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Nice compilation from the Polish trhashers Vader, from Hammerheart label..
Vader formed in 1986, toiling around the European death and thrash circuit while releasing demos into the metal tape-trading circuit. Their 1990 demo Morbid Reich became a huge hit in the underground, leading to a record deal with Earache in 1992. This made them the first death metal band from behind the Iron Curtain to sign a record deal outside of their native Poland. The same year, they released The Ultimate Incantation, a large success in the metal underground. They toured with Bolt Thrower, Grave, Deicide, and many other bands to bring their live performances to American audiences. They left Earache the next year and released two more albums, Sothis (on Repulse Records) and The Darkest Age: Live '93 (on Baron Records). They tried to continue touring despite the declining popularity of death metal and the lack of a consistent recording contract. In 1995, they signed a deal with Impact Records, allowing them to maintain a regular album release schedule. Hammerheart Records released their Necrolust and Morbid Reich demos on CD in 1998, as the band was enjoying their biggest success up to that point with the archival release Reborn in Chaos. They also recorded a live album that year, a mini-album (Kingdom), a VHS video, and signed a new record deal with Metal Blade. By the time 1999 rolled around, the band was opening for Slayer and had their first headlining American tour. They released Litany in 2000 and Reign Forever World in 2001, both on Metal Blade, and continued their grueling touring schedule. Revelations arrived in 2002, followed by Beast in 2004, and Impressions in Blood in 2006...by Bradley Torreano, All Music 
Recorded on the supporting tour for their debut album, The Ultimate Incantation, Vader's The Darkest Age: Live '93 draws nearly all of its material from that record -- and as such, they're fairly similar. While there's no denying Vader's technical ability -- either in the studio or in concert -- Live in Japan remains a better, more comprehensive survey of their live performances; still, devoted fans may find this worthwhile as a comparison point... by Steve Huey
Vader's debut album already established the band as having one of death metal's highest levels of technical skill, a level which would only improve over the '90s; The Ultimate Incantation is marred only by a low-tech production that tends to mute some of the band's thrashy ferocity....by Steve Huey, All Music
One of the earliest death metal bands (and first to hail from Poland) is Vader. Although their debut album, The Ultimate Incantation, didn't reach U.S. soil until 1990, Vader had been riffin' and growlin' in their native land since 1986. One of their earliest releases was Sothis, which has been in and out of print since its original release in 1994. Come 1998, the folks at Metal Mind Records dusted off the seven-track set and gave it a proper reissue. As with all Vader albums, you know what you're in for as soon as the little laser light hits the shiny disc -- metronome-perfect drum work, horror movie-worthy lyrics, etc. And as evidenced by such tracks as the title track and "Vision and Voice," Sothis is certainly no different. Lastly, Vader prove once and for all that Black Sabbath have influenced just about every heavy metal band since 1970, as they hand in an album-closing cover of "Black Sabbath."...by Greg Prato, All Music
VADER's DE PROFUNDIS is basically a combination of MORBID ANGEL from the ALTARS OF MADNESS/ BLESSED ARE THE SICK era and SLAYER from the HELL AWAITS/ REIGN IN BLOOD era. Some of the rythms are lifted directly from MORBID ANGEL and the riffing is so much like early SLAYER that you'd think you were listening to HELL AWAITS or REIGN IN BLOOD. Even the vocals are reminiscent of Tom Araya. In other words, this is not very original. However, so what? This album is still damn good. Doc's drumming is very technically proficient, as well as the dual guitar riffing. What is most admirable about this band is their background. Coming from Poland during the collapse of the Eastern bloc and succeeding in the death metal genre is quite impressive. Think of the obstacles these guys probably had to overcome. That alone is worth a listen and DE PROFUNDIS will not disappoint....by deathmetalgod, Sedna
