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Tad Morose - Undead
Tad Morose - Undead
Century Media Records - 2001
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Undead is Tad Morose's latest album and their first on the Century Media label. After a long 3-year wait, during which they had to hassle with their old label, Black Mark, they have come out with a very focused and strong album.
Tad Morose have dropped the keyboard player who performed on their past albums and have added a second guitar player, which has made their sound catchier, heavier, and faster. Almost gone is any resemblance to the music from their earlier works. This album can be defined as power metal, but Tad Morose is able to sound fresher and better than most bands in this overcrowded genre.
Urban Breed's singing is phenomenal. He has a great range and can do powerful, soaring vocal lines and then sing in a rougher style. His singing really reminds me of a combination of Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage) and Johnny Lindkvist (turnal Rites). The driving guitar lines by Christer Andersson and Daniel Olsson is crunchy and melodic, and they really do an excellent job. Something I found interesting is that the majority of their solos are not particularly flashy or ultra-fast. Instead, they show a lot of melody and harmony, they are to the point, and as a result, the song as a whole is the focus - not just a speedy solo. The drumming by Peter Morén is tight and powerful, and finally, Anders Modd glues the whole music together with his great bass playing.
Lyrically, there seems to be a unifying theme throughout most of the songs. This is not a concept album, but the songs really relate to the album title. One of the greatest things about Undead is that a lot of the songs are extremely catchy. I found myself singing along to the choruses of songs like "Another Time Around" and "Corporate Masters." These songs are two of my favorites from this album, and I especially like "Corporate Masters" because of how fast the band plays it.
My favorite song on the album is "Where the Sun Never Shines." I simply love the intro, which is repeated often during the song, and the chorus, where Urban adds some great vocal lines. Urban also sings the verses of "Where the Sun Never Shines" in a rougher style than some of the other tracks - this is where I drew the comparison to Johnny of Nocturnal Rites. This song really represents what Tad Morose is all about in this album.
Another excellent song is "Servant of the Bones." The blistering intro is great and is enhanced by a sweet solo. This song also features extremely catchy vocal lines and it was the first song that I immediately recognized. One thing I wonder about this song - is it based on the Anne Rice (one of my favorite authors) book of the same title? I believe that it might be, because the song mentions the name "Azriel," which, coincidentally, is the name of the title character of that book.
This album impressed me. Tad Morose has definitely set itself apart from the other power metal bands out there, many of which have become very boring and repetitive. Not a lot of people have heard about Tad Morose, but hopefully, now that they are with Century Media, this well-kept secret from Sweden will gather a strong fan base. After this formidable effort, they deserve it.
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