is The War" included on the disc as well, so that should be enough encouragement for all of you to buy this. The video takes the theme of the albums' cover art and brings it to life in full widescreen Sci-Fi splendor. Some of the machines battling in the video remind me of those things in The Matrix that people climbed inside of and controlled with their arms and hands. Very cool. All that said, this E.P. is well worth picking up even if the video wasn't on it. This is simply amazing music played with such finesse and precision that it has restored my faith a bit in the current Death Metal genre.
