Review Summary: Polarising vocals aside, The Ultimate Incantation is an album with some truly excellent drumming and a lot of good riffs, that would have benefitted from some more aggressive cuts at the editing table.
If one were to take elements of Slayer and Morbid Angel and then throw them in a blender, then the Polish death metal band Vader would be the result. Utilizing the general riff structure and bizarre chaotic soloing of the former, whilst taking heavy inspiration from the blast beats and guttural vocals that characterized the latter, they would eventually stumble upon a winning formula, and many would argue they even hit the ground running with their highly successful demo. The band formed in the mid-1980s, but it wasn't until 1992 when their debut studio album, The Ultimate Incantation, would be released, and this is an album that is mostly solid, but clearly the band had some growing pains that needed ironing out in the following months and years.
To start with a positive, most of the riffing here is excellent. Final Massacre contains a couple of infectious moments, with the first minute standing out as the strongest such period on the album. The Crucified Ones shows off the band's ability to nail the mid-paced riffing that is interspersed throughout each of their albums to great effect, and most of the songs here are flooded with breakneck tremolo riffing that clearly owes more than a little to Slayer's seminal Reign In Blood. In addition to the mostly competent guitar work, the drumming is absolutely stellar here. Whether it be the heart attack-inducing blast beats or the more relaxed moments, the tempos established by the drums are always absolutely on point. This is perhaps the most distinguished aspect of the band's sound on this album, with some truly brilliant passages that excel.
Sadly, the band were not firing on all cylinders throughout this album. One polarising aspect of the sound here is the vocals from Piotr, and my own feeling is that he really lets the side down on this one. Whilst the drums and guitar work are creating an enthralling and atmospheric sound much of the time, Piotr's vocals sound so forced and breathy, almost to the point of caricature. This was an issue that would somewhat be negated as they progressed through their career, but on this album if he doesn't sound outright poor, he certainly sounds disconnected from the rest of the sound. Furthermore, the abundance of Slayer-sounding guitar solos here sound completely out of place. What was acceptable on a 1986 thrash masterpiece, sadly, is unforgivable here when the riffs are so varied and meticulous. After a brief introductory track, Dark Age contains multiple of these solos and gives a bad impression of the lead work immediately, and this continues throughout the album. One solo that is something of a saving grace for the package as a whole is that found on Chaos, which absolutely shreds.
Another aspect of this album I take issue with is the structuring of the songs, and the songwriting itself. Whilst many of the riffs are good when taken in isolation, or in small bursts, forty-eight minutes is just a little too much time for an album as two-dimensional as this one. Reign Carrion is a prime example of a song that could have been reduced at the editing table, with its first half feeling a little too long for its own good. This album has the sound of a band yet to truly hit their stride, and yet clearly one possessed of so much potential. It has a good overall sound to it, with a meaty production and some excellent instrumentation that is let down by a few too many flaws. Overall, a good listen, but this band would go on to release so much better.