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You like Slayer? You like Morbid Angel? You wish that somehow they could be one band? Well, here's the answer to your prayers. Vader takes the extreme thrash of Slayer and the oldschool death of Morbid Angel, and compiles it into one crackling package that is simply the greatest death metal band of all time. Peter and Mauser crank out an awesome dual guitar assault, and Doc's drumming is unbelievable. A lot of it is the standard "tap tap tap" death drumming that Morbid Angel practically invented, which can get a little monotonous, but there's also more complex drumming that brings Dave Lombardo to mind. The best songs are "Heading for the Internal Darkness", "Carnal", and "Distant Dream", but all of them are pretty good. Many seem to consider "De Profundis" to be Vader's best album, but I believe it's a close second to this one here. But, they're all good, really. I can't believe I'm the first person to review this album in over two years! If you are a death metal fan, you must own this album...by Kevin McDonald, Seattle
Prong's once diffuse, post-hardcore rumble solidifies into a tightly disciplined thrash metal attack on their first major label release, Beg to Differ. Also a more democratic affair than later efforts, the album finds guitarist Tommy Victor and bassist Mike Kirkland alternating lead vocals as well as writing credits. And drummer Ted Parsons is equally impressive, providing a thunderous rhythmic foundation of Neal Pert-like diversity and precision. Standout tracks, such as "For Dear Life," "Steady Decline," and "Take it in Hand," feature dense harmonies (often verging on the atonal) injected with understated stabs of melody and startlingly complex time changes. The title track is perhaps the perfect example of this blend, and would earn the band much needed MTV exposure (along with less challenging second single "Lost and Found") on its way to becoming their signature tune. While it never even approaches thrash metal speed, "Your Fear" is another highlight of almost progressive rock proportions; its somber, interweaving melodies and minor chords painting a severe gray canvas of urban oppression. "Intermenstrual, S.D.B." is surprisingly good (for an instrumental), and though "Right to Nothing" recycles the group's formula one too many times, a wonderfully raw live version of Chrome's "Third from the Sun" closes the album in style....by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Prong's second independent release, Force Fed, showed great improvement over their aptly named Primitive Origins debut. Rather than resorting to blind fury and pure chaos like its predecessor, the album highlights the trio's developing technical skills as they begin to truly gel as a unit. "Freezer Burn," "Forgery," and the title track are tight bursts of power, alternately sung by guitarist Tommy Victor and bassist Mike Kirkland, and always propelled by the amazing Ted Parsons on drums. In retrospect, it's evident that Force Fed was rong's transition from an average hardcore band into an outstanding technical thrash unit...by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Long before they found their calling as a highly technical thrash metal band, New York's Prong was dealing in rather faceless hardcore, most of which didn't hold a candle to superior scene rivals like the Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front. Sure enough, their modest independent debut, Primitive Origins, is a collection of mostly uninventive two-minute blasts, which prove that the sometimes CBGB employees still had something to learn before quitting their regular jobs. A few songs ("Watching," "Cling to Life," "Dreams Like That") do show occasional promising flashes of things to come, however, and may interest serious fans...by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
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Although Triumph's studio albums could be uneven and inconsistent, the Canadian hard rock/arena rock trio had a reputation for being explosive on-stage (where they tended to avoid their lesser material and put a lot of energy into their more memorable songs). When you think about it, Triumph had the opposite problem of many of today's high-tech, urban contemporary, electronica, and dance-pop artists: in contrast to all the people who are so reliant on studio technology that they fall apart on-stage, Triumph tended to sound more confident and assured on-stage than they did in the studio. Live at the US Festival, in fact, paints a more consistently attractive picture of Triumph than many of its studio albums. This 54-minute CD was recorded at a massive, three-day outdoor rock festival that took place in Southern California from May 28-30, 1983. Triumph appeared on May 29, which was billed as "Heavy Metal Sunday" and included the headbanging likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, and Van Halen (whose set