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Vektor > Black Future > Reviews
Vektor - Black Future

Is this the best thrash band ever? - 100%

AxlFuckingRose, February 12th, 2023

You know when it takes a couple of listens for something to click? At first, I thought Vektor was the same as any other modern metal band- overblown production, technical guitar playing, and ceaseless attempts at capitalizing on something that had been done twenty years ago. But Vektor is so much different. Part-Voivod but mostly original, the band's journey began with Black Future, which has an argument in its own right at being the best thrash album of the modern era- and I don't even think it's Vektor's best.

The guitar playing on this album is flashy but flawless, with leads that feel eccentric and vibrant without softening the core riff too much. David DiSanto's vocals sound wicked and fit the spacey theme very well, albeit it's pretty hard to understand what he's saying. This is best exemplified on "Oblivion," a steamroller of a track that whips through at lightning speed. But even when the band is operating at faster rhythms, their unpredictability is perhaps their most appealing trait. A certain riff or time signature can have you banging your head yet you have no idea if it's going to stay there or not. "Destroying the Cosmos" is a brilliant example of this, with an innumerable amount of riffs that all contribute to the whole of the song in their own unique ways.

An essence of Vektor's sound that I don't think is credited enough is their grooviness, especially for a band as sophisticated and progressive as they are. While pushing the boundary of how complex metal can be, a lot of the guitar riffs have a thick groove to them (again, "Destroying the Cosmos" is a good example) that swings perfectly with Frank Chin's bass work. Even in their mid-tempo moments, like on "Asteroid," Vektor spices up their songs by throwing a million different licks at you before cutting into a catchy bridge. But what is most fascinating about Black Future is that every single one of these ideas hits the nail on the head. There isn't an errant riff, nor an erratic drum fill, or a vocal passage that doesn't perfectly carry out its intentions. And the band's ability to stretch this out into vast, theatrical pieces like the ten-minute epic "Dark Nebula" is truly mesmerizing. Writing a ten-minute song that captivates the entire time is nearly impossible, and Vektor does it with ease.

I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the space themes, which clearly occupy a large portion of Vektor's identity. And truth be told, I don't think any band has tackled the subject with as great of ambition as Vektor. This album sounds like it was written by aliens, the album cover looks terrestrial, and the lead guitar flourishes just remind you of old Target or Voivod albums that always seemed to be obsessed with space. The lyrics, too, paint detailed scenes of life in another universe, but with more nuance than I think most novelists are even capable of.

So with that being said, does Vektor have a stake in the "best thrash band of all time" argument? Fans of every band tend to romanticize the past and limit the conversation only to bands from the 'eighties, but I think Vektor has a claim as good as anyone. Black Future is a brilliant introduction to the band with some of the best guitar work you can find, a vocal style that sounds as abrasive as it is intriguing, and seismic rhythm changes that always keep you on your toes. Truly a 10/10 album and if you called this the best thrash album of all time, I'd hear your argument and maybe even agree.

Lightning in a Bottle, Ep. III: Revenge of the Nerds - 93%

TheBurningOfSodom, November 5th, 2022

We've all been there, at least once: a band strikes absolute gold with an album, then inevitably fails to recapture whatever made it so great, as if not even they themselves were sure how they did it in the first place. Lightning in a Bottle aims to cover those (usually debut) albums that turned out to be one-time feats for their respective bands.

Finally dedicating myself to my mini-series again and eh, I figured I couldn't go on for long before delivering my first hot take (even if saying Exmortus basically ended with In Hatred's Flame can be sort of, for someone). Don't hate me. Please?

So uh, Vektor, who doesn't know them? Their recent troubles and internal turmoil put a remarkably sized halt to their momentum, but their lethal streak of three albums was sufficient to singlehandedly catapult them into the thrash metal pantheon, with their increasing technicality, progressive tendencies and flourishes alike. Suddenly, the world was ready to finally cut the youngsters around some slack, and to concede that the retro-thrash scene might have had some credibility after all, all because of the mere existence of a single band. The impact Vektor's breakthrough made on metalheads cannot be overstated, if you come to think of it. In any case, the only thing that matters is that their ascent to stardom left everybody happy and satisfied, with me, who witnessed their climb almost from their very beginnings... conflicted.

Let's take a step back. Like many others, I was immediately blown away the first time I got in contact with Black Future. I wasn't even sure of what I had heard, those shrill, unresting vocals narrating apocalyptic scenarios in space over some of the most unorthodox music I recalled at the time. It took me a while to think straight and conclude: 'yes, it's actually thrash'. But these lads had bent it and twisted it according to their will. When listened to nowadays, a whopping 13 years after its release – how time flies! – it hasn't lost a single ounce of brilliance, which is already an amazing feat per se. Already the brand-new title-track and opener, despite being arguably the least ambitious episode here, is enough to familiarize with most of the album's offerings, starting from the clinically glacial and simply perfect production that really makes the ambient immersion way easier. The quick-fire verses and incredibly simple refrains soon give way to a bridge axemen David DiSanto and Erik Nelson keep building with riff after riff, before a devastating solo rounds the whole thing off, the first of nine hints that the band's collective intention was to just slam its figurative dick upon the whole scene in act of dominance.

