TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  Cosmic Cortex
2.  Echoless Chamber
3.  Dying World
4.  Tetrastructural Minds
5.  Venus Project
6.  Dark Creations, Dead Creators
7.  Fast Paced Society
8.  Outer Isolation

Total playing time:  51:43

Release Date: November 22, 2011
Label: Heavy Artillery Records

Vektor - Outer Isolation

Reviewer: Garett

December 12, 2011

Vektor established themselves as one of the few truly forward thinking bands associated with the retro-thrash movement with their 2009 album Black Future.  The technical/progressive edge that bands like Voivod, Coroner and Sadus brought into the genre is a stone that the thrash revival has left largely unturned.  By mixing some of those elements with the more extreme styling of classic German thrash, Vektor have created a rather unique sound.  On Outer Isolation, Vektor have developed their sound even further by expanding their formula and ironing out some rough edges. 

The thing that really jumps out at me when I listen to Outer Isolation is the skill with which different styles are blended together.  “Cosmic Cortex” immediately makes this point, blending thrash‘s signature choppy riffing with a liberal dose of progressive lead guitar work.  The song is further diversified with some nice straight ahead blasting, and a well conceived breakdown.  The faster elements and some of the lead guitar here actually remind me of the technical death metal that bands like Cynic and Atheist were playing in the early 90’s.   This is a theme that comes up time and time again on Outer Isolation, particularly in songs like “Fast Paced Society” and “Dying World.”   Despite frequent forays into both more extreme and more progressive territory, Vektor’s identity as a thrash band remains uncompromised.  The outside influences are being used to enhance thrash songs, and it is the more focused thrash elements that really make the album what it is. 

It is also worth noting that David Disanto has really developed his vocals since Black Future was released.  His voice sounds a bit more harsh this time around, and would almost be a good fit for a black metal band.  He has blended the high yelp that punctuated some of his vocal lines on Black Future into his actual singing voice.  It’s something that I can’t really explain.  On Black Future, I found his high pitched flourishes a bit distracting, and thought that he sounded too much like Schmier did on the early Destruction albums.  Now, the highs are more or less included in his standard delivery.  It’s a subtle change, but it has made Disanto’s vocals totally unique.  I think that he did a great job, but I could see the vocals being one of the more polarizing elements of Outer Isolation. 

You wouldn’t think that a band with such a diverse sound would write songs as catchy as the ones that appear on Outer Isolation.  I was surprised to find “Echoless Chamber,” “Cosmic Cortex” and several other songs getting stuck in my head over and over again as I prepared to write this review.  Vektor’s willingness to look beyond the Big Four, Germany and DRI when developing their sound has allowed them to become a much more interesting and unique band than many of their peers.  Outer Isolation is the best thrash album that I have heard this year, and I can only hope that Vektor will gain some well deserved notoriety from it.