Album Review: Tad Morose, St. Demonius

Artist: Tad Morose

Album title: St. Demonius

Format: CD / digital

TRACKLIST

1. Bow To The Reapers Blade
2. Forlorn
3. Where Ignorance Reigns
4. Remain
5. Black Fire Rising
6. Day Of Reckoning
7. The Shadows Play
8. Darkness Prevail
9. Fear Subside
10. Dream Of Memories
11. The World Is Growing Old
12. Your Own Demise

Review by: Shauna Brock

Giving us proof that the high flying metal styles of the 80’s, a la Iron Maiden and Judas Priest have not faded into nothingness, St. Demonius, the new album from Sweden’s Tad Morose, brings classic, hard hitting guitars and operatic vocals to an album that is dark from the opening chord.

The opening track, Bow to the Reaper’s Blade opens a door to rougher guitar tracks featured in the second piece on the album, Forlorn.  From the outset, It is clear Tad Morose is a band confident in their lyrical and musical presence and that they are a  Swedish band that sings in English says that they have a clear grasp of their audience.  One of the highlights of the quinet’s style is that the lyrics matter as much as the music and the two are blended seamlessly rather than working against each other, which is a weakness in a lot of operatic metal.

Lending to the long history of Scandinavian metal, there is a dark undercurrent that is sometimes lost in the often sex-driven metal that comes out of the States. From St. Demonius’ album art through to the lyrics, there is a reminder of the history that comes from the blacker metal of the North.  It is clear in the lyrics that, like with much of the world, the argument between religion and life is still happening. In songs such as Darkness Prevail there is a connection between the long, dark winters of the region and the heat of fiery hell that is preached by Christianity.

As with most operatic metal albums, the songs do have a tendency to blend together from time to time, but the lyrical thought processes are enough to demand attention.  Just when things start to really snowball into conformity, songs such as Day of Reckoning and The World is Growing Old break up the pattern.

The weakest song is perhaps The Shadows Play, if only because it’s deeper themes are lost in the midst of pieces that all sound the same but highlights include Bow to the Reaper’s Blade, Where Ignorance Reigns, the instant headbanging experience of Day of Reckoning, and Your Own Demise, which is a hard-hitting, bass driven end to a solid album that is worth more than one listen to grasp the concepts the band is bringing forward.

Ideal US tour buddies: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Queensryche.