What follows, however, treads a similar path while constantly pushing every boundary in sight. Whether it's the no-nonsense thrashing on steroids of 'Hunger for Violence' or 'Oblivion', or the broader scope explored by the incredible 'Destroying the Cosmos' and 'Asteroid', the fil rouge that runs through and permeates Black Future is the feeling of four guys trying their damned hardest to write something never heard before at every instant. While the guitars are the predictable driving force, with the instantly recognizable riffing that could only be described as 'alien' and the consistently acrobatic, intricate leadwork climaxing in what's possibly the most insane retro thrash solo ever penned in 'Hunger for Violence', the so-called 'rhythm section' is every bit as astonishing, from the busy four strings of Frank Chin that could give Coroner's Ron Royce a run for his money at any time, to the thunderous, extremely hard-hitting drumming of Blake Anderson (barely 21 at the time of recording). The slightly nerdy and unsettling, but not overly abstruse, lyrics are the proverbial icing on the cake.

Granted, with almost 70 full minutes of material, and three songs exceeding 10 minutes in length, you have to be in the right mindset to dedicate yourself to Black Future, and while I can't say that each and every suite hits the bullseye (I found 'Dark Nebula' particularly uninteresting, and you can't exactly call it a venial flaw), everything else is simply jaw-dropping, especially coming from a band's first LP. Hexen nailed this kind of long songs with what's still my favourite example of the category ('Nocturne'), but Vektor seem to have an otherworldly consistency in this regard, and later standout songs such as 'Cosmic Cortex' and 'Recharging the Void' are a mere confirmation of said fact. Here, subpar 'Dark Nebula' aside, we still find a great closer in 'Accelerating Universe', which incorporates a long ambient middle section and some vague black metal leanings which would be further elaborated in later opuses (like also 'Destroying the Cosmos', in minor part, does), all while DiSanto's voice appears determined to reach the exosphere and witness the lyrics first-hand; but it's really 'Forests of Legend' that can brag about being the album's true masterpiece. I don't know if the idea of a dark thrash metal equivalent to something like Rush's 'The Camera Eye' makes sense, but if it does, count this song in for the contest.

I feel like I haven't even touched upon my favourite song of Black Future, but that's because, well, it isn't exactly the easiest choice I can imagine. 'Hunger for Violence' is probably what my 'boneheaded thrasher' part of me (so, more or less, me almost every day) would pick, yet the compositional labyrinth of 'Forests of Legend' is nigh unmatched... even then, there are so many memorable lead sequences scattered across the album (also in the so far ignored 'Deoxyribonucleic Acid''s smooth intro and furious bridge), and, most surprisingly, a lot of the refrains still manage to strike with the immediacy and spontaneity that would be expected more from a '80s record. So much sticks in your mind that it's not even funny. Truth is, every track encapsulates different facets of the album, each one of them makes for a great, inspiring listen when taken on its own, and you'd do yourself a disservice by not giving the whole thing a full spin (then... several more afterwards).

Well, we come to the difficult part now. With no further meandering around: I strongly doubt that Vektor ever managed to top Black Future. It definitely sounds strange since they *technically* took the right steps after it – Outer Isolation, for all intents and purposes, appeared like an attempt to capitalize on this successful formula while also trimming some excessive fat here and there, while the long-awaited Terminal Redux showed a band willing to exceed whichever limit was left untouched before – but I don't think either really worked, plain and simple. Composing the sequel to a successful debut is always a tough task, and recalling what the always spot-on Tanuki said about it, the gathering of songs of various eras was somewhat of an alarm bell, implying (may I add) that some of the earlier ones were already taken into consideration and deemed not good enough to be included on Black Future. Terminal Redux, by contrast, ended up being a burdensome behemoth of an album where, unfortunately, Vektor finally gave people reasons to call them 'pretentious' more often than you'd wish. Amusingly enough, the band's ambitions here seemed to know no limits in a better, more naive way, if that makes sense.

Yeah, I know, it's true, every other album has been a huge success in terms of reception, and you will never catch me saying that they're bad, so it might just be that the level of Black Future is so high that they seem partial failures to me, by comparison. But I'd even go as far as to say that, outside of a handful of songs combined from both LPs, I rarely feel the need to play a Vektor song that isn't among the here examined ones. Perhaps I'm the only one seeing the truth, probably it's just me being a simpleton like those of the famous Rick & Morty copypasta. Who knows?

Sadly, for all that really matters, the recent abuse allegations regarding DiSanto have rendered the band's future uncertain, seeing that no label would risk signing them at the moment. Still, we'll always have their records to play, a trifecta of albums that will be remembered by the posterity, no doubt about it. I'll probably stop at this one, but what a great one it truly is.

