UMUR "Welcome to the Morbid Reich" is the 9th full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Vader. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in August 2011.

The music on the album is death metal firmly rooted in the early nineties but with an occasionally thrashy edge. We´re talking high quality musicianship, powerful sound production and some really well written material too. It´s obvious from the get go why Vader have been one of the leading Polish death metal acts for now 20 years. These guys are top professionals. One of the assets of the album are the many well played guitar solos which help spice up the raw death metal attack and ultimately make the album more varied. The growling vocals are very convincing too. I like how they are both brutal and aggressive yet intelligible. The band skillfully change pace and rythms throughout the album which is another thing that adds to the variation of the album. Tracks like "Return to the Morbid Reich" and "I Am Who Feasts Upon Your Soul" are winners in my book but all tracks are of good quality.

When all the positives are mentioned I do have to point out that I don´t think Vader have the most original or instantly recognisable sound. That´s not always the most important thing though and with material as strong as this a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is warranted.

J-Man Vader are one of Poland's most renowned extreme metal acts, and they've been consistently churning out high-quality death metal releases ever since their debut full-length back in 1993. Welcome to the Morbid Reich is the band's eighth studio album, and everything you'd expect from a Vader album is here in full force. After a brief symphonic intro, the band transports the listener into old school death metal hell, filled with brutal riffs, deep gutteral growls, and frantic drumming galore. Welcome to the Morbid Reich is yet another high-quality and dependable release in Vader's already impressive discography, and I can't imagine any fan of the band marking this as anything less than another successful observation from Poland's most consistent extreme metal act. Welcome to the Morbid Reich isn't anything new or revolutionary from the folks in Vader, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing when their formula is this solid. Although it may not change anybody's mind about Vader, Welcome to the Morbid Reich is a high-quality entry that is sure to satisfy their rabid fanbase.

Those familiar with Vader shouldn't expect too many surprises on Welcome to the Morbid Reich - at its core, this is the same sound that the band played on The Ultimate Incantation. Fat old school death metal riffs, powerful growls, and pummeling drum patterns all make a tremendous appearance here, and the guitar solos are as impressive as ever. There are also a few symphonic sections, but they are utilized more as a nice change of pace than an integral part of the music. I absolutely love sections like this, and it makes tracks like "I Am Who Feasts Upon Your Soul" just so much more powerful. Welcome to the Morbid Reich may not offer much in the way of innovation, but the songwriting and musicianship are impressive as ever. Vader simply know how to create top-notch old school death metal, and their craft as musicians is irrefutable. Welcome to the Morbid Reich also sports a sleek and powerful production, and even though it's slightly too compressed-sounding for my tastes, there's no denying that this album has a very high quality sound.

All in all, Welcome to the Morbid Reich is yet another winner from one of the hardest working acts in death metal, and any fan of Vader should label it as a must-have. This may not be their definitive masterpiece or the best starting point for budding fans, but it's a strong recommendation nonetheless. 3.5 stars seem very fair here.