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Heard the one about the Polish death-metal band? No? See for yourself when Vader-whose first U.S. album, The Ultimate Incantation, has been released on the independent Relativity label-starts its first-ever American tour this month. ''Circling in the sky the demons now descend, to raise their slaughter of mankind till its end!'' is typical of the apocalyptic messages singer- guitarist Peter Wiwczarek (pronounced veeth-cha-ruk) roars over the trademarks of the death-metal genre-relentless rivet-gun guitars and whiplash drumming.
Speaking from Poland, Wiwczarek, 27, elaborated on the group's doomsday lyrics, which Vader shares with fellow death-metalists Slayer and Napalm Death. ''The earth is being destroyed by the human race, and modern people don't believe in anything except money,'' he says. ''So I am saying, 'Don't destroy this earth-it's our world.''' Formed in 1986, Vader counts among its influences everything from Mozart and Verdi to the soundtracks of The Omen and Hellraiser. ''This music is big over here,'' says Wiwczarek. ''We've got the most interesting death-metal bands in Europe-but then,'' he chuckles, ''I'm biased.'' In fact, the group's ultimate influence may be its own chaotic homeland in the wake of the fall of communism. ''Our situation isn't so good,'' Wiwczarek grumbles. ''Our so-called Christian government can't understand the people of our country. These problems created this kind of music. They created me.'' And that's no joke.