Black Isolation - 100%

Hames_Jetfield, December 21st, 2021

These more modern thrashers need no special introduction. In the context of the successors of such noble bands as Coroner, Voivod, Mekong Delta, Watchtower, etc., the name of Vektor quickly jumped into the league of the above-mentioned. Well...only when the band of David DiSanto released their debut "Black Future"! However, it was not an exaggeration, the first album by Vektor actually breathed life into a slightly outdated progressive thrash metal in a rather interesting way and showed that generally in metal music the last word had not been said yet.

"Black Future" is a great example that along with technical flashiness and dehumanized progression, paradoxically, it's possible to create clever and clingy, thrash metal songs. Good inspiration is one thing, but taking it into their own and adding a few non-obvious solutions is another, often unattainable challenge for many. Fortunately, this play for the Americans from Vektor came out perfectly here. In addition to the classic thrashing and not too fast galloping characteristic of this trend, "Black Future" has a lot of space for technical and progressive twists reminiscent of Coroner or Voivod. In addition, there is also blasting (more death-like), black metal tremolos, very high screeching (something like crossing such characters as Mille Petrozza, Chuck Schuldiner, Tom Araya or...even Dani Filth!) and crazy, futuristic climate. Well, all these non-obviousities have been combined into very cool and dynamic-sounding compositions. Without unnecessary frills!

The whole "Black Future", despite the fact that it reaches 68 minutes, is listened to from beginning to end with the same great fascination. The credit for, catchy and rushing songs like "Oblivion", "Asteroid" or "Hunger For Violence", but also the excellently developed and most strongly saturated with post-apo climates "Accelrating Universe", "Forests Of Legend", "Destroying The Cosmos" or "Dark Nebula". They have a lot of ideas, a lot of sensible thrashing madness, fabulous technique, twisted section, ultra-high vocals or the aforementioned, excellent s-f atmosphere. So everything that shows David DiSanto's group as musicians who take great inspiration from the classics, and at the same time have an idea for themselves and are able to create compositions at the highest level.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2021/12/vektor-black-future-2009.html

Vektor - Black Future - 100%

Orbitball, August 6th, 2020
Written based on this version: 2009, CD, Heavy Artillery Records

This album is incredible. The amount of work it took to put it together, riffs and all was probably a while! David DiSanto is probably one of the top progressive thrash metal guitarists known. His work is quite technical! The rhythms and leads are outstanding. I'm glad the band reformed, though with some different musicians. That is fine as long as they can keep up with this guy. Vektor is a band with an acquired taste to them, they're not for everybody. Even though they're not for everybody doesn't mean that metalheads should disrespect their work. This album quite resoundingly is just an ass-kicker. So fast in many parts, yet there are parts where tempos slow down.

I liked all the songs on here and felt that every single one of them was put heart and soul into. The main things I like about it ARE the tempo changes and vocals. David's high-end screams shriek but most of the time they're tolerable. The abilities here with the songwriting capabilities are just astounding. I don't care what anyone says, Vektor is in a league of their own. Far surpasses a lot of bands nowadays. These guys are truly respectable individuals in terms of music, maybe not morals. But that's not what concerns me here. All I care about is the band's music, not lifestyle habits or way of life. As long as they can hack it here, that is what matters.

I've been able to find this album in a local record store actually, it only took 10 years to show up at a record store. I thought being Vektor it's gotta be good. And as I came to believe that it was a good choice! The songs on here are somewhat long, some the tracks are over 10 minutes in length. But they never get boring. They're more interesting the more you listen to them. Being a former guitarist, I notice things about the riffs and that the tremolo picking is superior, the leads spellbinding! These guys are far above being amateurs. They're way more advanced, the music just slays. I wouldn't say any song on here is "dull." Quite the contrary.

Since I bought the physical CD, doesn't mean that it is required. As long as you get to hear this is what matters. But showing that you support the band in any way, that is what counts. These guys I hope will stick around for a long while. It's been 10+ years so far (with gaps), so I hope they will endure a long career. I always say to support the band by buying their album, but now people mostly revert to digitally downloading albums. Some of my friends don't even have a CD player! But stay old school and buy the CD if you still have a device that plays it! Vektor is sticking around, and what a debut 'Black Future' is and what they all have become!

Black to the Future - 88%

Tanuki, March 27th, 2017

I have trekked far across the infinite cosmos of sci-fi thrash, having seen more uses of the word 'void' than a Microsoft contract, and even more thrash bands that have grabbed hold of Vektor's coattails like they're the one waitress in a country club full of douches. Now, I don't mean to criticize the admirable efforts of bands like Vexovoid, Sculptor Void, or Zero Void, but right now I'd rather take the time to analyze what made Vektor's 2009 debut Black Future so influential and inspiring in the first place.

In the late 00's, the NWOTM scene was already over-saturated with retro posturing, but there weren't many acts with the cojones to hearken back to the maverick times of 90's technical thrash. This was an offshoot defined by warping tempos and time signatures, eccentric vocalists, sporadic clean sections, and all sorts of other things that were difficult to emulate convincingly. Think about it; would you rather write fast, monotone riffs and shout about warm beer and poser warfare, or write crazy arpeggios and shriek about world-ending syzygies? Vektor opted for the latter, and crafted intricate thrash epics with a unique sound and a psychotic attention to detail. Personally I would draw comparisons to Mekong Delta and Coroner, but something about that logo tells me the band also had a soft spot for Voivod. Just a hunch.

