VADER - Thy Messenger

Release date May 31/19 (Nuclear Blast)

It's always a great day whenever Polish death metal veterans Vader issue new material. So with more than a little excitement we hold the new, five track release entitled Thy Messenger in our greedy palms for review. Containing a re-make of the title track off of the Litany opus from 2000 and a cover of Judas Priest's 'Steeler' (my personal fave Priest track - hail!), we're left with three new original tracks representing the meat of this feast.

Initiating with a straight-between-the-eyes 'Grand Deceiver', Vader go old-school speed metal on our asses ... delivered with death metal conviction, of course. Call it speed/death or just call it superb, this is a great attention grabbing start to the EP. 'Emptiness' follows, initiated with a fine guitar solo before settling into a fabulous headbanging riff sitting in the upper/mid tempo space, active drumming keeping things moving and ears attuned to what's happening. 'Despair' closes out the original material, returning to Vader's normal high-speed velocity in a little over a minute of intense death that the band is famous for delivering.

When you add the 'Litany' remake and the confident, respectful 'Steeler' cover to the mix, you end up with a very strong EP package that whets the appetite for Vader's next full length. Mission accomplished.

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