Worth the Effort: The Art of War - Vader - 2005

Some post-holiday record store browsing led me to a little Vader EP from 2005, The Art of War. Absolutely appetized for more Vader as a result of Welcome to the Morbid Reich, I have had the eyes open for more material by the band and snatched this CD up with no hesitation. With six tracks, I didn't know if it would be an EP or full-length and really had no idea what The Art of War would contain. Turns out it's got fourteen minutes of music, two instrumental/intro tracks and about seven million riffs. Want tight, precise, loud blast beats and teeth-rattling rumbling low end?  You're set. Want solos? "What Colour is Your Blood" tears it up. Want evil vocals that don't require a lyric sheet read along? All set. The best EPs often serve as a distillation, an unsullied shot of all of a band's finest qualities and The Art of War comes across as just that (based on the one album I currently know which is, of course, one hell of an album).

The Art of War is an absolutely marvelous slice of death metal and, reading up after my first listen, apparently out of print. Insane. I don't know the catalogue well enough to say that this hasn't been tacked onto another full-length but believe all tracks are exclusive to this EP with no recycled/reworked/rehashed maxi-single BS happening here. I do know that I can easily recommend paying the $12+ used copies are currently demanding on Amazon (or the dedicated can dole out the $35-40 a new Japanese import appears to cost). I've only dipped a toe into the Vader pool and I don't know if I am just lucky or if it's all this damn good. Here's hoping. It'll be fun finding out. I just ordered Sothis, Litany and Impressions in Blood. Next: gotta catch these guys live when they make it to the USA.