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Vader – The Beast
08/09/2004 | Marquee/Avalon (Japan)
20/09/2004 | Metal Mind Productions (Poland)
21/09/2004 | Metal Blade Records (Europe and USA)
37:44 | 10 tracks | Vinyl/CD/Digital
Death Metal
Olsztyn, Poland
The Line-Up Carousel keeps spinning
Since their early days, Vader have always had frequent changes regarding their line-up. Except for Piotr Wiwczarek being the only member who has been part of the band through all times, many musicians have come and gone over the decades. The fluctuation of drummers and bass players has been especially high. In 2004, a year after their twenty-year anniversary, the position of the drummer got re-staffed. This time, it was Krzysztof Raczkowski who left the band after falling down the stairs drunk and breaking his hand. His placement was Dariusz Brzozowski, also known as Daray from Vesania (and many other bands and projects). The release of the album had hence to be postponed, and probably it would have sounded different otherwise.
Beware!
The album that went by the working title Spiritual Disease was Vader’s sixth studio album, and it was released shortly after the two-track single Beware the Beast. When The Beast was out, Vader have long surpassed their Heavy, Speed, and Thrash Metal phase. This is pure Death Metal without unneccessary ornaments. Vader do not take prisoners, and even though, the album is opened by a one-minute introduction, they plow everything down like a an acid-driven steam roller. Headbangers love this game, your neighbours may hate it.
Raucous and intense
A trademark of Vader (since the beginning of their Death Metal phase) are the significant vocals by Piotr Wiwczarek. Like a massive grater that grinds on rusty metal, the band leader’s grunts claw to the listeners‘ ears and memories. The original plan to make The Beast become a rather melodic album obviously got abandoned, and thus The Beast has become a steam hammer of a Death Metal release. Vader shoot and strike forward mercilessly, and present a sonorous and yet hoarse sound. Two years later, they would release their seventh album Impessions in Blood on which this Vader sound had reached perfection. The Beast is nevertheless a longplayer that comes up to its name, a beast of an album.
8/10 Mangoes
Next week in this series:
Die Ärzte – Debil (1984 | CBS Schallplatten GmbH)
We will dance again
Mia Schem
