Vader – Iron Times

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Never ones to sit around doing nothing, Polish Death Metal leviathans VADER are back with their EP “Iron Times”, just ahead of the release of their upcoming full-length album “The Empire”, due for release on 4th November. Featuring four songs, “Iron Times” gives us a taste of what to expect from the new album, as well as two covers: one PANZER X song, and one from MOTÖRHEAD.

Right from the start of the album, we are launched straight into the blitzkrieg, with machine-gun like riffs and a blistering and unrelenting tempo set by “Parabellum”. This song is a bit on the short side, but this brevity is soon forgiven, given how ferocious those two and a half minutes are. This song sees VADER in their full splendour, with their unmistakable sound bombarding your ears. The pounding drum-work coupled with rapid-fire guitar sections and Piotr's inimitable vocals gives rise to a monstrous sound. This is followed by “Prayer to the God of War”, a Thrash-laden song with some serious groove that will undoubtedly be absolutely killer live. Also clocking in under three minutes, this song is also perhaps shorter than I would have liked. Nevertheless, VADER is clearly in top form, and even so, the spectacular guitar-work really makes this song stand out. These two songs, along with eight others, will be on “The Empire”, and if these are anything to go by, then rest assured that VADER are poised to unleash a magnificent album of devastating proportions.

Then we have “Pięść I Stal”, the cover from PANZER X, a side-project of Piotr and the late Vitek, and frankly it's great that this project is getting a little more exposure. Sung completely in Polish, this is a slower-paced song than what we usually hear from VADER, and gives us a glimpse at how diverse this band can be, with traditional Heavy Metal kicks coming shining through. And finally, we're jumping on the bandwagon of tributes to MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister, with a cover of “Overkill”. This cover stays fairly true to the original, with the main differences being found in the production rather than the execution, yet still blended with the unique VADER flavour.

Clocking in at 13 minutes mainly thanks to the two covers, “Iron Times” is a whirlwind attack that's over before you know it. Overall, this teaser leaves your mouth watering for “The Empire”. Be sure to catch VADER on their upcoming European tour if you can; I know I certainly can't wait for the pit!

Memorability: 7
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8