Hell Only Knows

Being a fan of the more extreme styles of metal, I usually avoid metal bands that play lighter and 'happier' forms of the genre. Speed metal, however, is a genre that seems to straddle the fine line between thrash metal and power metal, having the aggressive qualities of thrash metal and the epic mood usually associated with power metal. Vastator is one of the few bands that play pure speed metal without crossing over into thrash or standard power/heavy metal territory.

The main element of this album which makes it what it is, in my opinion, is the vocal performance. The vocalist, Nelson, has an amazing range and sings with such vigor and emotion, it makes most heavy metal vocalists seem lethargic and dull. Like a general leading his troops into battle, Nelson is always at the forefront of the musical onslaught in the faster sections and in the slower sections he continues to drive the music forward – at times it seems as if he is bending the guitar riffs according to his will. In the slower songs (and slower sections in certain songs) his singing morphs into a more soulful style, but the fire in his voice is always there.

The instrumental work here is pretty solid. The guitar work is decent, and the riffs are usually fast thrash metal riffs with a healthy dose of epicness thrown in. The guitar solos are also very cool and they usually have a good middle eastern vibe to them. The drumwork is also very solid but they have a very annoying clunky sound at times. Peyote, the bassist, does a fine job with his interesting basslines.

The overall music is pretty much Iron Maiden/Judas Priest at the core, but a lot more intense. This is a good album and I'd recommend it to fans of speed metal. To me, this is just one of those albums that, after listening once or twice, you won't experience the urge to listen again. But in a world where pure speed metal is hard to come by, Vastator could be one of the better bands of the genre.

(originally written for archaic-magazine.com)