Symbols - Call to the End (2000)
Wasted potential here. Edu Falaschi's band before Angra. It starts off well on it's way to 5/5 with four great songs, three of which are speedy power metal songs. Then they decide it's a good idea to have a bunch of weak ass Jesus songs, and end it with a really stupid rock song.
As the songs get worse, so does the vocals. I found this to be very odd, until I noticed that Edu's bass playing brother was also listed as lead vocals. And he is no Edu! 2/5

One of the good songs: Eyes in Flames
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cP_nYvqQ2Q

One of the shit songs (don't listen to it): Everything I Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txIIOAychiQ

Tad Morose - Leaving the Past Behind (1993)
Their humble beginnings. The sound is still a bit undefined. There's a lot of Tony Martin-Sabbath here, and the progressive bits are mostly just clunky - but charming - odd time signatures.
It took me quite a while to "get" the singer Kristian Andrén. he doesn't really have a metal voice, but he is incredible soulful. Once I stopped comparing him to other metal singers it all fell into place. 4/5

A typical song: Miracle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lwN1ZWwK4s

Really hit and miss album for me, some songs just managed to catch perfectly the death metal atmosphere and and put it together with the classic progressive rock sound of the 70s and they are amazing. Some other songs are simply boring to the core.

Tad Morose - Sender of Thoughts (1995)
Everything is in place now. What's great about this album (and the next) are the keyboards. This guy is probably my favourite metal keyboardist. He doesn't play a single solo, nor does he double the rhythm guitar, as is so common in metal. Instead he adds incredible atmosphere that elevates the music and adds tons of character. If anybody knows somebody else who does this as well as him, please let me know.
This is an album which I think you have to be in the right mood to listen to and appreciate. It's very gloomy, a bit like Fates Warning's A pleasant Shade of Grey. If you are looking to rock out, this won't do it. 5/5

A typical song: Morning Sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDxo0n-dyU8

Tad Morose - Paradigma (1996)
I don't understand this album. It sounds pretty much like the previous one, but it's no good. There's no forward momentum in the songwriting and it's like they have taken away all the colours. I think they were influenced by grunge here, and that never brought any positivity (pun intended). 2/5

A typical song: Where Dreams Collide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRB9uUFeIo[/b]

Tad Morose - A Mended Rhyme (1997)
Yes Urban Breed is the best singer ever, but on this album the main character is the keyboardist. There are a lot of keyboards, and they are all fantastic. The songs are quite prog, in that that they are not direct. It takes a while to get your head around them. But the atmosphere is there, dark and brooding, but it's not bleak as on Sender of Thoughts. 6/5

A typical song: Circuit Vision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lV_pbJkzuU

Tad Morose - Undead (2000)
∞/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHXARt ... KZcqbk3x1s

Oh come on, man, with a score like that you got to give us a written description.

I’m curious to see what’s next. Undead/Matters of the Dark/Modus Vivendi are sort of a holy trinity of sorts of ass kicking power metal.

Matters of the Dark seems to be a bit of the odd duck out judging by online reviews vs the other two but that was one of the first ‘underground’ power metal albums I ever bought (got it pretty much on release back in 02) and it holds a special place in my heart. First 7 songs are all 10/10 in my book - nearly a flawless album. The chorus of New Clear Skies? Holy shit. And the guest spot from the guy from Lefay on the title track? *chefs kiss*

I've still never heard anything like Undead - that's just one of those crazy albums that was never really replicated again, totally unique vibe and atmosphere. A brilliant underrated classic.

What do you want me to say? Do you want me to list everything that is beyond perfection, which is everything?

Intro: I really don't like intros, but I like this short one. It sets the tone for the album.
Vocals: Fantastic voice with fantastic range. Fantastic melodies, incredible intensity. He's belting like his life is depending on it.
Songs: Dark and ominous. No dead spaces, always moving forward. Big, hooky choruses that you will remember.
Guitars: Economic and effective riffing. Short, melodic and well fitting solos. Lots of leads.
Drumming: Someone set his ass on fire. He was always solid but a bit unimaginative. Now he's worked on the fills and grooves. Maybe because this album is less proggy so there's more room for him to branch out.
Length: 45 perfectly paced minutes.

A typical song: Where the Sun Never Shines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_VDByi5tas

Tad Morose - Matters of the Dark (2002)
At first you might think they have run out of inspiration. Start of first song is quite dull. But come the chorus it's business as usual.
I think they tried to distance themselves completely from their prog metal beginnings by writing as straightforward songs as possible. The verse parts in all songs are relatively speaking all very simple. But the choruses are as great as ever. It's just a change of pace.
I think the solo bits are better than ever here. They seem to be very thought out. Once again, fantastic cover art. 5/5

A typical song: I Know Your Name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdlBQPbftS0

Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi (2003)
Back with the more complex songwriting, and adding more harmony vocal arrangements. The darker atmosphere from Undead is back too.
There are more fast songs here. That hasn't been their strong suite, but here they too are just glorious! 6/5

A typical song: Take on the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0zenUzBerI

Tarot - For the Glory of Nothing (1998)
This does just that for me - nothing. It's well played and has a nice sound. The music is bleak and grey, but it doesn't convey any emotions. I guess it's just Finnish.
The best song by far is the acoustic, non-metal song Ice. 2/5

