‘Rex’ is a long awaited follow up to 2017’s ‘With Primeval Force’ which developed the band from their debut release. Here on ‘Rex’ I find them going back in the majority to their early sound whilst still retaining those lesson learnt on ‘With Primeval Force’.

The title track ‘Rex’ is fast paced and evil just like the very early material. ‘Inspiritus’ has a more straight metal vibe, with some cool riffs and sections added, clearly still on the darker patch. The guitar tone personifies the sound, a vintage sound, you know the drill Nekromantheon, Witchery, Antichrist, Mercyful Fate etc…, the Scandinavian tone I like to call it, but they don’t forget about the likes of Possessed from across the savage ocean. The songs merge into each other with some day-job attitude, by this I mean it sounds effortless and easy for Vampire to craft songs as they do. ‘Wiru-Akka’ goes back to their blackened more evil sound with a rush of energy and on the beat sense in the delivery, some nice augmented lead breaks give this its unique tone, certainly in keeping with the mould that first introduced us to Vampire. Within this track, building on the metal influence of the former album, there is a nice centre section of melody with the evil guitar tone applied before proceeding into their speedier black metal inspired tirade to follow through to the end of the song.

‘Moloch’ is very melodic by contrast to the rest of the album, oh so you think! Yep, Vampire get you, they hammer you into fist clenching evil when it all kicks off as does ‘Rekviem’. There is no bull, there is no compromise that I can hear. There’s emotive aggression, power and a love for the macabre translated through the bands tone and tempo. ‘Serafim’ once again picks up some (an easy ref.) Maiden in terms incorporating the straight metal riffs that give the melodic flavour and mastered by the likes of Dissection with lyrically depicting a fallen angel having their say and outlook on the world and beyond. Truly as the band describe the release, “a work of reverence to the desolate ways of life and the glorious metal of old”. ‘Anima’ perfectly capitulates their influences by slowing the tempo down, you hear much deeper use of atmospherics rather than relying on speed alone. It’s very Maiden, via their classic mid-80’s period, but Vampire add the mystic of the 1890’s in terms of lyrics, especially referencing its decadent efflorescence.

Overall, ‘Rex’ is harsher than their last effort to me, maybe it’s time thing, we’ve waited so long, but this is how I remember Vampire. This is not to say that this is a re-hash of early material, far from it. Those talents they developed throughout their last effort have come to fruition and have been incorporated more so as a natural progression into the band’s sound.

(8.5 Paul Maddison)

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