VADER - REVELATIONS
Metal Blade - 2002
By Rodrigo Escandon
My first experience with Vader was their last album Litany and I thought that it was a rather weak album with most of the songs sounding too much alike except for a few of the songs in the album. Despite the few good songs in that album I just had no desire to play it with all the other crap that was in it. So my expectations for Revelations were very low and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this album was much better than Litany.
The most important aspect is that the songs are easily distinguishable. I have no problems with any of the songs sounding alike. So right of the bat, the songwriting is much stronger this time out which makes Revelations more technical than Litany. There are longer songs to be found with many things going on with them such as quick guitar leads and solos as well as constant riff changes. Revelations of Black Moses a 7-minute long song is the perfect example of what I mean. A death metal band doesnt have to play at the fastest possible speeds to make good music. Vader slows it down for this song and it actually has an epic feel to it. When Darkness Calls is another long song for the bands standards and while its tempo is fast most of the time, the middle section is slower before going even faster in the end. Once again there is variation to the music and that is what makes differentiates this album to the last one.
There are still plenty of instances where all guns are blazing and the songs are between 2 and 3 minutes but by constantly changing riffs and letting the individual instruments be heard separately makes for better songs like Torch of War, Lukewarm Race, The Code and Wolftribe. I also think that the production has a lot to do with this. Revelations sounds very clean and pristine and not muddy like Litany plus the drum sound especially the double bass is simply incredible. Every time Doc is pounding on that double bass I feel like someone is literally pounding me.
Revelations is not the best death metal release of the year and I might not even mention it if somebody asks me what my top 3 death metal albums of 2002 are but it is a solid album that I do come back and listen to often. Sometimes you need some kick-ass, pounding death metal to pump you up and Vader does that with Revelations.
Metal Blade Website
Vader Official Website
Metal Blade - 2002
By Rodrigo Escandon
My first experience with Vader was their last album Litany and I thought that it was a rather weak album with most of the songs sounding too much alike except for a few of the songs in the album. Despite the few good songs in that album I just had no desire to play it with all the other crap that was in it. So my expectations for Revelations were very low and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this album was much better than Litany.
The most important aspect is that the songs are easily distinguishable. I have no problems with any of the songs sounding alike. So right of the bat, the songwriting is much stronger this time out which makes Revelations more technical than Litany. There are longer songs to be found with many things going on with them such as quick guitar leads and solos as well as constant riff changes. Revelations of Black Moses a 7-minute long song is the perfect example of what I mean. A death metal band doesnt have to play at the fastest possible speeds to make good music. Vader slows it down for this song and it actually has an epic feel to it. When Darkness Calls is another long song for the bands standards and while its tempo is fast most of the time, the middle section is slower before going even faster in the end. Once again there is variation to the music and that is what makes differentiates this album to the last one.
There are still plenty of instances where all guns are blazing and the songs are between 2 and 3 minutes but by constantly changing riffs and letting the individual instruments be heard separately makes for better songs like Torch of War, Lukewarm Race, The Code and Wolftribe. I also think that the production has a lot to do with this. Revelations sounds very clean and pristine and not muddy like Litany plus the drum sound especially the double bass is simply incredible. Every time Doc is pounding on that double bass I feel like someone is literally pounding me.
Revelations is not the best death metal release of the year and I might not even mention it if somebody asks me what my top 3 death metal albums of 2002 are but it is a solid album that I do come back and listen to often. Sometimes you need some kick-ass, pounding death metal to pump you up and Vader does that with Revelations.
Metal Blade Website
Vader Official Website
