Vader - XXV

For their 25th anniversary as a band, Polish death metal legends Vader decided to revisit some of their older material. Instead of releasing a compilation, they picked 25 plus tracks and re-recorded them. I have mixed feelings about these types of CDs. On one hand, Vader has been around for 25 years and they've improved over time, so they should be in peak form to redo these songs. Plus a lot of them had sketchy production back in the day, and with today's technology they will sound a lot better.

On the flip side of that argument, it's hard to go back in time. There have been different lineups over the years, and albums were recorded with a particular mindset, and it's impossible to recreate that. Plus, sketchy production has its charm, and isn't necessarily a negative.

For the most part, XXV succeeds. It gives us a chance to hear the 2008 version of Vader reliving, and in some cases reinventing their back catalog. Plus the originals are all still there to be heard if you want to pick up those CDs. XXV is a 2 disc set, and there's a version available that has a DVD as well.

The songs on the first CD includes material from their 1990 demo Morbid Reich, many of which also appeared on their 1993 full length debut The Ultimate Incantation. There are also songs from 1995's De Profundis and 1997's Black To The Blind.

The second disc of XXV kicks off with "Kingdom" from the 1998 MCD of the same name. Songs from 2000's Litany, 2002's Revelations and 2004's The Beast follow. There's also a cover of Terrorizer's "Fear Of Napalm" and a couple other tracks. Vader is sharp and in good form on this CD. They combine groove and extremity, and XXV skillfully pays homage to their career thus far.

(released June 24, 2008 on Regain Records)