Polish death metal veterans Vader are a band that doesn't really need any introduction. They have kept releasing one quality death metal album after the other ever since their debut album The Ultimate Incantation was released on Earache Records back in 1993 and now they are back with their fifth full-length release The Beast and they are showing no signs of compromise whatsoever.

Vader doesn't in any way surprise this time either but that's fine 'cause it's always nice to know that there are bands you can trust when it comes to sticking to the roots. The band delivers what over the years has come to be the very synonym of Polish death metal and that is catchy and pretty diverse death metal with a stint of groove. All this is beautifully bonded together by manic leads and plenty of breaks that leave the listener back craving for even more of this highly addictive mixture. All the songs are of equal high quality but there are a few ones that really stick out like for instance "Dark Transmission" which has a really groove and thrash metal-like feel to it and then there's the extremely diverse "The Sea Came in At Last" which has some black metal elements in it. Vader doesn't disappoint this time either and seriously I can't really find anything to complain about. The Beast is an album that lies a good deal above the average but without ever becoming totally breath taking.