BLACK FUTURE

I can't believe this album exists. And I mean that in the best way possible. Despite being released nearly 30 years after the thrash metal movement was in its prime, Black Future comes out swinging as one of the best thrash metal albums I've ever heard, and a standard by which all others could (and should) be measured.

Take one part Testament, one part Slayer, a dash of Metallica's progressive era and some high-pitched vocals and you should have a rough idea of what Vektor sounds like. They sound like they came right out of the early 80s, and Black Future sounds like an album that might have been buried under the Earth, undiscovered for 25 years, until finally, in 2009, it was unleashed upon the world.

It's a glorious album. Right from the beginning, it's just a relentless onslaught of blisteringly fast guitar work, killer high-pitched vocals, and catchy melodies. Their progressive tracks are a welcome breath of fresh air, and add a tremendous layer of depth to this otherwise straight- forward thrash album. But don't take straight-forward as an insult. It's straight-forward in that it follows the archetype of the genre beautifully. Almost sickeningly so.

Black Future easily ranks among the top thrash albums I've ever heard. While nothing will top Reign in Blood (ever), Black Future could easily sit with the big boys and not only hold its own, but compete for the crown. If their 2011 album is even half as good as this, I'll be blown away. If it's better, it might be the stuff of legends.

I'm glad these guys popped up on PA. They definitely add a progressive dash to what is ultimately a thrash recipe, so take that how you will. I rank it a 5 because on a purely musical level, this is top tier stuff. If you like thrash metal, you should love this.