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Vader - Litany review



Reviewer:
9.0

409 users:
8.52
Band: Vader
Album: Litany
Style: Death metal
Release date: March 20, 2000
A review by: Herzebeth


01. Wings
02. The One Made Of Dreams
03. Xeper
04. Litany
05. Cold Demons
06. The Calling
07. North
08. Forwards To Die!!!
09. A World Of Hurt
10. The World Made Flesh
11. The Final Massacre
12. Red Dunes [bonus]
13. Lord Of Desert [bonus]

Maybe The first well recognized death metal band from Europe, Vader released in the year 1990 their demo "Morbid Reich" a master piece in this genre and is still considered one of the best demo tapes in death metal history, ten years after that success they released a great album called "Litany" so lets take a closer look at this one.

A great album opener "Wings" this particular song has incredible lyrics that talk about an angel that is sick of hearing all the people asking for help and at the same time killing their own god. In fact all the lyrics in this album are very clever made, Frelik has the facility of capture a feeling and convert it to the written word perfectly.

"Xeper" is the best Track in "Litany" it has the catchiest riffs in Vader history but still it sounds very brutal with nice great bass lines, it also has Egyptian influenced lyrics and I quote Vader for this matter "pronounced Khefer, it is an English coinage expressing an Egyptian verb written as a stylized scarab and meaning I HAVE COME INTO BEIGN".

"Cold Demons" is also a brilliant song with great effects, a very interesting intro, killer guitar riffs and one hell of a video (The special edition of "Litany" includes the video for this song), the drumming in every song is extremely brutal and insanely fast, so if you are a fan of high-speed drums you will love this album specially for the song "The Calling" the toms and the low parts are insane.

Metal Blade made an awesome work with signing Vader to their mayor record label, and the sound is really spectacular, I won't say "Litany" is better than "Morbid Reich" or "The Ultimate Incantation" not even than "De Profundis", this album is a one of a kind masterpiece and it deserves to be rated as an individual element in Vader history. I'll say it deserves a 9, the lack of long good leads or guitar solos is just miserable, that's the only reason why this album does not have a 10.

Written by Herzebeth | 17.08.2004




Comments

Comments: 19   Visited by: 185 users
06.02.2007 - 22:58
Violence Breeds
Account deleted
10 for sure
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07.02.2007 - 20:56
Rating: 9
Sunioj
Wings, Xeper, and the Calling are awesome songs. Great album, ah, maybe 9, I wouldnt give a 10 though thats too generous.
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09.02.2007 - 22:51
Rating: 9
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
This is definitely their best album. I love the dude's vocals (why can't i remember his name?) and every track just kicks your ass. I love the song with the tank....whatever it's called...probably track 8. Every time I hear the explosions I want to hit someone in their face right on cue.
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10.02.2007 - 07:31
Baz Anderson
Staff
its definitely their bassiest album!! haha
its always a pleasure to listen to with a sub-woofer and no flatmates in the vicinity
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10.02.2007 - 13:28
Opium Magnet
Account deleted
Written by Baz Anderson on 10.02.2007 at 07:31

its definitely their bassiest album!! haha
its always a pleasure to listen to with a sub-woofer and no flatmates in the vicinity

