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Vader
Vader playing in Rostock (2011)
Background information
Origin	Olsztyn, Poland
Genres	Death metal
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Mystic Production, Earache, Impact, Hammerheart, Metal Blade, Regain, Nuclear Blast Records
Members	Piotr Wiwczarek Marek Pająk James Stewart Tomasz Halicki
Past members	For full listing see: Vader member history
Website	www.vader.pl

Vader is a Polish death metal band from Olsztyn, formed in 1983. According to Piotr Wiwczarek, the band's founding singer and guitar player, the band's name was inspired by Darth Vader from the Star Wars film series.^[1] Lyrical themes include stories by H. P. Lovecraft,^[2] WW2, horror and anti-religious messages. According to Billboard magazine, since 2003 Vader sold over 500,000 releases around the world.^[3]

Vader was formed in 1983, the same year as the very first death metal pioneers such as Possessed and Death. However, at this time they were a heavy/speed metal band, later evolving into thrash metal and then finally death metal for their first demo, Live in Decay, in 1986. They released another demo, Necrolust, in 1989, but it was not until their third demo, Morbid Reich, in 1990, that they gained international attention, selling nearly 10,000 copies and making it one of the most sold metal demos ever. This success earned the group a contract with Earache Records. The songs from Morbid Reich would appear later on their full-length debut album in 1993, The Ultimate Incantation.

Due to communication breakdowns, the contract with Earache was terminated and the 1994 release of Sothis and The Darkest Age: Live '93 had to be released on different labels. In the meantime, they toured relentlessly and in 1995, they signed a contract with Impact Records and released De Profundis, Future of the Past, and Black to the Blind. Then, Hammerheart Records re-released two early demos, Necrolust and Morbid Reich, as the Reborn in Chaos. In August 1998, Vader released Live in Japan. Before it came out in December, they also recorded the Kingdom EP and a VHS video entitled Vision and Voice. In October of that year, Vader opened for Slayer during a show in Poland.

At the end of 1998, they signed a contract to Metal Blade Records for the release of their sixth album, Litany. 1999 was spent mostly on tour. In March 1999, Vader embarked on their first headlining U.S. tour, the International Extreme Music Festival 1999, and in May of that same year, they played at Metalmania. In June, they went on another European tour, and the rest of the summer was filled with numerous appearances at festivals in Central Europe. The season concluded in a European tour with thrash metal band Testament.

In November and December 1999, the band recorded the album Litany, which was set for release in March 2000, and recorded a music video for the song "Cold Demons," which appeared on a special-edition digipack. The release of the album was also backed up by live shows, including April's No Mercy Festival 2000, and in June, the band embarked on a 30-date European tour with Vital Remains, Fleshcrawl, and The Crown.

In April 2001, Vader released the EP Reign Forever World, featuring re-recorded songs, cover songs, and live tracks. They promoted the album intensively—in Poland, Russia and Ukraine, and again in the U.S. In September 2001, they did another European tour with Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus, Catastrophic, and several other bands. This was followed by 10 Polish appearances as part of the Thrash'em All Festival 2001 along with Krisiun, Behemoth and several Polish death metal and black metal bands.

In 2002, Vader released Revelations, and toured England, Scotland, and Ireland during the No Mercy Festival's dates. In May, the band released their first DVD, More Vision and the Voice. In 2004, the band started recording The Beast (which was finished in mid-July) along with an extensive promotional campaign including over 170 gigs. Recording sessions for their new album were postponed in May due to an accident which injured the drummer, Doc. He was replaced with Daray from the Polish band Vesania. The supporting Europe-wide tour saw the band's first trip to the Balkans. The most important gig of 2004 was at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, where the band opened for Metallica in front of 50,000 people.^[4]

In March 2005, their drummer, Doc, left the band due to apparent drug problems. In August 2005, it was announced that Doc had died.^[5]

In 2008, Novy decided to leave Vader after five years; Marcin Rygiel (ex-Decapitated) replaced him on bass for the U.S. Summer Slaughter Tour 2008. Reyash would join as a permanent bassist later in the year.^[6]

In 2009 eighth Vader album entitled Necropolis was released via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Hertz studios in Bialystok, Poland with the Wieslawski Bros.^[7]

In 2011, Vader released another album, entitled "Welcome to the Morbid Reich".^[8]

In 2013, Vader announced that they plan to enter the studio in December 2013 to record their tenth studio album, which is to be entitled "Straight to Hell", for a 2014 release. In December 2013, Vader announced they have entered the studio to record their upcoming album, alternatively titled Tibi et Igni, for an early 2014 release.^[9]

American rock band's Eagles of Death Metal name was influenced by Vader. When a friend was trying to introduce Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme to the death metal genre, he played Vader's music. Homme called them "The Eagles of death metal." After hearing this phrase, he wondered what a cross between the Eagles and a death metal band would sound like. Afterwards, the phrase became the name of his band.^[10]

Current members

• Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek – guitar, vocals (1983–present)
• Marek "Spider" Pająk – guitar (2010–present)
• Tomasz "Hal" Halicki – bass guitar (2011–present)
• James Stewart – drums (2011–present)

Studio albums

• The Ultimate Incantation (1992)
• De Profundis (1995)
• Black to the Blind (1997)
• Litany (2000)
• Revelations (2002)
• The Beast (2004)
• Impressions in Blood (2006)
• Necropolis (2009)
• Welcome to the Morbid Reich (2011)
• Tibi et Igni (2014)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vader.

• Official website

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