VULTURE - Sentinels
April 23, 2024, a week ago
(Metal Blade)
Speed metal madness! Vulture wastes no time breaking necks and wrecking everything in sight on their fourth full-length Sentinels.
The German madmen are in full-force with electrifying shrieks, razor-sharp riffs rooted in classic speed/traditional metal, and a pummeling force behind the kit.
If there’s one aspect where Vulture rules, it’s they know how to rock listeners into a groove with adept transitions and swift tempo changes. Landing at 11 tracks at the sweet spot of 40 minutes, Vulture claws in with the shrieking and gruff gymnastics of L. Steeler vocals that’s akin to classic Zetro Souza of Exodus. The snap of “Where There’s A Whip (There’s A Way)” is exemplary of Steeler’s vocal forays and the absolute grand riff changes.
There’s just the right amount of melody to contend with the vicious rhythms, including a brief interlude of “Transylvania” (so you can catch your breath) that leads to the bloody crunch of “Realm Of The Impaler” while instrumental “Der Tod Trägt Schwarzes Leder” shows a lighter, classical side of the band. Nicely played as it segues into the violent “Death Row”.
Much credit should be given to a band who has meshed speed metal with the intricacies of thrash and traditional metal. Sentinels is a pure album with tracks that segue well into each other; they obviously gave much attention to the sequence of the songs. 40 minutes of pure adrenaline – don’t pass this one up!
