ALBUM REVIEW: Solitude in Madness – Vader

In life, there are universal truths. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Lulu is a musical abomination that should be purged from the world’s collective memory. And VADER absolutely slay. The Polish quartet, let by Piotr “Peter” Wiwczarek, have been one of the main driving forces in extreme metal, both in their native Poland and worldwide, for just a bit shy of 40 years – though their incredible debut, The Ultimate Incantation, wouldn’t be released until 1992. Since then, though, Wiwczarek and co. have established themselves as one of the most consistent bands in heavy music, having never fallen off nor faltered in their excellence. Solitude in Madness is VADER‘s 13th record – not including their cover albums – and the band are showing no signs of slowing down. 

In fact, they’re only getting faster. 2016’s The Empire was the last in a long line of VADER albums that saw the band lessen – but not abandon – their traditional death metal roots in favour of a thrashier, more NWOBHM influenced sound. With Solitude in Madness, however, the cover art isn’t the only part of the record that draws the mind back to De Profundis era VADER. Wiwczarek has driven the band back to their roots this time around, and they sound more vicious than ever.

Lead single Shock and Awe starts as the band mean to go on – barely breaking passed the two minute mark, the quartet blast their way through at whiplash-inducing pace, making exceptional use of every second. They even, somehow, find time to slide a tasty little solo in for good measure. A promising start, and video single Into Oblivion keeps the momentum rolling. A darker atmosphere coats Into Oblivion in a layer of murk, while and huge hooks make themselves known amid the aggression, before Despair, originally released on last year’s Thy Messanger EP, brings an almost grindcore sense of urgency and chaos into play.

This is where we see VADER‘s talent for crafting a record. After a breakneck start, the quartet brings in Incineration of the Gods – a song still heavy on speed and aggression, but a little more groove focused. Again, big hooks are present throughout, and though this is certainly not a mellow, early-album ballad, a slightly more restrained approach than was seen on the opening trio brings a lovely sense of pacing, and offers a chance to gasp for air. Sanctification Denied follows suit, complete with more excellent solo work and some haunting, yet subtle, melodies while And Satan Wept ramps the intensity back up, again reinforcing the importance of pacing in a record as speed-driven as Solitude in Madness. Emptiness, another cut from Thy Messanger, rounds off this mid-section of the record with a taste of VADER‘s more traditional heavy metal sensibilities.

Barely past 20 minutes, and Solitude in Madness is already into its final push. And they have no intention of easing up for the last gasp. Final Declaration grinds and grooves in equal measure, making every second count, before album highlight Dancing in the Slaughterhouse somehow brings the speed and brutality to a new level – and that is no mean feat, here. Intense right to the end, blitzing solo work and some more grindcore influence – Dancing in the Slaughterhouse is not for the feint of heart. Penultimate track Stigma of Divinity doesn’t waste any time, falling short of two minutes but cramming as much riffing into its barely-there run time as possible, before Bones brings Solitude in Madness to a groove-heavy, mosh-worthy close.

VADER have never released a bad album, that’s just a fact. Sure, not every record has had the genre-defining quality of De Profundis, but the Poles have maintained a level of consistency rarely seen. However, for those who have longed for a return to the more visceral VADER stylings of their early work, Solitude In Madness is a very welcome return to brutality. Wiwczarek and co. crash in with the breakneck speed and annihilating ferocity of a Winged Hussar charge, and despite VADER pushing 40, they’ve never sounded so energetic.

Rating: 8/10

Solitude in Madness is set for release May 1st via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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