VEKTOR — Terminal Redux (review)

Album · 2016 · Technical Thrash Metal

3.5/5 · 2016-09-17
adg211288

Out of all the more recent thrash metal bands to hit the scene I don't think there is another who have enjoyed as much recognition as US act Vektor. It's not without good reason, as these tech-thrashers are probably miles ahead of the competition in terms of musical prowess and have already got two well received albums to their name in Black Future (2009) and Outer Isolation (2011). But just when Vektor seemed to be taking the thrash metal world by storm they suddenly left it five years before delivering their third album, no doubt leaving their followers salivating for more. Terminal Redux (2016) is Vektor's comeback and it's been pretty difficult to ignore that its arrival is being treated as the metal event of 2016.

If you've heard either of the previous albums then for the most part the music on Terminal Redux shouldn't be a surprise. Technical/progressive thrash metal with an overall blackened feel thanks to David DiSanto's main vocal style. These guys have always had a great sound so they didn't need to reinvent the wheel but they have found room to try out some new elements in their music, notably clean vocals on Collapse and Recharging the Void. The band have also brought in a pair of guest female vocalists who appear on Charging the Void and the aforementioned Recharging the Void, who in what may be the album's most surprising moment sing in a soulful style. Not a mix I ever expected to hear on a thrash metal album. For the bulk of Terminal Redux though you can expect to hear Vektor doing what they do best. It's damn hard not to be impressed by their instrumental work most of all and I challenge any metalhead to claim otherwise. These guys are on fire!

A long album at about seventy-three minutes, it's very easy to get overwhelmed during Terminal Redux. Ironically I think that may even why at first this album seemed to be more underwhelming compared to Black Future and Outer Isolation. It takes a few listens to really take in something of this kind of length. While their style remains the same I am reminded of the saying less is more in regard to this album. I found the twenty-odd minute shorter Outer Isolation much more immediately grabbing. The sudden introduction of David DiSanto's clean vocals in the last two songs makes for a sudden change of pace which I feel was very much needed at that point, but this also does have the unfortunate side effect of making the album feel somewhat disjointed: they saved the bulk of their surprises for the final stages of the record, so the end result actually feels like Vektor doing the business for the first eight songs because that's what fans expect them to do, then getting let off their leashes to experiment. The results, especially Recharging the Void, are stunning, but I do think that as a whole Terminal Redux could do with feeling more balanced.

Small issues aside, this is an incredibly accomplished album from the US thrashers. Vektor are a band who burst onto the scene on a wave of creativity that even after a five year break they're still riding. As instrumentalists I'm not sure they have any equals in the genre. I'm not entirely sold on this being their finest work but certainly if you're a fan of thrash metal Terminal Redux is no less essential than either of their previous albums. People don't really talk about a modern thrash Big Four like they do with the classic thrash Big Four, but if they did, Vektor would surely be one of the bands.

more than 2 years ago
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Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Great review, I actually really enjoyed most of it on first listen especially "LCD". However, I do think it should have been shorter and most of the really lengthy songs left me bored.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It did with me at first really but it's grown on me a lot since.