Review Summary: A really solid half an hour display of old-school death metal, with more vocal variety than expected and excellent soloing, but let down by a weaker second half.
'Solitude In Madness' is the twelfth and - at the time of this review- latest studio album from Polish death metal band Vader, and at this late stage in their career they are very much a known quantity. The band has consistently released old-school death metal with more overt thrash influence than found in the majority of bands in the genre, and has rarely deviated from the formula that has bought them success. 2016's 'The Empire' was perhaps the most different album in their discography, and 'Solitude In Madness' singles that out even more as an outlier, feeling more akin to their earlier magnum opus 'Litany.' Yes, this is Vader as they are known and loved.
To highlight the more standout aspects here first, the vocals are far more intense than ever in the band's career to date. Piotr makes use of a raspier higher pitched vocal style, as well as some really demonic deep growls in "Into Oblivion." This vocal style is something completely unique to this album, with the rest of their discography containing vocals similar to those found in "Despair." Given the aggression of the album overall, this more dynamic vocal performance fits like a glove alongside the sheer brutality of the opening song "Shock And Awe." The soloing here is also among the best in the band's lengthy back catalogue, with most songs containing tasteful shredding passages that further add to the chaos. The album is also very short, clocking in at less than half an hour, ensuring it does not outstay its welcome.
The collection of songs here is something of a mixed bag, with the one-two punch that opens the album the clear apex. There is a real rupture here, with the first half of the album containing the more straightfowards death metal madness, and the latter half feeling thrashier and - ultimately - weaker. "Final Declaration" marks the real shift in sound for the album, and is a dull and uninspired effort. The intro of "Stigma Of Divinity" brings back the blast beats, but "Bones" finishes the album off in poor fashion, sounding like a heavier version of a weaker Testament song. The riffing isn't interesting, the drumming lacks the punch of "Shock And Awe," and the lyrics roared out by Piotr are corny. If this were to be the final Vader song, it would be an atrocious way to exit the scene.
Overall, 'Solitude In Madness' is an album with an excellent opener, a few solid songs, and then a real seismic shift towards the weaker tier of their discography. Piotr's vocal flourishes, the lead work, and the production are all standout here, but it is too disjointed to recommend above some of their other recent output. It has all the elements of their better albums, and much of it is more in line with works such as 'Litany' and 'De Profundis,' but the thrashier songs should have been culled.