ended up on a two-CD bootleg entitled US Festival '83). The number of attendees varied during the three days; the crowd was estimated to be about 500,000 strong on "Heavy Metal Sunday," and Triumph went over well. It isn't hard to understand why. From "Rock and Roll Machine" to "Magic Power" to "Lay It on the Line," the Canadians picked their better songs and provided an inspired, focused set. That isn't to say that this disc is the last word on their live performances; any live Triumph album that lacks "Hold On" will have a hard time being considered truly definitive. Nonetheless, Live at the US Festival has a lot going for it and will easily excite the trio's diehard fans... by Alex Henderson, All Music
Triumph's first worldwide release, Rock & Roll Machine, had caused a small splash within hard rock circles, but audiences were still unsure of what to make of this power trio's suspicious similarities to Canadian elder statesmen Rush. Indeed, it was only with the release of 1979's Just a Game that Triumph would take measures (albeit tentative ones) to establish their own personality as a slightly bluesier and heavier counterpart to their famed countrymen. Once again produced by bassist, keyboard player, and all-around peacekeeper Mike Levine, the album's first single, "Lay It on the Line," was quite possibly their best ever, going on to become a staple of their live performances, and arguably, the band's signature tune. Guitarist Rik Emmett is in fine form throughout, also scoring high marks with the upbeat "Hold On" and the elaborate title track. But by comparison, drummer Gil Moore's contributions take a serious nosedive into irritating musical clichés, especially on the monotonous blues of "Young Enough to Cry" and the unbearably cheesy lyrics of "American Girls." At times, Triumph still can't help but sound derivative of any number of the era's top bands, and besides the always present Rush similarities, they also allude to Chicago pomp rockers Styx on the chorus of "Movin' On." All things considered, however, Just a Game remains one of the group's best all-around efforts.... by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Triumph's career was an ongoing power struggle between its two singers, and after taking a back seat to guitarist Rik Emmett on the previous year's Just a Game, drummer Gil Moore fought back to a nervous draw on 1980's Progressions of Power. Kicked off by "I Live for the Weekend," one of his most relentless rockers, the album made up for its lack of obvious hits with one of the group's most consistent collection of songs. With their more melodic style, Emmett contributions like "In the Night" and the ultra-schmaltzy ballad "Take My Heart" slow things down a bit, but remain surprisingly restrained, avoiding the progressive rock exaggerations of the past. Instead, Progressions of Power finds the usually less inventive Moore trying to beat the guitarist at his own game with competent singles like "I Can Survive" and "Woman in Love." "Tear the Roof Off" is another furious Moore highlight, and Emmett closes the album in solid fashion with one of his best solo guitar showcases, "Finger Talkin'" (the guitarist insisted on including a solo piece in every record, often with yawn-inducing results), and another surprisingly gutsy performance in "Hard Road.".. by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
On Allied Forces, their fourth worldwide release and fifth overall, Triumph would arguably come closer to delivering a truly outstanding album than ever before -- and certainly ever after. The pedestrian mid-paced rockers that had gradually become a reluctant band trademark over previous releases are conspicuously absent here (OK, "Ordinary Man" might qualify for that unhappy distinction), replaced by positively sharp-toothed carnivores like "Fool for Your Love" and the unrelenting title track. The album also finds Rik Emmett regaining a temporary advantage in his eternal creative tug of war with drummer Gil Moore thanks to a fiery performance in the bluesy "Hot Time (In the City Tonight)." The guitarist also delivers the goods on the anthemic "Say Goodbye" and excellent single "Magic Power," which find him at his melodically charged best. Sadly, like all Triumph albums, and indeed the band's entire sonic formula, Allied Forces has not aged all that well. So while it should top the list of most anyone looking to discover what the band had to offer, only serious fans will need to explore beyond the group's greatest-hits set...by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
