With an ever-changing roster of members, the only constant in Vader’s lineup for the duration of the band’s 26-year history has been guitarist/vocalist Piotr “Peter” Wiwczarek. While the man must be either completely dedicated or insane to grind the axe that long, it’s clear that his vision has remained focused through the years and leagues of musicians who’ve joined him. Wiwczarek rebuilt the machine that is Vader with an all-new lineup in 2008, including guitarist Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka (Decapitated), bassist Tomasz “Reyash” Rejek (Witchmaster), and drummer Paweł “Paul” Jaroszewicz. The seasoned lineup, while still spanking new, solidifies Vader’s status as death metal gods, if there were ever any question about it at all.

With Necropolis, Peter and his cohorts add another Vader monolith to the band’s impressive discography. Not surprisingly, it’s bursting with all the hot hatred that one should come to expect from these Polish devastators. Tracks like “Devilizer” and “Dark Heart” sum up the band’s new incarnation perfectly: Peter disgorges lyrics with the fervor of a demented preacher, all the while attacking the guitar with copious amounts of tremolo and possessed soloing. Vogg adds his own bits of climbing madness to otherwise heavy and malevolent tunes, morphing them into anthems for the damned. Paul drums at breakneck speed, gluing all the madness together with help from Reyash, pausing every now and then to throw in a mid-tempo, headbang-worthy fill. It’s the trademark cohesive evil that Vader is so good at delivering, rife with groove thick enough to churn the guts.

The album’s closers are the deal-breakers, though. “When the Sun Drowns in Dark” is a kick-in-the-nuts heavy metal chugfest, clocking in at nearly twice the length of Necropolis’s other offerings. The melodies midway through show a different side of Vader – one that’s a bit more traditional, a little less extreme, but still just as deadly. After that, listeners are treated to covers of Venom’s “Black Metal” and Metallica’s “Fight Fire With Fire.” The former of the two boils with all the sweaty energy needed to pull off a Venom cover, albeit on Vader’s terms, and the latter is as true to form as one can expect from a group of Polish extremists, which is pretty damn close.

Necropolis isn’t exactly treading any new ground, but why should it? Founding member Peter Wiwczarek has trampled dozens of skulls and balls alike to come up with the ultimate Vader sound, and nothing is going to get in the way of it. Vader will most likely keep kicking ass down the same path long after their label-, country- and genre-mates throw in the towel, thanks to perseverance and a boatload of like-minded (yet pliable) musicians.

by Jodi Michael

http://www.vader.pl/band-e.html
www.nuclearblast.de/

[Visit the band's website]

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