The Pitch: Philly Sci Fi, blackened, progressive thrash outfit Vektor dropped this beast back in May, I finally get around to reviewing it.
What I Like: The guitars own this album. I adore the fusion of thrash speed and tone with the wonky, proggy arrangements. It sounds like Absu channeled through Exodus or Kreator. But no single instrument should take all the credit. The drumming is equally manical with its constantly shifting time signatures and somewhat improvisational-sounding fills. The bass guitar also makes its presence known throughout the album with an approach that does far more than fill out the basic melody.
What I Don't Like: I still contend that that the vocals could be a little stronger, but they work and also keep the album extreme. Also, while I don't hate "Collapse," I don't love it either. The transition is too jarring and the singing reminds me of the parts of Alkaloid that initially turned me off to that project as well.
The Verdict: For some reason Terminal Redux didn't click for me back in May, but given the sheer amount of times it came back up during list season I felt the need to give it another go. It seems that sometimes the masses are right. Definitely the best thrash album of the year and worthy of all of the top 10 support it recieved. Big 4 be damned.
Flight's Fav's: Charging the Void, LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease), Pteropticon