Blood

Poland's Vader have always believed in instant gratification. Their hammerhead death metal riffs pack no punches, tell no lies -- they just pummel away in wonderfully gimmick-free fashion. Having said that, rarely has the band unleashed such a uniformly vicious and speedy release as 2003's Blood E.P. Though this may seem surprising at first, one need only look back to the band's previous album, 2002's Revelations, for clues. Because said album was uncharacteristically dominated by some of the slower, most measured songwriting of Vader's long career, it's only natural that there be plenty of thrashers left over from its sessions -- and that's where positively scorching numbers like "Us the Fallen Rise," "Son of Fire," and "When Darkness Calls" come in. [The Blood E.P. was later reissued by Metal Blade, minus the band's cover of Slayer's "Reign in Blood," but coupled with 2001's odds 'n' sods collection, Reign Forever World.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia|