Now this is a concept that I could really embrace – a pre-present that you receive before the actual present. Imagine if you a week before your birthday or Christmas your friends and families had to give you a smaller gifts? It is a great concept and something it seems that Polish death metal outfit Vader have certainly embraced.
While we were all eagerly anticipating a feature length album from Vader later this year, they have completely surprised us with a little pre-present – a five track EP called Thy Messenger. And while the sceptics out there are probably thinking that this is just an EP full of B-Sides, that couldn’t be further from the truth because any of these tracks could easily have been singles and certainly promise some big things to come from the forthcoming feature album.
Thy Messenger sees Vader in full flight. Their traditional fast paced output is very present on ‘Grand Deceiver’ which also reminds you of the amazing vocal stylings of Peter Wiwczarek while both he and Spider Pajak manage to create some absolutely crazy moments on guitar.
In fact on Thy Messenger the very best guitar work of Wiwczarek and Pajak can be heard throughout the album. ‘Litany’ again sees the pair step up and deliver some of the finest guitar playing you will hear this year – on a track that is brutal and in your face. It is ‘Emptiness’ though that shows the world why Vader are still one of the finest bands going around, here everything comes together and shows a perfectly well-rounded band.
‘Despair’ is quick and to the point lasting just over a minute but again it packs some real punch while the closer, ‘Steeler’, is an absolute gem that for most bands would be their lead single, not tucked away on an EP like this.
Thy Messenger shows that we are in for a real treat when Vader’s feature length album lands sometime later this year. This little EP is pure death metal magic.