Tracks like 'Dark Nebula' and 'Forests of Legend' are marathon runners, imposing in their length but expertly paced so they never lag behind. Not a single passage sounds repetitive or aimless, with the atmospheric, synth-heavy sections of the latter feeling weighty and drenched in cryptic emotion. Strictly regimented song structures ensure riffs never overstay their welcome either, with bridges and hooks on constant alert to keep compositions feeling fresh and flexible. The eccentric, bass-cadenced refrain of 'Hunger for Violence' is one of the countless examples of this.

Mentioning David DiSanto's avian-like shrieks is as inevitable as the cheap anatomical joke that usually accompanies them. In case you weren't aware, DiSanto sounds as if something is adversely affecting his testes during the delivery of his piercing screams. Maybe its icy water, a car door, or a high-heeled boot, but either way I recall many people were derisive about the extreme falsetto at first. And I was not one of them. A vocalist must mirror the eccentricity of his riffs and drumlines; rule number one of technical thrash, people. Had DiSanto delivered a dolorous, dime-a-dozen dog-bark like so many other modern thrash bands, I don't think Black Future would have sounded half as captivating.

After the success of Black Future, it's fair to say both he and the rest of the band would become very sure of themselves during subsequent albums, and you can interpret that any way you wish. Although just as prodigious, the intensified theatrics and the even greater emphasis on extravagant bizarreness of Outer Isolation and Terminal Redux would prove polarizing, to say the least. I feel many metalheads lost some of their enthusiasm for Vektor soon after their subsequent albums, and you can interpret that any way you wish, also.

Sci-fi or die! - 94%

Apocolocyntosis, August 5th, 2015

Riffs. Holy riffs. Vektor have got serious talent. Within seconds of putting on Black Future you are bound to have your face melted by the most powerful riffs in the cosmos. Vektor knows how to shred fast and shred well. This is an album full of powerful riffs and lead guitar work. The amount of speed and precision displayed by Vektor is mind bending. Every single song on this album is a dose of sci-fi fueled progressive thrash that is utterly inimitable.

The most obvious unique factor of Vektor might be lead singer David DiSanto’s vocal style; he has a raspy growl that he can turn up into a high-pitched falsetto screech. It is immediately impressive upon first listen and is a great accompaniment to the instrumentation. The raspy growls give it the edge that one would expect from modern extreme metal and the shrieks pay homage to thrash bands of past eras. That being said, they are truly unique vocals and make listening to Vektor a fresh experience.

David DiSanto’s talents don’t end with his vocal prowess - he is also one of the band’s guitarists. The guitars on Black Future sound great, both the distortion and clean tone. You can easily make out the precision with which each note is hit. It all makes listening to Vektor’s riffs all the more pleasing. The riffs found here are not your run of the mill thrash riffs repeated over and over again. These are fresh and fast. Vektor could riff circles around nearly any other thrash band out there. Just listen to the intro to track six “Deoxyribonucleic Acid” and hear the incredibly fast hammer-ons and pull-offs. Or listen to the end of track three “Destroying the Cosmos” and listen to the tremolo picking the guitar solo flows into right before the song ends. Every song on Black Future has riffs that make you feel like you are flying through the stars at the speed of light.

The drumming is just as talented as the other aspects on the album. Blake Anderson manages to do it all: he plays complex patterns, champions time changes, unleashes blast beats, and executes tasteful fills. It is all fast, precise, and impressive, and compliments the instrumentation. The bass guitar is also spot on, and though it doesn’t get to be in the spotlight quite like the guitars do, it fills out the sound and completes the band.

All of the songs break from the traditional thrash school of songwriting and are definitely influenced by a more progressive structure. The riffs are creative and not overused or overly repetitious. They serve to tell a musical story on each song and it is this musical narrative that makes this rather long album feel quite short. Each song has a clear direction, Vektor never finds themselves meandering or wandering, wondering where to take their song. Like plotting coordinates through hyperspace, there is always a destination.

All the complementary elements of Black Future make it work very well. Their unique style and memorable songs make this is a must-have thrash album. Hell, it is a must-have metal album, for that matter! Vektor is playing some of the best thrash in the galaxy, so don’t miss out.

Thrash revival done properly - 89%

psychosisholocausto, February 24th, 2013

The thrash revival movement is somewhat of a touchy subject for many a seasoned veteran of the genre. Whilst bands such as Bonded By Blood and Lich King have a few decent songs and are just about listenable they are certainly a far cry from the days when thrash was consistently gifting many amazing bands. The core difference between Bonded By Blood and many of the old thrash bands such as Anthrax, Megadeth, Kreator, Coroner and Annihilator is that each of those older thrash bands had at least one release to truly be proud of and brag about and that laid the template for what each of these rip-off revival bands have attempted to create. From the modern thrash scene however there is one band that can truly be mentioned up there among the best of the bands in the genre and that is Vektor.

