Five years removed from their last full-length, Vader are back in North America with the “Reign Forever in Kingdom of Blood” tour, Humanihility EP in hand and no apparent interest in slowing down. The Polish extreme metal institution hits Empire Underground on Tuesday, September 8, at 6:30 p.m.
About the Show
Vader headlines with Jungle Rot, Fleshcrawl, and Trash Panda supporting across the 21-date run. Albany is the fourth stop, four days after the tour opened in Milwaukee.
The band formed in 1983 in Olsztyn, Poland — named after a Star Wars villain, which sounds absurd until you hear the records. Guitarist and vocalist Piotr “Peter” Wiwczarek is the sole founding member, the one constant through four decades and enough lineup changes to fill a roster. In the early 1990s, they became the first Polish metal act to sign with a major international label, landing on Earache Records, and their debut, The Ultimate Incantation, was described as “a breakthrough not only for the band but for the entire Polish scene.” Since 2009, they’ve released five more albums through Nuclear Blast. Wiwczarek once said that when the band formed, “nobody knew back then…that we would survive more than five years.” They’ve survived considerably longer.
The Humanihility EP (out May 30, 2025 on Nuclear Blast) is their first new material in five years. It marks the recording debut of drummer Michał Andrzejczyk, who joined in 2022, and the return of guitarist Mauser after a 16-year absence. Three tracks: “Genocide Designed,” described by critics as “ferocious and unrelenting, with tight production and a flawless performance”; “Rampage,” which reviewers said “ramps up the Slayer worship, with divebomb solos coming in quick”; and “Unbending,” the official anthem of the 2025 Mystic Festival.
Opener Jungle Rot are Wisconsin death metal veterans. Their latest, Cruel Face of War, runs “a blend of old-school death metal, thrash, crossover, and punk across 12 tracks.” Fleshcrawl and Trash Panda round out the bill.
Venue & Logistics
Empire Underground sits on North Pearl Street in Albany, a 500-cap club. Vader have shared stages with Slayer and Metallica in front of tens of thousands — catching them here is not something that comes around often. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. More upcoming shows in the Capital Region are listed in our concert calendar.
Tickets
No ticket price was available from sources at the time of publication. Buy tickets