Review by Stephen Pedicino
The name Vader demands respect. Peter Wiwczarek, the founder and only remaining original member, started Vader in 1983. After 27 years, he has maintained his band’s strength and persistence without any intention of relenting or conforming to commercial standards. Their hybrid formula of thrash-influenced death metal is one of the most, if not the most, legit marriage between the two genres I can think of. With Necropolis, Vader continue to show no intention of relenting. They also show no intention of evolving either.
“Devilizer” opens with a stout, mid-tempo double bass and crunchy thrash rhythm. It could very well suffice as power/thrash metal if not for the death metal vocal work. The song has a mildly evil vibe yet shows patience. Vader prove that an effective opening song doesn’t have to be ridiculously fast. “Rise of the Undead” is one of my favorites. And no, not because of its horribly unoriginal zombie flick title. The track manifests all you’d expect from these Polish brutes. It’s old school. Speedy thrash drum patterns intermingled with blast beats and deeply pitched tremolo ripping capture that special essence all deathers look for. Plus, it’s nearly four minutes, which allows the song to have different sections and room to breathe.
“Never Say My Name,” by comparison, is hurried and jumbled. It attempts to be a song but feels aborted after its two minutes are over. Following is the malicious “Blast.” Holy shit…we’re not in Kansas anymore! This one is even shorter than “Never Say My Name,” but doubly terrifying. It takes all the elements from the prior tracks and makes them heavier. If it were over two minutes I probably would have shat myself. Therefore, I am thankful. If you need a breather/change of pants afterwards, “The Seal” is here for you. Essentially, it’s the product of Vader mixing a bunch of creepy effects together in an attempt to conceptualize the album. It is ambient but doesn’t really offer any relevance or continuity. If Vader wanted to make Necropolis a concept album, they should have maintained a motif throughout all of the songs instead of including a few detached interludes.
Peter’s vocals are tougher and clearer than ever. They are definitely integral to the album’s character. Two thumbs up for him along with the production. The only possible criticism would be directed at his range, but I don’t think vocal range is a necessity with this music anyway. The volume of the drums, as opposed to earlier albums, is well moderated. The guitars sound clear, thick, and menacing. No complaints about the sound really…
The next two songs tap on the brakes. “Dark Heart” sounds choppy; almost like it can’t figure out what direction it’s headed in. Peter’s vocals slightly heighten in pitch and lower in tempo. “Impure” is cool. The guitars and vocals align in a nice harmony, making for a groovier listen (by death metal standards). These songs are followed by another interlude entitled “Summoning the Futura.” It’s basically Peter shouting and simultaneously whispering some incantation for a hellbeast to come forth and fuck shit up. Foreboding, yet banal. Again, it doesn’t really substantiate whatever concept the album is vaguely trying to present. “Anger” and “We Are the Horde” are two very deadly tracks that embody the animosity of Vader. A perfect prescription for those who love rolling up next to old people at red lights and blasting their speakers. What I like about Vader is that their brutality isn’t mindless. Even with these heavier tracks, you feel more control than disorder.
“When the Sun Drowns in Dark,” the finale of Necropolis,carries a runtime of over seven minutes. Calm down; there is only four minutes of music. Structurally, the song resembles classic heavy metal more than anything. If you told me it was a cover song, I would have believed you. The opening riff could have been conceived by a junior high garage band. Semi-catchy, but not quite the climax I expected. Just when the song gains momentum, it ends. The remainder is eaten by three minutes of worthless silence. I say worthless because I expect a dramatic pause to precede something meaningful. In this instance, my patience was rewarded with what sounded like some asshole tuning his guitar and a demonic bowel movement. Thanks Vader. (Sorry if I spoiled the surprise for any of you).
Vader has always kept things short and sweet. On their 2000 release, Litany, four songs were under the two minute mark. With Necropolis, there are four songs that run roughly two minutes. It’s not that Vader play unregulated grindcore with incessant blasting; they (Peter) simply write short songs. You essentially have thirty-three minutes of thrash-coated death metal that will serve the tastes of any Vader patron. NO SURPRISES. This band has never compromised and will probably never seriously experiment with anything extraneous to its genre. Necropolis, to me, is nothing more than an affirmation of Vader’s linearity. If you enjoy tradition, pick up the album. You’ll have nothing to fear.