Vektor – Demolition (Independent) 2006
1. Spiral Galaxy (1:13)
2. Oblivion (4:35)
3. Fast Paced Society (6:56)
4. Venus Project (7:31)
5. Destroying the Cosmos (7:15)
6. Infiltration (:56)
7. Moonbase (12:55)
8. Tetrastructural Minds (6:56)
I discovered this band when the performed in my neck of the woods in 2009. As such, I had heard their ‘Black Future’ CD first then went back and searched high and low for this independent CD. I was lucky enough to stumble across a copy in a store in the ‘local section’ while visiting a friend in Phoenix, Arizona. Of course I snapped it up immediately, having loved ‘Black Future’. For some reason my expectations of this CD weren’t quite as high. Being that it was independent and released three years prior to ‘Black Future’ I expected the band to be more of a Voivod clone due to the obvious influence and their production to be a bit more raw. Neither were true. ‘Demolition’ may be an indie CD, but it is well produced and this band is far from a clone of anyone. They do have the Voivod influences, especially in the lyrics, but the music is far more technical, progressive, heavy metal than most of the Voivod catalog, though I’d be willing to be that ‘Dimension Hatross’ is among their favorite albums. Frankly, ‘Demolition’ is just as stunning as ‘Black Future’. The songs are heavy as an old locomotive barreling down the tracks, but is not thrash for thrash sake. The band is very dynamic in that they mix in slower and melodic parts into their generally chaotic thrash metal assault. Even with songs times going over seven minutes, and one song clocking in at nearly thirteen minutes, I never once found myself getting bored with any song. The other thing about Vektor is the unique vocal style of David Disanto. He most certainly has a style that people will either love or hate. His voice almost has a black metal quality to it, but is far better than most of the shrill trolls I’ve heard in black metal bands. This is epic, progressive, technical heavy metal as it should be. For those who like a bit of creativity in their thrash metal, Vektor are highly suggested.
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Vektor - Black Future (Heavy Artillery Records) 2009 In December 2009 my band was opening for a couple acts coming through our neck of the woods, Exmortus and Vektor. As such, I checked out the band’s MySpaces and was completely blown away by Vektor. First thing that grabbed me was their logo, which plays an obvious homage to Voivod. Upon listening to the posted tracks, I knew immediately that this was not a band trying to be a Voivod clone. Rather, these guys combine the influences of Voivod with the bands like Destruction and Kreator and have created something of their very own. I had planned on purchasing the CD as soon as the band's merchandise table was set up, and that is exactly what I did. The very next day I began devouring the CD over and over again. This is some highly technical, progressive thrash metal, but unlike the hordes of retro-thrash bands, Vektor have created something that is unique.
First of all the band steers clear of the typical thrash lyrics. There are no political rants, no songs about about metal supremacy, and no party till you puke diatribes. Rather, these guys delve into science fiction, physics and. astronomy The vocals are another point of distinction about Vektor. David Disanto has a unique vocal style that sounds a tad like Schmier from Destruction after sucking the helium out of a balloon. Some of this stuff is insanely high. Glass was shattering as I cranked this thing through my CD player. Vektor are also very progressive and technical, yet they do so without totally forsaking melody. With three songs clocking in at over ten minutes long, I never once found myself bored and wanting to push the skip button. Vektor know how to keep things interesting. They even experiment with some atmospheric, Pink Floyd-like breaks in some of the songs.
There is a lot of Voivod comparisons to be made, but I think this is the direction most thrash metal fans wish that Voivod had taken. Comparisons to Believer and Destruction aren’t to far fetched either. However, I use these names only as a point of reference. The band really is unique and doesn’t sound exactly like any of their influences. Vektor have a freshness and an infectious hunger that is undeniable. This is thrash metal for the 21st Century. Get ready for the onslaught and don’t miss seeing these guys live if you get the opportunity. They won’t disappoint.