Hailing from Tempe, Arizona, Vektor are a four piece outfit formed originally in 2002. The band are heavily inspired by Voivod but this is only limited to their progressive style of thrash metal as the band's first album proved. Vektor combine intricate song structures with a variety of riff tempos and some highly technical guitar work alongside David DiSanto's murderous screaming vocals. To date they have released two albums entitled Black Future and Outer Isolation of which both received mass acclaim from the thrash metal community with the first of the two generally being considered to be the best and a third album is penned in for a 2013 release.

Released in 2009 on Heavy Artillery Records, Black Future is an album that sounds completely fresh among a collection of revival groups that sound like carbon copies of their influences. In place of the reliance on fast tremolo picked guitar lines and barked vocals Vektor brought something new to the table. The first track instantly captures the listener's ear and doesn't let go until the full album has finished by which time you are flat on the floor wondering what just hit you. The guitar work on this release is about as varied as it gets, as is immediately evidenced by the thrilling title track. The song opens up with some slower chord based riffs before plunging headlong into a lightning fast verse riff that still remains marvelously creative. If your jaw is not already on the flaw by now with absolute awe then the ridiculously well placed guitar fill after the chorus should do so. This is also an album that does not let its solos dissolve into mindless shred fests as this song also shows with a fantastic solo that sounds so great within the context of the album and adds the icing to an already amazing cake.

The vocals are another factor for this albums success with David DiSanto sounding like M-16-era Tom AngelRipper possessed by a demon. Throughout the duration of this album he gurgles and shrieks his lungs out and it is a wonder that he did not completely destroy his throat. The vocals on here are the perfect fit for the lyrics that are being spewed forth, and anyone who can resist shrieking "Black Future!" alongside David's vocal patterns is beyond hope. The bass work on this release is fantastic to say the least as it does not rely on merely following the guitars all the time as is the norm in thrash metal and is completely audible throughout. The drumming is chaotic and varied, constantly adjusting to fit the never-ending stream of speed changes. This album has a constant feeling of intensity due to the bands reliance on playing as technically as they can even during the slower sections of the album which is a joy to behold and could not sound better if they had tried.

The progressive side of this band is also something really amazing with two songs clocking in at ten minutes and one being nearly fourteen. Many thrash songs that would aspire to clock in at these sort of lengths would descend into mindless snooze-fests but this is something that Vektor got right. The song structures are constantly adjusting and evolving meaning that even the longest of songs on the album do not get remotely boring. Vektor may well be the only thrash band in existence that have the talent to create a thirteen and a half minute long song of pure thrash that never ceases to amaze. This is a band that does not know how to not fire on all cylinders and put in one hundred and ten percent effort as both their albums can stand testament to. The only song that could be considered filler is the second song, Oblivion, which is just a little too predictable when compared to the rest of the album and therefore does not feel quite at home here. However every other song is a masterpiece in its own right and this is perhaps the finest attempt at a thrash revival album by any band to date. This is actually so good that it destroys many of the albums it bases itself off.

From the dark and chaotic sound of the album to the faint jazz influence to the manic song structures, Black Future is an album that succeeds on every level and is an album that will never fail to amaze. I recommend this to anyone who wants a progressive metal album that constantly evolves and remains exciting all the way through.

There definitely is a lot of potential in this - 85%

kluseba, February 25th, 2012

Vektor is without a doubt a band with a whole lot of potential. From a technical point of view, they are very talented and also diversified. The problem is that they don't have a quite unique sound and remind me of many other bands.

The first couple of tracks that kick off this record in a rather weak and closed minded pattern have a traditional thrash and black metal vibe that make me think of Slayer or Venom without reaching the originality of these two brands that defined the metal scene thirty years ago or so.

The more progressive tracks as well as many lyrics are clearly influenced by Voivod while the melodic guitar solos have a touch of Iron Maiden. The first great tracks are the calmer and atmospheric songs like the slow and slightly soft experiment "Destroying The Cosmos" or "Forests Of Legend". When the band reaches this kind of quality in the song writing, one doesn't care about the fact that they stole some ideas from here and there but this song is rather a very positive exception on this record. These two tracks are full of breathtaking changes, great melodies and energizing blackened thrash vocals.

The last couple of tracks like "Dark Nebula" are though the best ones on this output make me think of the best works of Absu. The epic final track "Accelerating Universe" never gets too boring in over thirteen minutes of running time and shows the whole creativity of the band. These four tracks leave me wanting more and prove that the strong side of the band is clearly their progressive approach and they just need some time to innovate their very own style in this genre to become a true new legend. The other five tracks are good but definitely not very outstanding in my humble opinion.

This band is inspired by many great artists that all fit together and give this record a great flow but they still fail to invent something new. If you already know the mentioned bands above than the only good reason to check this first strike of the Arizonan band out would be the fact that you really like the genre and want to listen this kind of music and filling a gap while you wait for a new record coming from Absu or Voivod for example. The potential is though definitely there, the album is a grower and I will soon try out the band's brand new second try after this promising discovery.

