aiylyn
Death for the blind...
What I mean by the title of this review is that, aside from a sample mp3, I bought this album "blind" to what Vader was all about- I was just hoping for something good. And good, is what I got.
Short and very sweet in the pulverizing-death-metal kind of way, this record boasts the usual tight musical performance of the band, with the obvious standout being the drummer, Doc. As a whole, Vader seem to be almost on top of that most-sought of all musical places: the spot where technicality meets listenability. Average Joe metalhead and guitar-freak alike will eat this album up.
Litany brings the bottom end in a major way; the triggered kick drum is just the beginning. In fact I have to say that this is the best-produced death metal album I have heard to date, and that is against some great production quality from bands like Cryptopsy and Skinless. You will hear the difference if you A-B this CD with another one, including the band's older work.
The last component, the lyrics, are something I usually don't hinge on with death metal bands, but here they are actually quite intelligently written. Vader approaches the Egyptian style popularized by Nile, but only slightly so if you hate Nile you will still like Vader.
In short, this is one for the death metal veterans! If you're new to death metal, this might be a good intro for you since its smart, short, and all business.