In a world of countless unremarkable, run-of-the-mill thrash bands, a band like Vektor is a goddamned shining light. You can rest assured that this is one band that, unlike so many of their contemporaries, is not content to simply restructure the ideas and copy/paste the riffs of the bands they grew up listening to. This is one band that fondly remembers a time when the thrash scene was a breeding ground for inspiration and creativity. They remember that this was once an innovative genre that pushed the boundaries of artistic aggression and musical expression, both at once. Yes, Vektor vivdly remembers such a time, and on Outer Isolation their unwavering adherence to those qualities will go a long way towards reminding the rest of us.

Outer Isolation is a sprawling, hugely complex Progressive Thrash opus which primarily explores science fiction themes, not unlike their debut Black Future. Given the style and themes, I understand why people might be tempted to make a comparison to Voivod, but I think that once you’ve heard the music you will realise that the similarities are completely superficial. As a matter of fact, the music of Vektor is original enough that it’s pretty difficult to draw a direct comparison to any one band.

The framework of the music is intense, riff based Thrash Metal with an extremely high degree of aggression that calls to mind the mid-80s German scene. This basic framework is then heavily embellished with any number of compositional flourishes that simply have to be heard to be believed. The song writing is extremely ambitious and it becomes immediately evident that Vektor do not have any specific song structures or formats in mind, they just let themselves go wherever their compositions might take them. Importantly though, they never allow their music to become obtuse for the sake of it. Every sudden shift in time signature is so naturally implemented that you will struggle to even notice it's happening on the first listen. Likewise, none of the extended instrumental sections feels even slightly superfluous or forced. These qualities were already present on their debut, so if you’re familiar with Black Future you should have a fairly good idea of what to expect here in terms of overall approach.

Where this album really differs is in the sheer variety of the sonic textures employed by guitarists extraordinaire David DiSanto and Erik Nelson. While other progressive metal acts turn to synthesizers, horn sections or even full-blown orchestras to add some bombastic panache to their sound, Vektor achieve an impressive aural depth using nothing more than the humble trifecta of classical metal instrumentation: guitar, bass, and drums. In this way, they have developed a natural pathway for their music to become more unique and progressive without ever having to compromise the integrity of the Thrash Metal style. Tracks such as Echoless Chamber and Dying World, with their stunningly rich depth of sound, provide a perfect example as underneath all the bells and whistles, the overall atmosphere on both tracks is still undeniably Thrash. Vektor may not the first band to have employed such a strategy, but they are the definitely the first band since the heyday of Coroner to realise it with this kind of success. In the end, even if the strategy isn’t entirely new, the result most certainly is. There has never been another band that sounds quite like this.

For fans of progressive music, extreme metal or both, I simply cannot recommend this album enough. All the most essential qualities that you might associate with this type of music are present and accounted for. The approach is aggressive, the sound is original, the song writing will continually surprise you and the execution is just as professional and skilful as you could hope for. I must admit I have something of an urge to just hit caps lock and type GO BUY THIS NOW for another few hundred lines, but I’m trying my best to ignore it.