VASTATOR -

VASTATOR - MACHINE HELL - INFERNO  
Above average record for sure, but it has certain shortcomings. The album has a cool modern and fantasy artwork, which looks deadly and fits a band called Vastator and an album called Machine Hell. The first song has an exciting mixture of Megadeth’s music circa 1985 and Agent Steel’s vocals circa 1985. True early thrash and speed come together here. The music is heavy, power and thrash metal with English songs giving way to Spanish ones on the second half of the disc. The song Reminiscence is strange because it sounds like Savatage, but not the good Savatage from the early to mid-80s, but the crappy wimped out band of later (keyboards and all). Most songs are serious and metal-minded though.
One cannot but think Machine Hell would have come across better had the band obtained a better sound on the record. Of course, recording facilities in Chile and band budgets are valid excuses.
Vastator has been around since 1986 so they really do deserve a break. Let’s give them one. - Anna Tergel