And the Winner of the ToH Community AOTY 2K16 Is…
You voted for it, and now you’re stuck with it. Here’s Toilet ov Hell’s pick for the best album of 2K16.
On Terminal Redux, Vektor ultimately delivered on the potential they’ve been cultivating throughout their career. Finally breaking free of Voivod‘s shackles, the band seems to have found their own voice, and they’ve chosen to use it to blast off into the outer reaches of the progressive thrash stratosphere. Terminal Redux is an imposing, monolithic record, one that demands your attention and focus. Patient listeners, however, have discovered an embarrassment of killer riffs and catchy melodies smattered across each of the ten tracks on offer. Perhaps most impressive, though, is the way the band was able to craft an album that is utterly engaging despite its length and demandingness; each song is like a unique planet with a diverse ecosystem of riffs, vocal effects, drum patterns, and atmosphere. Most impressive are the two bookends, “Charging the Void” and “Recharging the Void” that serve to introduce us to Vektor 2.0, a band unafraid to use choral effects, emotive clean passages, and somber thoughtfulness amid the barrage of hailing comet-like riffs. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these galactic heralds.
But don’t just take my word for it. See what some of the other Toilet faithful had to say about Terminal Redux.
I can think of few albums as deserving of the “Album of the Year” accolade as Terminal Redux. Vektor has always been an exemplary band, but this is on another level by even their lofty standards. Everything from the piercing shrieks to the mind-bending solos comes together in a perfect storm of power and emotion; no mean feat for a thrash band. While they could have simply stuck to their strengths and put out what would have been a good album anyway, they took risks and experimented to tremendous payoff. Five years may have been a long wait, but it was more than worth it in the end. — Spear
To try and sum up my thoughts on the thrash album of the year: LISTEN TO IT. No matter what particular strand of metal you usually infect your brain with, Terminal Redux will probably have something to appease even the most selective of cortexes. Neck-breaking, tightly technical riffs and drumming under ear-destroying shrieks telling the tale of a man finding the key to immortality IN SPACE is what you’ll find here. If you’re still not convinced, I don’t really know what else to say without including copious amounts of various profanities. I’m extremely happy that one of my favorite bands is finally getting the recognition they deserve, and also really glad to be able to refer to Vektor by their name and not by “This Really Good Progressive Thrash Band from Arizona You Need to Hear”. SCI-FI OR DIE. — Moshito
There you have it. You Toileteers have done thrash proud this day.
The entire top 10:
10. Ihsahn – Arktis
9. Mithras – On Strange Loops
8. Dischordia – Thanatopsis
7. Sumerlands – Sumerlands
6. Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
5. Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis
4. Khemmis – Hunted
3. Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule
2. Blood Incantation – Starspawn
1. Vektor – Terminal Redux
2K15’s AOTY – Mgła – Exercises in Futility
2K14’s AOTY – Artificial Brain – Labyrinth Constellation
(Photo VIA)
