Pynchon Music: Vader

Founded in Olsztyn, Poland in 1983, Vader is a heavy metal band that took its name from—you guessed it—Darth Vader. The group was formed by bassist Piotr Wiwczarek and guitarist Zbigniew Wróblewski, although “Peter” Wiwczarek remains the only original member in the band. Starting out as speed metal, Vader’s sound became heavier and darker, and they’re often compared to Slayer.

While H.P. Lovecraft is Vader’s most notable literary influence, their second album, De Profundis, opens with a song inspired by Thomas Pynchon. Called “Silent Empire,” the menacing lyrics present a decidedly apocalyptic view of the underground postal system featured in The Crying of Lot 49. A visceral punch in the face, the track is a whirlwind of slashing guitars, chunky rhythms, and furiously thundering drums. It’s easy to see why the De Profundis is widely considered among Vader’s best. The only question is how lyricist Paweł Frelik overlooked Pynchon’s acronym for Don’t Ever Antagonize The Horn!

We await the silent empire
The timeless domain of disinherited ones
We do believe in silence
All that is hidden and hushed serves our quest

The spaceless kingdom of ones that expect
The nameless worshippers of future to come
When the courier’s sign glimmers in the dark
We rise our eyes in wait

Our heads—that’s where it dwells
Our hearts—that’s where it ripens
Our hopes—that’s where it reigns
You’d better never antagonize the horn

We wish to disremember the defeated cause
Lost in the maze of the world
We restlessly seek way out and up
To evil towers, to another fall from grace into pride

There in the world they think they conspire
How pitiful seems their toil and plot
We drop out letters into waste bins in the streets
And gather to read the words of those who concoct

Our heads—that’s where it dwells
Our hearts—that’s where it ripens
Our hopes—that’s where it reigns
You’d better never antagonize the horn

The empire, it is in us
The horn, there you can see
The message, this should come soon Trystero, the name we behold
We’re from the outer empire

Our heads—that’s where it dwells
Our hearts—that’s where it ripens
Our hopes—that’s where it reigns
You’d better never antagonize the horn

We await the silent empire

1. Silent Empire (4:02)
2. An Act of Darkness (1:56)
3. Blood of Kingu (4:38)
4. Incarnation (3:08)
5. Sothis (3:42)
6. Revolt (3:36)
7. Of Moon, Blood, Dream and Me (3:51)
8. Vision and the Voice (3:29)
9. Reborn In Flames (5:39)

Musicians
Piotr “Peter” Wiwczarek—lead vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar.
Jarosław “China” Łabieniec—rhythm guitar, lead guitar.
Krzysztof “Doc” Raczkowski—drums.
Paweł Frelik—lyrics.