### Vader: Morbid reich

#### 20/09/07 || theProphet

Released: 1990

##### Introduction

Technically, “Morbid Reich” was, and probably still is, a demo. However, no reviewer worth his wrinklies would ever even consider putting it in the Demo(n)s department. “Morbid Reich” is first and foremost a classic, and it was a harbinger of things to come. Today, the Polish death metal scene is one of the best in the world, sporting bands such as (apart from Vader) Behemoth, Decapitated, Hate to mention some. And this is how it all started.

##### Songwriting

8. Keeping in mind that this is a first release, this is some serious quality shit, right here… The songs have great dynamics, and the different parts flow effortlessly into each other. Vader displays better songwriting skillz here than many other bands do on their third or fourth releases.

##### Production

9. Keeping in mind this is a demo, and a demo from behind the Iron Curtain at that, this production is unbelievable. I really can’t elaborate more on that, I simply can’t believe that this production is the real one, perhaps what I’ve got is some sort of remaster. However, the bass is as usual with death metal, almost inaudible.

##### Guitars

8. Peter is a very skilled guitar player and he could play real nifty even back in the 80’s. The riffs are all good, and so are the leads (as one would expect after reading the songwriting part). They sound killer too (why is it that I’m just repeating the first two sections?).

##### Vocals

6,5. This score would have been higher if I didn’t know how much better Peter would sound later. I always loved his more throaty scream kinda thing, and he hadn’t really developed that fully on “Morbid Reich”.

##### Bass

2. Just cause I can’t hear it for shit (well, almost not). Perhaps I shouldn’t rate this at all, perhaps it’s real good… Well fuck it, if it is good they can only blame themselves for not making it fucking audible.

##### Drums

9. Doc. What more is there really to say? This guy shows that he always was an incredibly talented drummer, everything in his playing is as tight as the virgin Mary’s fuckhole (there always seems to be a vagina reference when it comes to tightness, doesn’t it). The sound of them drums is far above decent too.

##### Lyrics

6. Nothing special, your standard Christ hating and evilness. There is some guy helping out with the lyrics here, as on most Vader releases, and it shows that English isn’t exactly these guys mother tongue. Also, the lyrics tend to be quite infantile.

Time to play – to cut off your head Time to die – my cruelty will make you dead

Black cities hidden in the dark Among the waters, beneath the seas Horrible thoughts destroy the minds Through the endless nights

Warriors with hate inflict destruction Comes true the awful prediction Still alive corpses lie in the street Spitting the blood to the God

So how the fuck can corpses be “still alive”? Or am I missing something? Fuck it, any way you bend or twist it, these lyrics are decent, but nothing special.

##### Cover art

7. It’s a nice cover, although I have no idea of what the fuck it is supposed to depict, although after much staring and contemplating, I think I can distinguish some tortured facial expressions or some shit amidst all the colors…

##### Logo

9. The Vader logo always meant good stuff to me. I like.

##### Booklet

I have no fucking idea as I don’t actually own the cd. Seems pretty unlikely that it was very good, if there even was any. After all, this is a demo.

##### Overall and ending rant

8. This is probably the best first recording ever made by a band. Anyone not sharing my opinion? I dare you all to fight me over it (and when I know I’m losing I’ll just call the authorities on you, bastards…). This is a piece of true death metal history and it was instrumental in putting Poland on god’s hate-list.