Vektor - Outer Isolation (Heavy Artillery) 2011 
Vektor's second full-length album on Heavy Artillery is more of the same sci-fi, ultra-technical, uber-metal! Perhaps they might best be labeled space-thrash, though that sounds a bit silly. Imagine if Hawkwind circa 1973 had been a thrash band in 2011, this is exactly what that might have sounded like. It's an interstellar mixture of extreme metal styles with thrash metal being the most prevalent influence.
The opening three minutes of the CD reminded me heavily of Believer. The song starts off slow and builds from a ominous sounding clean guitar intro to a hyper-speed metal instrumental. At around the 3:20 mark the song just takes off into a furious thrash riff and never lets up from that point on. The vocals are shrieked like a psychotic banshee. It's a vocal sound that may be hard for some to appreciate, but certainly separates Vektor from the pack. "Dying World" brings in a heavy Voivod influence, an influence the band blatantly advertises. "Venus Project" has the band switching styles between their ultra-tech-thrash style and bizarre, jazzy, arpeggios. Each of the eight songs included here is a interesting as the next.
Like "Black Future" the album pulls in some re-recorded demo material. One such track is "Tetrastructural Minds", a song that appeared on the band's "Demolition" CD. Here the riffing is razor sharp and the production is fuller and meatier. Unlike many thrash bands, the bass is very audible throughout and is every bit as important to the music as the guitars, vocals and drums. In every way, "Outer Isolation" steps things up from anything the band has recorded in the past. Vektor set a very high standard for themselves with "Black Future" and "Outer Isolation" meets that rather high standard. This isn't retro thrash, rather Vektor are thrash metal for the 21st Century.
The autographed 'tour edition' was independently pressed by the band after the demise of Heavy Artillery. The CD was signed when the band performed in Buffalo, NY in 2012. (Thanks Jeremy Rose)
Vektor - Terminal Redux (Earache) 2016
1. Charging The Void (9:11)
2. Cygnus Terminal (8:15)
3. LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease) (7:33)
4. Mountains Above The Sun (1:22)
5. Ultimate Artificer (5:04)
6. Pteropticon (6:00)
7. Psychotropia (7:39)
8. Pillars Of Sand (5:19)
9. Collapse (9:22)
10. Recharging The Void (13:36)
Having seen (and shared a stage with) Vektor back in the early 2000's I became an instant fan. I was excited to hear "Terminal Redux" after totally devouring the two albums that preceded it ("Black Future" and "Outer Isolation"). However, for whatever reason "Terminal Redux" didn't immediately knock me on my ass like the previous albums. I liked it but I wasn't enamored with it either. Then Vektor came to a club near my home and performed the entire "Terminal Redux" album and suddenly, "I got it." It's not the first time that seeing a band live made me like a studio album more. That is definitely the case here and "Terminal Redux" became one of my favorite albums of 2016, seeing more spin time in my vehicle than nearly any other album. Frankly this album could be a contender for one of the best thrash albums of the last 25 years.
Vektor continue to play their own brand of thrash metal with some modern touches, a definite progressive edge and a whole heaping-helping of pure, testosterone fueled energy and aggression. The songs are mostly long, clocking in between five minutes and thirteen minutes long. Despite the song lengths, the album just doesn't feel like it's nearly 73 minutes long. The songs are well crafted built around actual musical hooks despite the intricate songwriting and shrill blackened vocals. Vektor keeps the listener engaged throughout this album with plenty of peaks and valleys and not relying on speed for speed sake. There is even something that can be somewhat described as a ballad with clean vocals titled "Collapse". As well the production is near perfection; the overall sound is clean but not so much as to rob the band of any of it's heaviness. The guitars are crisp with a sound that will crush skulls. The bass is completely audible, which is something that isn't always true in thrash metal. As well the drums are an audio assault that drives the music.
Best as I can tell, "Terminal Redux" is a concept album based on power and how it can affect those who search it out and those who are under those in power. However, the story line here isn't quite as important as the music itself.