Vindicator - Undead In Leather
The United Kingdom went through a thrash revival a few years ago; there are not many survivors of worthy mention left now unfortunately when they did not break through, so it’s appealing when a band like Vindicator (UK) comes along. Their opening track ‘Undead In Leather’ gives me the same chills and feel of something like ‘Phantom Lord’ and ‘Whiplash’ from Metallica’s debut, maybe a slice of Venom/Sodom with the harsh vocal, but classic thrash in general. It’s fast, frenzied but with precision and strong production values thus making it supreme over some bands output.
The second track ‘The Crucified Priest’ is altogether that little bit darker in its delivery, the vocals are slightly more sinister and haunting with some sound samples taken from the hammer horror movie ‘The Devil Rides Out’ adding to the whole tracks atmosphere. Again, the sound is top notch and there is a commanding rhythm section battering their arsenal in the background. Some of the lead sweeps are pretty damn tight; I love the guitar work, you should also listen out for some NWOBHM inspiration from time to time too. The final track is a cover of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Don’t Believe A Word’ which is one of the most unique versions of the song I have heard, this is a truly an evil version! This compliments the bands own material perfectly and if you stick around for a while once you think the track has finished there is a hidden track called 'Undead In Acapella’. I would love to hear this with instruments, it is an acapella version you see with the band making all the noises themselves and I must admit to doing this myself, like the guitar solos, whilst having fun down the pub at one time or another. This is a great fun ending to this release.
I must admit, I lost a little faith in the UK thrash scene, but Vindicator UK has ignited my passion once again. Laden with talent and delivering songs that are recorded in a professional manner makes all the difference. You can do no wrong checking these guys out
The second track ‘The Crucified Priest’ is altogether that little bit darker in its delivery, the vocals are slightly more sinister and haunting with some sound samples taken from the hammer horror movie ‘The Devil Rides Out’ adding to the whole tracks atmosphere. Again, the sound is top notch and there is a commanding rhythm section battering their arsenal in the background. Some of the lead sweeps are pretty damn tight; I love the guitar work, you should also listen out for some NWOBHM inspiration from time to time too. The final track is a cover of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Don’t Believe A Word’ which is one of the most unique versions of the song I have heard, this is a truly an evil version! This compliments the bands own material perfectly and if you stick around for a while once you think the track has finished there is a hidden track called 'Undead In Acapella’. I would love to hear this with instruments, it is an acapella version you see with the band making all the noises themselves and I must admit to doing this myself, like the guitar solos, whilst having fun down the pub at one time or another. This is a great fun ending to this release.
I must admit, I lost a little faith in the UK thrash scene, but Vindicator UK has ignited my passion once again. Laden with talent and delivering songs that are recorded in a professional manner makes all the difference. You can do no wrong checking these guys out
- Undead In Leather
- The Crucified Priest
- Don’t Believe A Word (cover Thin Lizzy)
