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As a big fan of Tad Morose's last two albums, I was really looking forward to this one. And yet it has taken me a while to get enough of a grip on this album to really set down my opinion about it. This is album number six for these guys, and continues in the vein of their previous releases with some very strong material.

"Modus Vivendi" opens with the awesome, catchy "Anubis", which is just about the best song the band has ever done. Heavy and hooky, with an incredible stomping riff that reminds me of Crimson Glory, this is the best song on the album. But there are thankfully a few more that are within a hair of being just as good. "No Mercy" is a bit flat, though it grows on you--it's just a bit simplistic for a Tad Morose song. Fortunately the next four songs are a tour-de-force of crunching, catchy metal the likes of which few bands ever produce. You get four killers right in a row: the proggy, punchy "Afraid To Die", the speedy "Clearly Insane", the slow and powerful groove of "Cyberdome", and the exhilarating stomp of "Take On The World". Whew! This is what metal should be like.

If the rest of the album does not quite measure up, it is no shame to fall short of the excellent music that came just before. "Life In A Lonely Grave" has a really good chorus, but it goes on too long. The other three are not bad, but they don't kick ass like tracks 1, 3,4, 5, and 6. The production is crisp and heavy, and I don't think Tad Morose have ever sounded as tight and aggressive as they do on this album. Urban Breed's vocals and melodies are again a centerpiece of the album, as when it comes to writing vocal lines almost nobody has chops like this guy does.

So we have a stellar outing from this underrated band, taking back some of the ground they lost with "Matters Of The Dark." This may not be as consistent as "Undead", but the best songs here are better than the best songs there. If Tad Morose could write a CD of songs all as good as "Anubis" or "Afraid To Die", then we'd be talking classic. For those unfamiliar with Tad Morose, this is a good way to start. If you like melodic metal but don't like flower metal, then this is a band you should not miss.