A typical song: The Scourger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVvufhGXQ5U

Tarot - Suffer Our Pleasures (2003)
Much better! There are desperation in the music, and bits of hope too. The songwriting is more expansive and interesting. 4/5

A typical song: Rider of the Last Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTeQcVZ7MTQ

Thin Lizzy - Fighting (1975)
This is the album where the Thin Lizzy sound came together and not a bad song was made after that. You got the Lizzy rockers, the smooth Lynott crooning songs and the heavy songs in Suicide and Ballad of a Hard Man, which is not a ballad. 5/5

Why wasn't Fighting as big of a hit as Boys are Back in Town?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB9wXEgu1O4[/b]

Thin Lizzy - Chinatown (1980)
I am unashamedly a Thin Lizzy fanboy. They just can't do anything wrong. Even the songs that might be considered less good, once Phil's voice and words enters it turns into great art.
This album is almost flawless, the flaw being the lyrics to Sugar Blues. Imagine if Phil was still around! It makes me sad thinking how much great music that could have been made. 5/5

On a positive note, here's my favourite Lizzy song: We Will Be Strong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpvPcAhM0n4

This Ending - Inside the Machine (2006)
Band name aside, this is solid melodic death metal. Like a meatier At the Gates. Great vocals, fantastic machine-like drumming, really thick guitar tone, loads of lovely guitar leads. The guitar solos ain't that great and should just have been skipped in favor of more lovely twin guitars.
Half a point deduction for the stupid two-minute outro. 4/5

A typical song: Into Pain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFIBJbBpYi8

Threshold - March of Progress (2012)
This is an incredibly well made album. It's like a symphony, or a good movie. It takes you on a journey with a overreaching story arc and dynamic scenes that builds tension and release all the way to the cathartic ending.
There's great use of contrast in the music. Really heavy bits and soft, almost acoustic bits. The often choppy guitar riffs against the smooth, warm keyboard sounds.
And the vocals! I love Damian Wilson's voice. His emotional delivery makes my knees weak. Based on the number of chills I get from listening to this album, it gets 6/5.

A typical song, with a great video: Staring at the Sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Cc0l7p8sA

This band can do no wrong. Don’t Look Down makes this album a 6/5 on its own.

Threshold - For the Journey (2014)
It's full of great songs, but I don't find this as cohesive as the previous album. The weird bonus track - which features on all versions but one - is not that good, which is a shame. It does break the flow.
It's Threshold, it's great, it's 5/5.

A typical song: Turned To Dust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er6Ibhyx5GY

Threshold has been on an amazing run now, going on for almost 30 years.

Throes of Dawn - Binding of the Spirit (2000)
I guess this is supposed to be some sort of gothic metal? They have got a creative and tasteful guitar player, a good drummer and the worst vocals this side of elephant man. The singer probably thinks it sounds dramatic, but it it just renders the album unlistenable. 2/5

A typical song: The Wanderer
https://youtu.be/yaABUGzr97A

Thunderstone - Thunderstone (2002)
Finnish power metal that sounds like Finnish power metal. Right in-between Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica.
It sounds as if someone picked the best musicians from different bands and hired a song writer to make the most archetypical power metal. And succeeded. 4/5

A typical song: Me, My Enemy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bvP7T9VyTU

Nooooo, my childhood favorite. You don't want to listen to the album before that then. The vocals are even more noticeable there. I didn't notice them as a child, but NOW I do.

Sorry! At least I gave it a 2/5, despite it being unlistenable.

Thunderstorm - Faithless Soul (2004)
When doom metal is boring, it is really. These Italians sound like Solitude Aeturnus if the whole band fell asleep.
The riffs are not very good, and they are repeated ad nauseam. Not a shred of variation to be found. Same with the vocal lines. After the 32nd repeat it starts to get on your nerves. 2/5

A typical song: Black Light
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L9j937t4qc

I took the bait...fuck I wish I hadn't.

What?? Threshold is objectively great!
Did you listen to the whole album?

ThunderStorm - As We Die Alone (2007)
This album has everything the previous one lacks. The riffs have been tweaked so that they don't drone along repeatedly. They have also added a bit of 70's flair to the riffs, which suits them very well. The vocal lines are varied and actually interesting to listen to. The actual vocals are better too. At one point I thought Stefan Berglund from Memory Garden was guesting.
The one negative point is the ending cover of Voodoo Child. Good song, but unnecessary. 4/5

A typical song: Death Rides On the Highway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsbG7wSz1Z4

What do you think is your average album rating so far? I'd say a 3.5/5

Time Machine - Evil (2001)
Yet another unspectacular band. Italian power metal that doesn't sound very Italian. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's not much right either. They sound like Kamelot without the song writing talent.
An oddity is that they have a very fast, very flashy guitarist, who indeed plays very good solos. But as opposed to other bands featuring such a guitar hero, he just takes the backseat. He plays the solos and nothing else. No fills or licks during the songs, no cool rhythm guitar playing. Quite the opposite, the rhythm guitars are annoyingly pedestrian. 3/5

A typical song: Hailing Souls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ewYvSCGhY