Necropolis

Album Review

Vader, like Megadeth, is more of a brand name than a band at this point; the only remaining original member is vocalist/guitarist Piotr Wiwczarek. Still, as one of the first death metal bands from Poland, they're hugely important to the evolution of the music, and this latest album is far from a disappointment. Indeed, Wiwczarek has brought in some of Poland's best young metal musicians to fill out the band, most notably guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka of Decapitated. This doesn't mean Vader has become a technical death metal band, though; their music retains its ultra-heavy, thrash-derived feel. The 11 songs on this album are built around crushing riffs of the kind heard throughout the band's catalog, shifting between blastbeats and thunderous downtuned savagery, with plenty of room for high-speed, fretboard-scorching solos. Wiwczarek's vocals are hoarse and demonic, but he's not a subhuman growler like many "extreme" metal vocalists these days. Every lyric is clearly enunciated and comprehensible. Vader is one of the most singularly pulverizing death metal bands around, and Necropolis is a terrific addition to their lengthy catalog.