Death-Thrash band hailing from Olsztyn, VADER blitzed the globe with intense drumming and unashamed reliance on esoterica as a staple of their subject matter. VADER's unrelenting and brutal album schedule and seemingly inexhaustible appetite for global touring has elevated the band to the very top of the Polish Metal league. VADER came together in 1986, initially operating very much in the traditional Thrash Metal mould. That same year, VADER's first taste of the studio generated the demo 'Tyrani Piekiel', actually a circulated tape of a live radio broadcast, and December's 'Live In Decay', the band at this juncture comprising lead vocalist Czarny (a.k.a. Robert Czarneta), guitarists Peter (Piotr Wiwczarek) and Vika (Zbigniew Wróblewski), bassist Astaroth (Robert Struczewski) with Belial (Grzegorz Jackowski) on drums. Both Czarneta and Wróblewski decamped to found RAXAS.

The band released a further demo tape, 'Necrolust', working with engineer Wladyslaw Iljaszewicz at Studio PR in Olsztyn in March 1989. Vader was now down to a trio, Peter being joined by bassist Jackie (Jacek Kalisz) and the SLASHING DEATH-credited drummer Krzysztof 'Docent' / 'Doc' Raczkowski. This tape gained VADER a deal with Carnage Records. A deal was struck to subsequently distribute the July 1990 demo 'Morbid Reich', these sessions co-produced by Mariusz Kmiolek at Pro-Studios in Olsztyn. This tape was to go down in Metal history, spectacularly selling in excess of over 10,000 copies.

The band, having inducted ex-IMPURITY and DIES IRAE guitarist Jaroslaw 'China' Labieniec and bassist Shambo (Leszek Rakowski), travelled to the UK to cut their debut record, 'The Ultimate Incantation' laid down at Rhythm Studios with Paul Johnson manning the desk. Upon the release of 'The Ultimate Incantion' in November 1992, VADER toured Europe with BOLT THROWER and GRAVE. Further dates in North America followed with DEICIDE, SUFFOCATION and DISMEMBER.

'The Darkest Age - Live '93', which included a cover of SLAYER's 'Hell Awaits', was recorded in front of a home crowd in Krakow. The 1994 'Sothis' EP witnessed another cover, BLACK SABBATH's anthem 'Black Sabbath', as well as a complete rework of VADER's 1989 track 'The Wrath'.

June 1995 found VADER out on the road in Europe once more touring alongside CRADLE OF FILTH, MALEVOLENT CREATION, OPPRESSOR, DISSECTION and SOLSTICE promoting the Adam Toczko produced 'De Profundis' album. Originally this album had been released domestically via Croon Records, subsequently seeing rapid fire reissues through Conquest Music and Impact Records.

VADER undertook a full European tour in the spring of 1996 as guests to CANNIBAL CORPSE. In 1996 Docent would unite with Cezar of CHRIST AGONY to found a Black Metal side venture MOON. Docent would appear on the first MOON album, 'Daemon's Heart', released in 1997, before relinquishing the role to concentrate on VADER. Keen to display their influences, VADER closed out 1996 with an album comprising entirely of cover versions. 'Future Of The Past' collected renditions of SODOM's 'Outbreak Of Evil', KREATOR's 'Flag Of Hate', TERRORIZER's 'Storm Of Stress' and 'Fear Of Napalm', POSSESSED's 'Death Metal', DARK ANGEL's 'Merciless Death', CELTIC FROST's 'Dethroned Emperor', SLAYER's 'Silent Scream', ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE's 'We Are The League', DEPECHE MODE's 'I Feel You' and BLACK SABBATH's 'Black Sabbath'.

The band would be joined by another DIES IRAE man, guitarist Mauser (Maurycy Stefanowicz), during 1997 as Labieniec opted out to found NYIA. That October Impact Records put out the next VADER installment, 'Black To The Blind'. Diligent fans soon noticed that the lyric sheet included an absent track, 'Anamnesis'. This song apparently excised from the final running order by mistake. In August the act hit Japan, a concert at the Tokyo Club Quattro held on the 31st being captured on tape for a live album. 'Anamnesis' finally received a public airing included on the November 1998 mini-album 'Kingdom'.

Wiwczarek produced the debut album by fellow Poles DECAPITATED during 2000 as Vader themselves worked up the 'Litany' opus, released via Metal Blade Records that May. Japanese editions boasted a brace of extra songs, 'Red Dunes' and 'Lord of Desert'. VADER themselves headlined the European 'No Mercy' festivals alongside American' VITAL REMAINS, Brazilians REBAELLIUN and Germany's FLESHCRAWL.

