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Bacteria13 Hatross Overlord
Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 2465
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:57 pm Post subject: VEKTOR – BLACK FUTURE |
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VEKTOR – BLACK FUTURE
(Heavy Artillery Records)
As previously reported, I’m not a fan of new-thrash; too much Bay Area-worship for my liking. People forget that when thrash met hardcore and called it crossover it led the way (albeit inadvertently) for the abomination that is metalcore, and now look where we are. Which is why I take with a pinch of salt any record label that boasts their latest signing has that ‘spirit of old school thrash’. A lot of so-called new thrash bands are the Slammer’s of today’s movement; they look the part, but they sound shit; unlike Arizona’s Vektor.
Formed in 2002, this four-piece of young, talented musicians wear their influences on their denim sleeves; Voivod, D.B.C., and Coroner by way of Slayer. They certainly aren’t original, but by not following the Municipal Waste path now trodden by so many bands and venturing their own (star) trek Vektor, for me at least immediately stood out from the crowd.
Yes, their logo is vaguely familiar, and Voivod fans may latch onto their sci-fi theme, but end of the day it’s the music that counts. Vektor don’t disappoint. Boasting a crisp yet warm old school production courtesy of Byron Filson Vektor has set down 70-minutes of progressive-speed-thrash that after repeated listens still something new is to be found.
Opening with the blistering title track, from the off it sets the tone for the rest of the 9-song album. Solos abound, tasty riffs, a drummer who knows his way around the kit and … those vocals. They may be a concern for some listeners, David Disanto’s high-pitched screams ala Schmier from Destruction meets Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir perhaps coming off a tad extreme, but I maintain they add to the uniqueness of Vortex’s sound. Whether he can pull off those glass-shattering screeches live after a 6-month trek on the road remains to be seen, however …
There’s not one song on this album under 4-minutes long; there’s also three tracks over the 10-minute mark, Forests of Legend being the first, and bloody fantastic it is too. It starts off with a soft guitar intro before crashing through the door and then exploding with a jaw-dropping solo, and this is just the first couple of minutes. Absolutely ripping stuff, and as I said the first of three progressive-speed-thrash epics on the album, Dark Nebula and Accelerating Universe being the other two. As well as the title track there’s mini-thrashers galore in the form of Hunger for Violence and Deoxyribonucleic Acid; now there’s a mouthful.
In an age where music is plentiful and immediate, giving one’s full attention to a 35-minute album is a rare thing, never mind one double that length. The fact that I’ve immersed myself in such a complex yet ultimately fulfilling progressive-speed-thrash metal album speaks volumes, and I can’t recommend Black Future enough.
Bacteria13.
http://www.myspace.com/vektor |
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