The Art of War

Although heavier than what I normally listen to, Vader is a band I’m really starting to like. It’s begun with the album The Beast, but this is what really got me interested. Just a short EP, 6 songs, less than 15 minutes - and it’s what could be a definition of “quality, not quantity”. There are no significant weaknesses; at least I cannot name any. It’s not normal for me either that I can listen to something over and over again. But this EP is totally damn insane.

It will certainly do no harm to say something about each track here. We start with "Para Bellum" – a short, atmospheric intro which is a very good beginning. It passes nicely into “This Is the War”, which instantly shows how powerful and fast this EP is. Great beginning with drums, very fast changes, excellent riffs, great vocals and very nice solo in the middle – you can really feel the battle, it’s just blazing fast and damn heavy, full of chaos, but with some order in it. Also, the chorus is one of the most addictive and powerful I’ve ever heard. However, after this one, we pass into my personal favourite. After a slightly slower beginning, it leaves no doubts that it’s going to be even more powerful than the previous one. And it is - absolutely flawless, full of killer riffs (the opening and the chorus one is among my favourites), great drumming and a totally insane solo near the end, not to mention that it makes you feel like shouting “LEAD US!!!” with every single listen.

After it, we get a very short (50 seconds) break, thanks to the interlude called “Banners in the Wind”, which works just as well as the intro. However, we won’t have much peace, because the next one is “What Colour Is Your Blood?”. It’s just as fast and heavy like the previous tracks, but in a different way. Less quick changes, it’s driven by one main riff most of the time, the “you won’t stop headbanging” kind. Of course, there is a solo in the middle (short and great like all the others), after which it passes into a slower part. Not for long though, because then the main riff returns with just as much force as in the beginning, and soon ends. A pity, but there’s still the last song on the EP – “Death in Silence”. However, Vader made sure it’s not a danger for us, as it’s the shortest (not counting the intro and interlude) track on the EP, but also the fastest and just relentless. It’s slightly more melodic than the rest, but equally heavy, again with a lot of great riffs and again constantly changing. The lyrics are pretty ironic at the end, when Peter growls through an insane riff “the silence is killing me!”, and finally – we reach the end. In my case, it’s usually pressing “play” again…

From the above description, you might have a feeling that it’s all heavy and fast, but all four songs are similar. No way. It’s insanely powerful and all four are based on a similar structure, but they don’t get boring even for a second and they’re not the same in any way. This EP is full of great riffs, dynamic changes, very good drumming and excellent solos. It’s just four tracks, with the intro and the interlude making it more than just a bunch of songs put together – they give it a kind of atmosphere. It’s certainly worth listening to if you want something heavy, it never gets boring and has a lot of memorable parts. Now I’m going to check the other albums – The Art of War has certainly convinced me I won’t be disappointed.