Mauser would find the opportunity to re-activate the DIES IRAE name in 2000 drafting his VADER colleague Docent on drums, SCEPTIC guitarist Hiro and frontman Novy of DEVILYN. This new version of DIES IRAE entered the recording studio in June 2000 with producer Szymon Czech for the debut 'Immolated' album. VADER attacked a further batch of covers with the April 2001 offering 'Reign Forever World', paying homage to DESTRUCTION's 'Total Desaster', JUDAS PRIEST's 'Rapid Fire' and MAYHEM's 'Freezing Moon'.

September 2001 found VADER on the look out for a new bassist as previous occupant of the position, Leszek Rakowski, had departed. They found their man with Simon (Konrad Karchut), an ex-member of HUNTER. The band would figure as part of of the gargantuan European 'No Mercy' touring festival package in March and April 2002. Also on the billing would be IMMORTAL, CATASTROPHIC, DESTROYER 666, HYPOCRISY, DISBELIEF, MALEVOLENT CREATION and OBSCENITY. That June the 'Revelations' album, recorded at Red Studio, Gdañsk with Wiwczarek acting as producer, arrived via Metal Blade. Studio guests included Nergal of BEHEMOTH vocalising on 'Whispers' and Ureck of LUX OCCULTA featured as session keyboard performer on 'Torch Of War' and 'Revelation Of Black Moses'. Loosely conceptual, 'Revelations' artwork tied together lyrical observations on the 9/11 twin towers disaster. Digipacks hosted an additional track, 'Sons Of Fire'.

VADER toured Japan as headliners in October. The band would headline a run of dates across mainland Europe from late August supported by KRISIUN, DECAPITATED and PREJUDICE. North American shows, commencing 6th of November had the Poles topping a strong Death Metal package of IMMOLATION, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, ORIGIN and DECEMBER. VADER issued a CD single version of THIN LIZZY's 'Angel Of Death' in 2002, restricted to the obligitary 666 copies.

Wiwczarek aided Prog-Metal act CETI on their 2003 album 'Shadow Of The Angel', adding guest vocals to the track 'Falcon's Flight'. The band would part ways with bassist Konrad Karchut, replacing him in June with the BEHEMOTH and DEVILYN credited Novy (Marcin Norwak). The band would put in an appearance at the gargantuan 'Woodstock 2003' festival in Poland, playing in front of not only national TV cameras but a huge crowd of 400,000 Rock fans. VADER's live schedule intensified with September 2003 Polish gigs marked out with running mates DECAPITATED, FRONTSIDE and VESANIA prior to North American dates dubbed 'The Art Of Noise 2'. This run of shows saw the band allied with KREATOR, NILE, AMON AMARTH and GOATWHORE taking them through October.

An October EP entitled 'Blood' featured two new studio songs 'We Wait' and 'Shape-shifting' alongside cuts from the 'Revelations' sessions that previously had only surfaced as part of foreign license versions of the album, digi-packs and on EPs. Frontman Piotr Wiwczarek readied a solo project PANZER X for the studio in September, cutting the EP 'Steel First'. Novy would join SPINAL CORD as bassist in November 2003.

VADER, working once more with producer Piotr Lukaszewski, set February of 2004 for recording of a new studio album 'The Beast'. However, Doc met with an accident in the studio, seriously injuring his hand and leg. Cancelling the sessions, VADER re-booked studio time at the PR Studios in Gdañsk for a later date, pulling in Daray (Darek Brzozowski) from Polish black metal band VESANIA, initially as a session musician although this position soon became permanent.

Upon finalization of these sessions after which the band projected road work in Slovakia and Czech Republic, sharing the stage with HYPNOS. A European tour with MALEVOLENT CREATION, NAGLFAR and BLOOD RED THRONE was to follow in June. The band projected a massive 160 date plus world tour to keep them active throughout the year, including a prestigious opening slot to SLIPKNOT and METALLICA on 31st May to over 50,000 fans at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów.

Also in 2004 VADER would donate their rendition of 'Death Metal' to the 'Seven Gates Of Horror' tribute album assembled by the Dutch Karmaggedon Media label in homage to pioneering Bay Area Thrash act POSSESSED.

A run of European gigs would be interrupted in late August when, en route to Falkenstein, near Leipzig VADER's tour bus was involved in an accident. Although the bus was seriously damaged, fortunately its occupants managed to escape unharmed. US touring plans for October saw the band set to flank NAPALM DEATH, KATAKLYSM and GOATWHORE. However, the band pulled out of these shows due to Piotr Wiwczarek requiring an operation to treat "a minor spinal injury" sustained whilst on tour in Scandinavia.