After years of incessant touring behind a number of gold and platinum records, Triumph had successfully earned their stripes as Canada's second most popular power trio behind the mighty Rush -- so what? The two were Canada's only power trios. The fact of the matter is that despite their best efforts, the guys in Triumph couldn't escape the shadow of their fellow countrymen and signs of frustration really began to show on the group's sixth album, 1983's Never Surrender. Right from the get-go, the group seems to be going through the motions, and even driving rockers like "Too Much Thinking" and "Writing on the Wall" emanate a palpable lack of enthusiasm. In fact, except for "When the Lights Go Down" (whose massive blues riff just barely makes up for its terribly clichéd lyrics), the fire is often missing from drummer Gil Moore's normally dependable contributions, most notably on the tedious "Battle Cry." Likewise, "A World of Fantasy" is the kind of Rik Emmett-penned radio single fans had come to expect, but its tired formula and vocal harmonies reminiscent of Styx simply fall short of previous offerings. The normally laid-back guitarist does show signs of life on the energetic "All the Way," but the title track, no matter how memorable, bears an uncomfortable resemblance to "Fight the Good Fight" from the band's previous album, Allied Forces. Three instrumental interludes of little consequence are also spread across the album in a thinly veiled time-consuming ploy, proving that Triumph's endurance and inspiration were beginning to fade away...by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Triumph has typically been dismissed over the years as being a toothless and lyrically inane rip-off of Rush, with bits of Survivor and Spinal Tap thrown in for good measure. This may be a bit unfair, for Triumph does have their niche, and even detractors have to admit the considerable guitar talent of Rik Emmett, which is evident on this gig recorded during their Allied Forces tour. Songs from that album, as well as several earlier numbers, are given brisk and unadorned readings by the band. Parts of the show do sound dated, such as the drum solo, but this shouldn't be surprising based on the 1981 recording date. All in all, this is a worthwhile release for fans, although beginners may be better served by the career-spanning live release Stages... by Brian Downing
Although vocalist/bassist Peter "Peavey" Wagner and his crew had already waxed both an album and EP the year before (when they were still known as Avenger), 1986's Reign of Fear represented their proper debut with the Rage name. In fact, even at such an early stage, the German outfit's sparsely melodic, high-precision take on speed metal is already fully intact, and it's interesting to note that, for all their attempts to improve and refine this formula throughout their career, it's arguable that -- with the exception of 1988's career-best Perfect Man -- they hardly ever topped this release. Some bands are simply not meant to evolve, and the proof is certainly in the pudding here given the clear superiority of no-fuss thrashers like "Scared to Death," "Deceiver," and "Echoes of Evil" over their more elaborate but ultimately less satisfying counterparts, which include the plodding trad metal workout "Chaste Flesh" and the excessively belabored, nine-minute misfire that is "The Scaffold." Besides exposing Wagner's still limited range as a songwriter, these ill-advised asides also place too much emphasis on his hit-and-miss abilities to carry a proper tune, as opposed to his perfectly adequate work when simply shouting his way through. And as would become a strange habit, Rage inauspiciously sneak what is possibly the album's best track, the fan-favorite "Suicide," into the album's second half. Such questionable decisions would indeed plague Rage's entire career, which was given to more abrupt creative ups and downs than most any heavy metal band and resulted in their appeal becoming both very selective and divisive thereafter. But for now, Reign of Fear qualifies as a worthy midlevel entry into the era's strong sampling of Teutonic thrash. [Noise/Sanctuary remastered, repackaged, and reissued Reign of Fear in 2002, adding five live and unreleased bonus cuts to boot.]...by Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide
