Metal Underground.com

Vader is one of those bands who are predictable, but awesome. Yes, they do release the same album year after year, but it's a damn good one. So I'm not surprised at all by the new Vader album, but I'm not disappointed either. “Welcome to the Morbid Reich” won't win over haters, but it isn't going to alienate any fans. It's still Vader doing what they do best, which is playing some kick-ass heavy metal.

Despite the fact that Vader has had so many lineup changes throughout their history, they're a band who has never compromised their vision. I still look forward to new Vader albums despite their sameness, since vocalist/guitarist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek is a riff machine. Everything that this guy comes up with is as good as it was when “De Profundis” came out. As long as he keeps writing fast, catchy metal songs, his band can afford to stick to a formula. That a re-recording of “Decapitated Saints” still fits on the new album without standing out as the best or worst track speaks volumes about Vader's consistency.

For those not familiar with Vader, the band plays a hybrid of death and thrash metal, with an emphasis on catchy riffs and dehydrated vocals. If that sounds appealing, then you'll totally dig “Welcome to the Morbid Reich” and its three minute bursts of sonic violence that detail the various ways to sacrifice people to demons. There are some exceptions to this rule, like “The Black Eye,” which changes tempos multiple times throughout the song, but most of the song writing is impressive yet one-dimensional, and I'd expect nothing different from Vader.

Thankfully, there are no poor tracks, aside from a short instrumental that appears before the final song. It's pointless and awkward and doesn't add anything to the album, aside from making the closer seem anti-climactic. The majority of “Welcome to the Morbid Reich” is still incredibly well-written and should please anyone who's already a Vader fan. This is an album that plays it safe in all the right ways without being stale. It's a must-buy for fans of the band.