Vader - The Ultimate Incantation (1992)

And here's another brutal death metal hammering for your skull to withstand. Vader's debut album is thought of highly by death metal maniacs worldwide, some even suggesting it betters Morbid Angel's 'Altars Of Madness,' now, although I disagree with that it's neither here nor there, because 'The Ultimate...' is still a fine death metal offering. As usual there is a variety of dynamics on offer, from mid tempo face ripping chugs to hyper speed teeth pulling, and ratehr strangely, a few Morbid Angel inspired moments too such as the grotesque attack of 'One Step To Salvation.' 'The Ultimate...' like so many other death metal albums is a quality record, there's no doubt about that but since the late '80s it's been very difficult to stand out from the crowd, and for me this band sit mid table in a league of highly accomplished bands and I'll always find myself returning to Morbid Angel, Death, Obituary, Entombed and the like, but that's not to say that Vader don't provide a brutal experience, but it's just not 'the ultimate' as the title suggests. 7/10