German metalheads Rage had decided to disband after their disappointing second album, Execution Guaranteed; but it took band prime mover Peter "Peavey" Wagner less than a year to have second thoughts, so he proceeded to rebuild from the ground up. First by penning a new batch of quality songs, then by bringing in new musicians in guitarist Manni Schmidt and drummer Chris Efthimiades so as to reconfigure Rage from a quartet into a trio, making them "stronger, faster, better than they were before," as the saying goes. Sure enough, the resulting LP, 1988's exemplary Perfect Man, became the most successful and enduring of their career. With undeniable winners like "Wasteland," "Don't Fear the Winter," and the title track fueling its charge down the heavy metal autobahn, Perfect Man boasted a perfect combination of razor-sharp brutality and crisp production values. Even when they ease off the velocity meter, classic metal-inspired tunes such as "In the Darkest Hour" and "Sinister Thinking" exude a leaner, meaner front of attack, neatly avoiding the pitfalls of needless synthesizers and overbaked songwriting that together had crushed the life out of Execution Guaranteed. What's more, by weighing in at a hefty 14 tracks, Perfect Man is quite the model of productivity and value for money in the pre-CD age -- even if its high compositional standards take a noticeable dip toward the second half. So what's the final verdict? Well, in a career that by all accounts was seriously devoid of unquestionable highlights, Perfect Man shines as Rage's greatest achievement. [Noise/Sanctuary remastered, repackaged, and reissued Perfect Man in 2002, adding five live and unreleased bonus cuts to boot.]..by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Energized by the surprising popularity of Perfect Man, Rage sought to capitalize on their good streak, with 1989's Secrets in a Weird World. And to their credit, the German trio remained spot on from a stylistic standpoint, rehashing the melodic thrash formula that seemed to best suit their talents. Unfortunately, vocalist/bassist Peter "Peavey" Wagner neglected to bring any decent songs with him. Maybe his creative juices had been sapped by the sheer volume of material committed to this album's heralded predecessor, but whatever the reason, semimemorable moments like the great riff behind "Light Into the Darkness" or forceful thrashers "Time Waits for No One" and "Invisible Horizons" are few and far between here. Instead, the listener is castigated by overwhelmingly mediocre fare such as "Make My Day," "The Inner Search," and "Talk to Grandpa" (excuse me?). Never mind the nine-minute whatchamacallit that is "Without a Trace" -- not exactly an epic landmark in German metal history, and let's just leave it at that. So once again, it was back to the drawing board for Rage, who modestly began their slow crawl back to respectability with the following year's Reflections of a Shadow. [Noise/Sanctuary remastered, repackaged, and reissued Secrets in a Weird World in 2002, adding five bonus cuts, including live tracks.]... by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Having launched their career in promising fashion with the very well-received March of the Saint album, Los Angeles-based Armored Saint now seemed poised to take things to the next level and become one of the '80s biggest metal stars. Further buoyed by widespread critical approval, the band and their label, Chrysalis, were especially careful when planning to record 1985's all-important follow-up, Delirious Nomad. Enlisting the services of top metal producer Max Norman was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle, and all involved were confident that this would be the band's "career" album. But while Delirious Nomad was certainly a more refined, more confident effort than its predecessor, it also felt somewhat less vital and spontaneous -- contrived even. Standouts like "Over the Edge," "For the Sake of Heaviness," and "In the Hole" are meticulous studio creations which proved the band's songwriting talents were indeed improving from strength to strength. But while the band was convinced that they'd successfully captured their "live sound" for the first time, many old-school fans flatly disagreed. For these, Delirious Nomad was missing that certain elemental spark of excitement which had made their debut so memorable, and the off-the-cuff looseness of rehashed older material like "You're Never Alone" and "Released" arguably proves their point. Still, the stunning beauty of the epic "Aftermath," with its glorious smorgasbord of harmony guitars, represents a career peak by any standard. Finally, for a band which always took itself perhaps a bit too seriously, Armored Saint was approaching maximum paranoia here, with songs like "Nervous Man" and the aforementioned "Over the Edge," both brimming with high-strung tension. Apparently, so was the band, who parted with founding guitarist Phil Sandoval as soon as the album was completed... by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