Vektor - Black Future - 70%

ConorFynes, December 12th, 2011

As much as I have attempted to explore it, I cannot say that I have been able to decipher- much less appreciate the trend of thrash metal. There have certainly been bands in the style that I have greatly enjoyed, but as a whole, I cannot understand thrash's fixation with speed and soloing over what I perceive to be musicality, not to mention the fact that so many of the bands seem content to mirror the existing sounds of the style. On that note, I see a world of potential when the aggression of thrash is melded with more progressive sensibilities. Voivod pulled it off beautifully, and now Vektor- a thrash band from Arizona- is taking thrash and going somewhere interesting with it. True enough, Vektor's debut 'Black Future' is not revolutionizing the sounds of the genre by any degree, but the band's greater depth in their composition makes them one of the best greatest bands in the thrash revival movement.

From their logo and album artwork alone, I get the feeling that Vektor is taking after more classic progressive thrash outfits, most notably Voivod and Toxik. The music generally follows suit with this, although there is certainly a drawn influence from the more straightforward acts like Slayer and Exodus. The music is fast and furious for the most part, relying on riffs that immerse themselves in technical finesse as well as a rawer aggression that I sense often in the style. Balancing this out though is a dynamic, not only from heaviness to softer moments, but also in tempo. Often, the band will go from a blistering foray of furious soloing and likeminded rhythms, and then break down into something more atmospheric and doomy. The fast parts are admittedly fairly generic from an instrumental standpoint, but the fact that these compositions are given more than one-gear speed is enough to make Vektor stand apart from most in my books.

Maybe the best thing about Vektor are the vocals, performed here by David Disanto. Leading Vektor with higher pitched rasps, the sheer range that he is able to take his voice into is astounding. With one moment on the title track coming to mind, Disanto is able to create these vast inhales that sound almost inhuman. I do get the impression that the album goes on a tad too long, and despite the progressive tendencies of the band, some of the songs here do feel as if they thrash along a little past what would have been optimal. All the same, Vektor's 'Black Future' is a very good debut, taking the best parts of thrash metal and making an album that is both intelligent and a hell of a lot of fun.

Vektor - Black Future - 90%

Podgie, October 2nd, 2010

I heard great things flying around the thrash community about Arizona’s Vektor, but I made a point of not judging and jumping on the band’s wagon before hearing Black Future properly. So when my copy finally arrived, I allowed it to consume my attention entirely; and I have to say, I don't think it has received any false praise.

Musically, this album is fantastic, and for the first time in a while I feel confident in saying that, while Vektor’s influences are obvious, this is a truly fresh and original thrash album. It manages to be consistently progressive and complex without losing any aggression and, more importantly, without coming across pretentious. In fact, I actually believe the longer, more complex songs on the album are the finest, with the pick of the bunch for me undoubtedly being the eerie Forests of Legend, which features a riff reminiscent of Rust In Peace-era Megadeth.

As well as the complex song structures and technical playing I think what really sets this album apart from the rest of the new wave of thrash are the vocals. It didn’t surprise me to see Disanto name Emperor among his influences, as at times his vocals are almost shrieking, while avoiding sounding unpleasant or over the top. They’re also reminiscent of the high pitched, thrashier style vocals of Destruction’s Schmier. While all his influences are clear, Disanto manages to maintain his own style throughout the record, and while this may not be to everybody’s taste, it complements the music very well and adds another dimension to the already outlandish sound. Lyrically, the album doesn’t disappoint either. With its underlying theme of space, time and giant galactic overlords it touches on such topics as the natural word, ancient civilizations, genetic engineering, society’s downfall, the consuming, tyrannical wars of man and the inevitable extinction of the human race. Pretty cool, huh?

The futuristic, apocalyptic imagery aside this is a simply great metal record. The musicianship on display is insane, especially the guitar work. Both guitarists perform superbly, and there’s no lack of exciting riffs or impressive solos. Not forgetting Vektor’s rhythm sections, who are both clearly extremely proficient musicians as well, always adding more and more feeling to the already energetic sound.

Overall I think Black Future is an accomplished modern thrash album which incorporates elements of death and black metal, which makes for a challenging yet enjoyable listen. Thoroughly recommended, and definitely a band for the (black) future!

These guys have a bright looking future ahead. - 99%

Henkkasd, August 21st, 2010

This is the ordinary story that most people seem to have gone; when I first saw the album cover I thought that Vektor is obviously a Voivod ripoff band. From the first seconds of the album I knew I was wrong.

The first thing that pops in mind is how well all the instruments work together. The drumming is precise, the riffing is tight, the bass doesn't play just one note bars but the figures are actually really cool. I have to say something about the vocals also. Vektor's vocalist David DiSanto is an AMAZING vocalist. His vocal range is beyond imagination. Most of the time the vocals remind of Destruction's Schmier, but when he unleashes his soaring screams, you're left your brains on the wall wondering; "is that even possible?".

