I will not hide the fact that I am an avid Vader fan. It is not easy to do any activity in life for 20+ years. It is even more difficult to get better at what you are doing for all those years, to hone your message and to raise the level of professionalism. For this activity to be playing death metal originating in one of the countries of the former Easter bloc – the bar is raised even further. Vader has done all of the above and more, and thus my hat is off to them.

Everybody who has been into this band knows their propensity to frame their full-length releases with a number of EPs, singles, DVDs (as of late) and sometimes compilations. When you are a professional band and you do 200 shows per year, you need to constantly present something on the market.

Lead Us!! is one of those EPs, where Vader does not introduce much in a way of new material, but brings in focus their last EP The Art of War and the latest full-length Impressions in Blood. The EP is represented by the rousing Lead Us!!, where one has another chance to appreciate the war machine Vader has become, and Impressions in Blood contributes necromantic dark crushing worship of The Book, bearing a certain symphonic touch with its Arabic-style harmonies. For those not residing in the Land of the Rising Sun (Japan), the bonus tracks off the Japanese versions of The Art of War and Impressions in Blood will be the catch of the day. Die!! (Gin Psie) is brimming with grindy devil-may-care attitude and singing in Polish is a rare feat for Vader. Slavic language gives the song further authenticity and gives it a special flavor. Raining Blood cover is a case of classics covering classics, with the Vader version raising the level of muscle on the historic Slayer track.

For the video buffs, Vader has culled together their most recent, the Terminator computer graphics This is The War, full of shocking images Helleluyah!!! (God is Dead) and something new, something I have not seen or heard, the video fitting for a fantasy video game, Sword of the Witcher. The song itself is rather melodic, and somehow has a Gothenburg vibe.

Completists should rejoice, but those who have a more casual attitude towards Vader should wait for a full-length. Those who have not heard of Vader yet, it is your loss, you are missing on some quality death metal music.