Throughout the '80s, you'd be hard-pressed to find an American heavy metal band which sounded more British than Armored Saint. While most of their contemporaries seemed preoccupied with the fast-growing thrash metal movement, here was a group of committed purists who were simply updating traditional metal at its best for the '80s generation. By the same token, the band was never able to benefit from the perks of being associated with a "scene" per se, which might explain their relative obscurity despite consistently issuing such quality material. But, for the record, with the exception of 1990's also stellar Symbol of Salvation, never was the group's bombastic style better represented than on their 1984 debut March of the Saint, which is so straightforward a metal record, it's almost hard to describe. An orchestrated guitar theme introduces the memorable title track, and further highlights such as "Can U Deliver," "Madhouse," and the astonishing "Take a Turn" are as commendable for their maturity and power as they are for their sense of economy. The dual-guitar team of Dave Prichard and Phil Sandoval is simply incredible considering their young ages (too bad they would soon fall out), dueling it out for solo after amazing solo throughout the disk. The album's second half isn't quite as strong as the first, but March of the Saint still qualifies as an overlooked classic of American metal... by Ed Rivadavia, All Music
The demise of Emperor left a chasm in the black metal scene, so it's no surprise that Nocturnal Art -- the label started by Emperor guitarist Samoth -- signees Limbonic Art would take a step towards filling the hole. And while Emperor is indeed a touchstone of Limbo's sound, fifth album The Ultimate Death Worship offers enough convincingly strange, avant-garde horror to stand on its own crooked, cloven-hoofed legs. The relatively lo-fi, but still clear, production lends the songs a grainy nastiness that's integral to the overall feel of the record, which strongly represents the ugly, pockmarked side of symphonic black metal. Weirdly effective spoken word interludes and soundtrack-ish elements mesh with blast beats and a horde-of-locusts guitar sound/riffing approach on proudly wretched cuts "Suicide Commando" and "Interstellar Overdrive"; the ten-minute "Towards the Oblivion of Dreams" sports an appropriately labyrinthine arrangement complete with rumbling tympani and grandiose keyboard exclamations, and the redundantly redundant "Funeral of Death" (snicker) closes the album with a chorus of clashing gongs and piercing feedback. Also notable is the tortured snarl of vocalist Daemon, who howls with enough natural, throaty conviction to make one believe he was stretched taut on the rack while recording, therefore lending the record an honestly chilling quality, where most other acts sound sterile and predictable. The only complaint is the keyboards, which often slice through the mix, threatening to blot out the guitars and occasionally offering the goofy pomposity of bad neo-prog rock -- but it's forgivable within the relatively adventurous context of the record. Non-fans of the genre will find more fuel for their fire, Limbo drenching themselves in their egocentric, Norwegian heritage, but black metal enthusiasts will no doubt enjoy a long soak in the blood-filled tub that is The Ultimate Death Worship.... by John Serba, All Music
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After achieving regional success with their first three records, Danish rockers Pretty Maids released Future World. Fueled by constant airplay on MTV's Headbanger's Ball and fresh off of a Scandinavian tour with Black Sabbath, the band finally had a record that connected with American audiences. The blistering title track boasts a killer guitar riff, a driving rhythm section, and lead vocalist Ronnie Atkins' full-throated Klaus Meine-like snarl. Keyboardist Alan Owen punctuates Ken Hammer's licks with a refreshing urgency that's the direct antithesis of wimpy contemporaries like White Lion and Night Ranger. Even requisite '80s power ballads -- a painful genre unto itself -- like "Love Games" and "Eye of the Storm" sound less contrived than anything that Europe ever recorded. That's not to say that Future World doesn't fall into the same traps that have ensnared past metal bands taking a detour into pop. "We Came to Rock," a diluted facsimile of Ronnie James Dio's superb "We Rock," shrivels beneath inane lyrics like "Can you feel the fever burnin'" -- with a five-second delay on the word "burnin'" -- and showcases the group's weakness for lame rock posturing... by James Christopher Monger, All Music
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