Yeah, the bass was a bit heavy on this album, although I certainly don't consider it to be their best, probably their second best. This album deserves a straight 9, it certainly wasn't perfect, but provided excellent listening nonetheless. I personally regard Revelations as being their best album to date, but that's just what I prefer, in my opinion.
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03.05.2008 - 05:17
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
great album.. worse than Black to the blind in my opinion.. best songs are ''Wings'', ''The one made of dreams''and ''the calling''.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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04.05.2008 - 04:23
A rating of 9 is pretty much spot on. I originally said my favorite Vader album is De Profundis, but I think it is this one. Probably their heaviest album, which is combined with catchy and atmospheric songs.
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04.05.2008 - 15:39
Rating: 8
SlaytallicA
Lycanthropy
Great album! Still I prefer The Black to the Blind album.
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One Pound Of Flesh, No More No Less, No Cartilage, No Bones, But Only Flesh...
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05.05.2008 - 08:56
Jason W.
Razorbliss
Staff
Honestly, it's the only Vader album I listen to regularly, and it's the one that introduced me to the band. The opening few seconds of "Wings" is one of the best beginnings for a song - so catchy, so brutal all at once! Glad to see some others regard this as their best or one of their best!
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"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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06.05.2008 - 20:06
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
Staff
Doc was really into techno music at this time, he was even DJing at clubs. This is why the kick triggers have this techno sound to them, in fact the drums sound very electronic on this album overall.
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20.10.2008 - 16:33
Rating: 10
Deadmeat
Necrobutcher
This album is a masterpiece! To me Xeper is the worst song. I don't like this 'catchy' style on it. But all the others are so, so good.. One of my favorite albums to headbang!!!
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Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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09.03.2009 - 10:43
Biedrik
This is a great album. A few of the short songs in the second half are somewhat onthe boring side, by overall it still deserves a 9. And the best riff is not in Xeper but in the beginnig of The Final Massacre.
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I'm selling metal posters! Ask me about them if you're interested.
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09.03.2009 - 12:50
Rating: 10
Deadmeat
Necrobutcher
Written by Biedrik on 09.03.2009 at 10:43

This is a great album. A few of the short songs in the second half are somewhat onthe boring side, by overall it still deserves a 9. And the best riff is not in Xeper but in the beginnig of The Final Massacre.

yeah man YEAH!!! if we mean the same riff (the one which starts at 1:18 and the other great at 2:01) they some of my favorite riffs ever! The hole song has unbelievable riffs!
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Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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09.03.2009 - 12:51
Rating: 9
LeChron James
Helvetesfossen
Written by jupitreas on 06.05.2008 at 20:06

Doc was really into techno music at this time, he was even DJing at clubs. This is why the kick triggers have this techno sound to them, in fact the drums sound very electronic on this album overall.

mmm i dont think they sound that techno at all. they dont have the synthetic bass sound to them that most techno songs have.
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Kick Ass, Die Young

Less is More
Stay Pure
Stay Poor

Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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09.03.2009 - 13:39
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
Staff
Written by LeChron James on 09.03.2009 at 12:51

Written by jupitreas on 06.05.2008 at 20:06

Doc was really into techno music at this time, he was even DJing at clubs. This is why the kick triggers have this techno sound to them, in fact the drums sound very electronic on this album overall.

mmm i dont think they sound that techno at all. they dont have the synthetic bass sound to them that most techno songs have.

i beg to disagree, i still feel that the drums on this album are clearly techno influenced, 'synthetic bass sound' or no. Besides, the triggers used here sound very synthetic to me compared to most death metal and even to most Vader albums, just listen to the new versions of these songs on XXV. finally, i never said they sound techno, i said that they were techno influenced, which is difficult to refute
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09.03.2009 - 13:54
Rating: 9
LeChron James
Helvetesfossen
Written by jupitreas on 09.03.2009 at 13:39

i beg to disagree, i still feel that the drums on this album are clearly techno influenced, 'synthetic bass sound' or no. Besides, the triggers used here sound very synthetic to me compared to most death metal and even to most Vader albums, just listen to the new versions of these songs on XXV. finally, i never said they sound techno, i said that they were techno influenced, which is difficult to refute

maybe you listen to a different brand of techno than you do, but the kinda techno i listen to has a sort of distinctive quality in comparison to what vader uses on this album. the techno bass im used to hearing sounds nothing like the sound Vader uses in this album.
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Kick Ass, Die Young

Less is More
Stay Pure
Stay Poor

Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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26.09.2010 - 04:33
@gent_-_orange
This album just kicks your ass from start to finish 9/10
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17.03.2011 - 17:34
Cool shit!!!!
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31.10.2013 - 23:41
Rating: 10
Daniell
_爱情_
Elite
Popped up as random album, made me listen to it again. 13 years after I bought the CD (still the same copy!), it's still fucking brilliant. If there's everan encyclopedia entry for death metal, the cover of this CD should be used as an illustration. Litany has basically everything that a death metal album needs. Most notably, razor sharp riffs and inhuman drumming done by a genius drummer.
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