The guitarwork is what really sticks out on the album. The guitars are tuned ½ steps up from the standard guitar tuning, which gives a rather different approach to the riffing. I haven't heard similar riffing ever in my life. Once you think a riff reminds you of something they smash a completely different kind of riff right in to your face, yet the quality of the riffs stays constantly high. Another pleasant surprise is that there aren't as many solos as you could expect. The solos are almost magically placed, they are almost every time there where you would say "this part could use a solo" and they are short and never climax into a wank-fest, which is surprising considering that the guitarists are really skilled.

What I have to mention about the album is the song structures. This is where the progressive influence raises it's head. The song lenghts vary from Deoxyribonucleic Acid's 4:45 to Accelerating Universe's 13:31, which is mind-blowing considering this is a thrash metal record. The songwriting is really tasty, the "calm before the storm" effect is used only a couple of times, and the fast and slow parts are balanced just right so that the listener doesn't get exhausted.

This album isn't flawless though, because two of the tracks (Oblivion and Destroying The Cosmos) are recycled from the 2006 debut album Demolition. Though this is a really, really minor flaw, it keeps this album from receiving a full 100.

Destruction, Ihsahn and Mike Browning? Thrash? - 70%

morbert, July 29th, 2010

There are moment I listen to Black Future and think ‘this is brilliant’ or ‘other retro-thrash acts can pack it in and leave’. However there are equally as many as moments which bore me or I just find contrived and unnatural. The thrash metal aspect of Vektor just winks at Voivod’s logo but the music has more Destruction and Coroner influences and even Terror Squad from Japan comes to mind whereas some riffs even refer to the first 2 Prong albums.

The vocals are mostly reminiscent of Schmier with some excessive blackish moments and it’s more than once one feels the need to scream ‘Curse The Gods’ throughout this entire Vektor album. On the first verse of ‘Asteroid’ I actually get the feeling I’m listening to Sabina Classen whereas the screaming of the title... well hello Schmier again!

What Vektor does is mixing the more aggressive and darker thrash with dissonant late eighties experimentalism and some overly clear black metal riffing (‘Dark Nebula’ is more black than thrash, honestly and the middle section has Nocturnus written all over it).. Hell, on the middle section of ‘Accelerating Universe’ I even think about Maiden’s ‘Remember Tomorrow’, Primordial and somewhere a spacey Nocturnus feeling.
So, all in all, Vektor, although being heralded by some as the new thrash revelation, is a band I wouldn’t actually consider thrash metal. They’re a well contrived crossover (in the true sense of the word) of black, prog and thrash. Prog blackthrash if you’d like.

And now for the important question, are they good? Well, musically they are in perfect working order, however compositionally they’re rather inconsistent. Opener ‘Black Future’ probably is their best track already. The balance between styles is perfect and the song doesn’t have a compositional copy-paste feeling. It’s as if this song wrote itself. On some songs like ‘Oblivion’ great parts are mixed with dull stuff. The intro brings Emperor’s ‘Prometheus’ to mind before plunging into old school speed metal after about 50 second and going full-on Destruction again at the 1:30 mark.

It’s pretty hard to write songs that incorporate so much yet still giving them an organic flow. This is were Vektor still fall a bit short on SOME songs. At those moments it’s as if half the riffs ands parts are written by an old thrasher and the other half by a huge fan of Emperor’s IX Equilibrium & Prometheus albums and no one had a clue as to how these could be mixed into a cohesive product. Also the songs in which the emphasis is more on black than thrash (the earlier mentioned Dark Nebula) the band falls somewhat short and I skip these songs most of the time or just put on the real Emperor or whatever.

However, when the band succeed, they rule and they rule big time. It’s especially their longer songs which take more time to explore everything their music is about, making Forests of Legend and Accelerating Universe the absolute highlights on the album. If their next release has the quality of those two songs I just mentioned, this band could become bigger than some people could imagine right now.

For now, this album from a more than promising new band has just too much filler to give it a high score but reveals a rough diamond which I hope becomes priceless one day.

Gravitation holds our place - 90%

autothrall, December 4th, 2009

At first glance, I saw this Arizona band's logo and cried out in vain. IMPOSTORS! BLASPHEMY! Who would dare to profane the very Canadian Gods themselves by aping their look and style? Then I actually listened to the album, and found that, while there is obviously some tiny influence from Voivod, the logo is more of a tribute than any statement of stylistic plagiarism. I also discovered that Vektor are a pretty kick ass band with enormous potential. This is tech thrash, with a progressive edge in so much that they very carefully build complex tracks loaded with good riffing that not only flogs your bottom, but actually experiments with mood and atmsophere.

Perhaps a better comparison for this band would be a mix of early Atheist, (sped-up) Death, Deathrow (during their tech phase), Sadus and the obscure NY band Terrahsphere, sans the wild vocals. That is not to say David Disanto does not go off with his impetuous, diabolical snarling, and his delivery certainly cuts through the band's dense rhythmic explorations and 'wall of thrash' approach. Though I don't find this album a be all, end all masterpiece of the genre, it is an extremely refreshing listen, because there simply aren't many bands out there anymore who perform in this style, and Vektor offer a lot more sheer riffing than almost any other young thrash act in the world. Talented is an understatement, because this band's musical skill should turn more heads than Kristen Stewart at the Jr. Vampire Merit Badge convention.

