Review Summary: Both a return to form and an evolution of the most obnoxious aspects of its predecessor, 'The Beast' is an album that rarely excels but remains enjoyable
It is the view of this reviewer that 'Litany' was something of a peak for Vader, and that 'Revelations' marked a shift towards more experimentation that ultimately failed. As such, one could reasonably hope that 2004's 'The Beast' would mark a return to the more aggressive, chaotic style that made their early work so captivating, and after a brief introductory track, these prayers are answered. "Out Of The Deep" sees the band back to their roots, with not a mid-paced chug to be heard, and the only slower section actually being a tasteful interlude leading into an exceptional display of shredding. Whilst this album is not the be-all, end-all even within the context of Vader's own formulaic discography, early impressions are extremely promising.
Sadly, this opening salvo is perhaps the strongest song on the album, and the other nine are a mixed bag. 'Dark Transmission' finds the band embracing the sound established on much of 'Revelations,' with a slowed down tempo, a vocal hook, and a general shift in direction from that which the band is ordinarily known for. One positive to be found here is that the band certainly improved their songwriting over the predecessor, and therefore those insipid cuts from 'Revelations' are actually much more tolerable here. "Dark Transmission" has a nice groove to it, and engaged me in ways much of the aforementioned low point for the band failed to. "Firebringer" successfuly merges the two songs mentioned, with an extremely tight slower intro and a satisfactory vocal hook causing it to stand out.
Moving onto the negatives on this album, and the reason for saying the songs are a mixed bag, "The Zone" shows a disregard for pleasing songwriting with dull riffs and a dreary sound overall. The bass flourishes scattered throughout the song and the higher register guitar notes in the verse ensure it sounds unique, but it is another song I would consider a failed experiment for the band. Closing song "Choices" would have been a stellar way of ending the album if it wasn't saddled with a lengthy clean intro that feels totally at odds with the savage riffing and Piotr's instantly-recognizable howls. The heavy section of this song, however, completely holds its own among the strongest in the band's entire catalogue.
When all is said and done, 'The Beast' feels like a return to form for the band after the misstep taken before, and also is an evolution of the worst traits of 'Revelations.' Fans who love that record could conceivably view this as being one of the band's finest releases, but those who prefer albums like 'De Profundis' and 'Litany' may be advised to give this a miss.
