Vader: The Empire (2016)

What is there really new to say about Vader?  This is the Polish band's 14th studio album and they show absolutely no signs of letting up.  Vader has one of the most consistently great discographies in all of metal.  And yet they have never really achieved the kind of notoriety that some of their peers have.  In particular, Behemoth (who credit Vader as an influence) have blown past them in popularity.  But, metal is not really a popularity contest ultimately.

With the music being so consistently great, it really is hard to distinguish one Vader album from another in any meaningful way.  Vader has never really changed their sound.  They have always been an ultra-aggressive extreme metal band that blurs the line between thrash metal and death metal.  This particular album leans a bit more to the thrash metal side of things.  This album is more about the churning, frantic riffing and pounding rhythms than anything melodic or complex.  It is a bludgeoning tour de force of an album, one that fits in nicely with the Vader discography.

There really is not much to say about Vader.  They are consistently great and have yet to release a disappointing album.  This is a short burst of aggressive mayhem, a sound that Vader have perfected over their long careers.  People should be more aware of Vader.