Each track is an exercise in style, beginning with the titular piece, a flurry of intense guitar spikes that flank Disanto's Schmier-like extremities. At the 2 minute mark, the band breaks into this amazing trot with a few layers of guitarwork blowing your mind at once, before a solid thrash breakdown and then some further adventures off into the bleak dystopian rust of the band's lyrical musings. "Oblivion" is given a little kick by Blake Anderson, soon joined by some neo-classic weavings and a good punchy rhythmic thrust. "Destroying the Cosmos" channels everything from Voivod to a little touch of black metallic chord in the galloping riff that precedes the spurious verse. "Forests of Legend" is ambitious, 10+ minutes that kick off with a brilliant acoustic passage lathed in ambient woodland sounds. But fear not, after this moment passes you get nine more in which the band explores a wide spectrum of insanity, and as usual the little plucky guitar melodies that dwell just at the edge of the thick central riffing recall the beautiful surgical misantrhopy of Deathrow's Deception Ignored. The fact you can write a song this long, in this style, and not make someone lose patience speaks volumes.

'Voices from inside seem to pull you in
Dark wisdom runs on the still, damp wind
Glow of the eye, fear the gaze
The great ape returns disconnected and changed'

"Hunger for Violence" is perhaps one of the most Voivod-like compositions, its opening chords jangle with strange symmetry like something from Dimension Hatross, and as it develops it feels like Piggy and crew jamming with, say, Theory in Practice from Sweden. "Deoxyribonucleic Acid" opens with a classy, Maiden-like riff sped up and ascending into scientific thrashing precision. "Asteroid" tones down the technicality to rock your face off for a few minutes, straying a little further out near the climax of the track as it develops an incredible, thundering extra-worldy charge, the solid bass erupting below like Lemmy if he were to build a time machine and hurl his alma mater Hawkwind a few hundreds years into the actual future. The album then closes with two more epic-length compositions...highly ambitious. "Dark Nebula" is like Pink Floyd's "Astronimy Domine" being covered by alien virtuosos, and no coincidence, another of the few tracks here that really showcases a little of the Voivod influence. "Accelerating Universe" crowns off the album with an initial, anthemic Metallica thrash hammering and then journeys through about 13 minutes of diversity, culminating in the psychedelic, amazing atmosphere beyond the 7 minute mark.

Vektor is simply insane. Here we have a thrash metal band with all the right influence, all the right lyrics, and ZERO retrospective stupidity. For any who doubt the genre's viability in the 21st century, this is another album that begs you to GUESS AGAIN. If you enjoy riffs and technicality with your thrash or death, you owe it to yourself to give this is a listen. I won't say it's perfect, because the actual memorability of the songs could still use some work, but the band excels in nearly every department and there are enough moments of mirth here to grant Black Future some very high honors indeed.

Highlights: Destroying the Cosmos, Forest of Legend, Hunger for Violence, Dark Nebula

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Black Future - 90%

Memnarch, November 22nd, 2009

First thing that struck me about this album is the logo, it is clearly homage to Canadian progressive thrash pioneers Voivod. Vektor are a band of similar mould from south of the border to Voivod. Recently signed to Heavy Artillery, they unleashed their second album earlier this week, and I have to say, it's an absolute needed kick up the ass to modern thrash metal. The lyrics are not your standard thrash fare, no inane political agenda, no bone headed 'lets party, drink and fuck till deathhh!!!' philosophy here, but Vektor deal with... Astrophysics? Certainly an odd one, but very interesting.

Musically, Vektor sound like what Voivod would sound like, with Schmier on vocals. The music teeters on the boundary between the crossover styling of thrash and a more progressive type of the genre like Voivod. The first song 'Black Future' opens with a heavy chugging riff which immediately runs into a melodic lead and absolute feral, snarling vocals . The album is full of fresh, rolling heavy riffs which should get the head banging. A suprising aspect of the album is that there is three songs over 10 minutes each, which is extremely odd for a thrash album. The songs never get tired, no riff ever outstays it's welcome and before you know it, the band change rhythm completely or unleash a face melting solo of unbelievable technical skill. The guitar playing is extremely tight and varied throughout the whole album, and the vocals are probably the best point about the whole album, vicious and in your face, the way it should be, but most importantly original, which is alot more than can be said about the likes of their peers today. The drumming is precise and very well executed, giving the rest of the music a sturdy backbone.

Instead of just sitting back and aping their heroes, as is the case with their peers, they take their style and push the perceived boundaries to what is regarded 'thrash' these days. It is an extremely well received breath of fresh air to the thrash scene in my eyes, and for such a young band, they can only go onwards and upwards. Heavy Artillery seem to have a knack for finding extremely talented young bands, long may they keep it up. It's great to hear music with such magnitude and direction these days.