To close out the year, the band would be announced as one of the main attractions at the annual 'X-Mass Fest' 2004 roving European festival dates in alliance with NAPALM DEATH, MARDUK, FINNTROLL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and BELPHEGOR. In March of 2005 VADER parted ways with longtime drummer Doc, drafting Daray as substitute. Explaining the exit of Doc, frontman Piotr Wiwczarek explained "Doc pretty hard tried to 'fight' against his weaknesses, which were troubles for all of us."

US shows in April of 2005 had the band packaged with KREATOR, PRO-PAIN and THE AUTUMN OFFERING. The band broke this exhaustive touring schedule by entering Hertz Studios in Bialystok in early July to record an EP with a working title of 'The Art Of War', their first product for new label Sweden's Regain Records. Intros for these sessions would be conducted by Siegmar from VESANIA.

European gigs in June saw LOST SOUL as support act. A Polish tour of September, dubbed 'Blitzkrieg III', saw support from Greek veterans ROTTING CHRIST, fellow Poles LOST SOUL once again and French extreme Metal band ANOREXIA NERVOSA. Tragedy hit the VADER family in August with the announcement that former drummer Krzysztof "Docent" Raczkowski had died. The musician was just 35 years old and had a history of alcohol related problems.

Renewed road work in the USA for VADER continued in late 2005, witnessing November shows packaged with SUFFOCATION, CEPHALIC CARNAGE and ABORTED. The group headlined a memorial show for late drummer Doc at the Proxima Club in Warsaw on 11th December, supported by a local cast comprising CETI, HATE, DEAD INFECTION, LOST SOUL, CORRUPTION, AZARATH, CHAINSAW and VIRGIN SNATCH.

The band was included the 'Metal Crusaders' North American tour, taking place in May and June 2006 alongside KATAKLYSM, GRAVEWORM, DESTRUCTION, SPEEDKILL/HATE and THE ABSENCE. NIGHTRAGE and BLOODTHORN were confirmed as the support acts for the Scandinavian leg of the world tour, taking in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, in November. The 'Impressions In Blood' album, recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, entered the national Polish charts at number 8 in September. An accompanying promotional video for the song 'Helleluyah (God Is Dead)' was directed by Andrzej Wyrozebski. Regain Records handled the album's European release Candlelight took on US licensing.

Shows during December 2006 in Bosnia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and Serbia saw support from AMON DIN. That same month drummer Daray announced the formation of side project MASACHIST, co-formed by Thrufel, guitarist from AZARATH and YATTERING.

VADER announced headline Australian dates in April 2007, supported by Sydney acts KILLRAZOR and INFERNAL METHOD.

The album 'XXV' was specially recorded to commemorate VADER's 25th anniversary and hosted re-recorded songs from the band's history. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Hertz Studio with the Wieslawscy Brothers once more at the helm. The regular double-disc edition of the album featured 25 songs, including a previously unreleased song called 'Tyrani Tyrani Piekiel' from the very early days of the band. A special digipack edition of 'XXV' was made available with an additional DVD featuring bonus songs. Polish versions of 'Trupi Jad' and 'Reborn In Flames', plus historical video footage recorded between 1986 and 2001.

VADER's 'XXI- Anniversary Tour 2008' saw a union with SEPTIC FLESH, DEVIAN and INACTIVE MESSIAH for a lengthy string of European shows throughout April and May 2008. In June and July the group headed up the 'Summer Slaughter' tour of the USA and Canada aligned with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, KATAKLYSM, CRYPTOPSY, THE FACELESS, DESPISED ICON, ABORTED, BORN OF OSIRIS, PSYCROPTIC and WHITECHAPEL.

VADER teamed up with such bands as Sweden's GRAVE, ZONARIA and UK Death-Sludge act GILLA BRUJA for October 2008 touring across the Baltic countries, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The group now featured Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka, of DECAPITATED, on guitar and Pawel Jaroszewicz, from SOUL SNATCHER, on drums.

The 'Winterfest 2009' tour ensued with DEICIDE, SAMAEL, ZONARIA, DEVIAN and ARTISIAN starting on 9th January and wrapping up on 22nd January. VADER teamed up with the Swedish Black Metal outfit MARDUK plus Polish bands CHAINSAW and ESQARIAL for the 'Blitzkrieg 5' tour of Poland beginning on 29th August in Warsaw.