Vader – Lead Us! (Regain Records)
Thursday, 14th March 2013Although Lead Us! contains no new material, it’s pretty kewl, as Vader has always been reliable in terms of churning out something new at least once a year with some odd quirk. This time, it’s the inclusion of three videos – “This Is the War,” “Helleluyah!!!” and “Sword the Witcher” that warrant the purchase or cursory glance of this four song, three video EP.
Vader’s evolution has been marked with a greater emphasis and groove and pounding rhythms, which is none more evident on the excellent and downright brutal “The Book,” which emerges as the best post-David Vincent Morbid Angel track they never wrote. “Die!!!” is a blast-happy affair, with new drummer Daray giving his kit a full-on assault.
A cover of Slayer’s “Raining Blood” is pretty standard (what Slayer cover isn’t?), but the three videos are some of the more visually-stimulating pieces in death metal, especially “Helleluyah!!!” a song that no doubt ruffled a few feathers in Vader’s home country of Poland, a devout Catholic nation.
Now in its 25th year, Vader is a death metal institution. We can’t sugar-coat it anymore than that.
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)