On September 15, 2004, thanks to Heather Smith of Century Media, I was able to talk to Christian "Krunt" Andersson (guitar) and Urban Breed (vocals) of Tad Morose, prior to their show in BB King's, NYC.

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The first thing I want to say is that it's amazing how you managed to release three marvelous albums in a row. Consistency is so hard to come by now days, and your well of ideas for songs just does not seem to dry? How do you do it?

Well, the ideas in the band come from everybody. Everybody has their take on the music and we throw all the ideas and suggestions in a blender and grind it out. They just kind of bounce and feed off each other.

This is why the credits always say "Written by Tad Morose," and not by individual members?

Precisely. But Urban writes all the lyrics and the vocal melodies.

How does he do it so well? His vocal melodies are some of the best that I have ever heard!

Oh, he just never stops writing and working. This is actually a problem somewhat: if you don't stop him, he would just go on for hours and hours trying to improve. And this can be a problem if you have a limited studio time? like we usually get two weeks to record an album and he would just keep working and working and getting all these background vocals down. And then we are like: "OK, this already sounds good. Really." and just keep hammering him and pulling him away, otherwise he will never stop.

So he is a perfectionist?

Oh yes. It was better on the last album, because he did all the vocal recordings in his own studio and I guess he was working there non-stop for days but he just brought us the finished parts. And another thing is: all these vocal lines are great in the studio, but Urban also makes us sing all these background parts live! You know, we all, every band member, sings background live and we do what we can, but we are not trained singers, you know, we just try to, you know, keep up.

Let?s talk about your influences. Anybody in particular you want to mention?

Well, the usual people: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, the usuals. Now, other members of the band, they like different stuff: Anders likes 70s hard rock, Urban loves progressive rock, well, crap, like Yes and so forth... and I guess this is where all these different ideas come from, because we all see it from different perspectives.

You mentioned Judas Priest. Yet I would say that on your albums there are not a lot of flashy soloing, the interplay. Are you just not into that, being more riff-oriented?

Well, the soloing must fit the song. We have it on a couple of songs, but unless we feel it?s necessary, we won't go out of our way to flash.

Are there songs on the last album which you are particularly happy with? Anything you absolutely love?

That's a tough question... I don't know, can't say. But, you know, every band member dislikes certain songs. Like you know, "Cyberdome" or "Spirit Rules The World": some of us don't really like them but Urban loves them and, well, the crowd loves them! Actually, it's really weird: the more we like a song, the less the crowd does, and the other way around? On "Cyberdome," we are just you know, standing there, playing, yawning, but everybody loves it! I guess the key to being successful is to write songs that you yourself don't like. I mean, this is almost a sure thing: if we don't like it, the people love it.

Well, I actually love both of these songs, although I admit I kinda missed "Cyberdome" at first. But a friend of mine told me to pay attention to it, and I did, and all of a sudden, I thought: "Wow, this is really a great song!" Actually, what I love the most about Tad Morose is that there are virtually no fillers. Every song is strong.

Thank you, this is a great compliment. We try to keep it this way.

Except, maybe, on Matters Of The Dark, I never really got into "Devil's Finger."

Well, that song was actually somewhat of a filler.

On the other hand, "Another Way" was my Song of the Year for 2002.

It's funny, we never actually played it live. This is another song that Urban pretty much wrote completely, and when it happens, we are kind of reluctant to play it.

One thing in my mind that separates Tad Morose from the rest is the vocal melodies. They're absolutely phenomenal. Is this entirely to the credit of Urban?

Yes. He writes them all.

How did he join the band?

We have invited him. We are from a very small town, Bollnas, and he is from an even smaller village next to Bolinas, and everybody kinda knows everybody, so we had a couple of candidates, but we went with him, after Peter and Daniel came on board... they played with him in a progressive rock band.

Have you ever been inclined to write lyrics?

No, not really. That's Urban's field, he writes them and the melodies. I feel that if the singer writes the words, he can sing them better: he can sort of do it more convincingly than if we just hand the lyrics to him and tell him to sing. And he really takes pride in writing.

So you trust him completely with the lyrics?

Oh yes, the whole band does. Obviously, unless he sings something stupid, I don't know, about wearing pink shirts, or something... but that hasn't happened yet.

So you don't have any political or emotional things that you want to express?

No, not really. Urban writes good lyrics and we just write songs, and it makes everybody happy. Because I believe that we write and play, essentially, because it makes us happy. And because it makes us happy, we just keep doing it, you know?

The title of the album is "Modus Vivendi." What is the band's modus vivendi?

Well, this is actually simple: we agree to disagree. We all have different views on everything and we naturally fight over things, but in the end we come to a compromise on how the song should sound, and this is how the songwriting is.

How is the touring going? I have heard that you do not go on many tours. Why?

We are actually quite picky as to which tours we go to. Every time we get a good offer, we go. But just recently we turned down two tours: to open for Saxon and for Brainstorm. With Saxon, first of all, the tour is going on right now and we would have to skip this gig and the Atlanta festival, and that is important to us. And also people who come to see Saxon, they just want to see Saxon, they don't care about the openers at all.

Are they that dedicated?

And that old (laughs). And with Brainstorm, the conditions just weren't right. We were supposed to be the first opener, then there would be another band after us, and then there was Brainstorm, and we just didn't feel it was right.

Does the music pay the bills?

No, not exactly. We all have regular jobs outside of Tad Morose. I am a manager in a small company.

How do you take the time off to tour?

My company is very sympathetic, they know what I'm doing, and they let me take the time off. It's just that they are envious that I get to travel and see places.

Are you married?

No. I have a girlfriend.

What's your take on downloading music?

You know, I'm all for it. I download music myself, and I don't think it's a big deal. I think it just brings exposure. If a person downloads Tad Morose, he will at least listen to it, and then maybe he'll buy an album. But if he doesn't hear about us, then he wouldn't buy it for sure.

Plus, in the old days, you would hear about the new bands on the radio, but in the States, you know, who plays Tad Morose?

Precisely. I'd rather have the people download a song than not hear it.

You are the only remaining original member of the band since its beginning in 1992. Does it get lonely?

No, not at all. You know, it works like this: your friends leave, you get the new ones, and you just carry on. If it still makes you happy, go on.

What is Urban's real name?

We get that question every time. It is his real name. Honestly. Sometimes he even has to show his passport, but it really is Urban Breed.

How can I snatch him for a little chat?

Well, I'm going to go and kick his ass out of that chair. Hold on.

Thank you very much, and have a great show!

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OK, Urban, let's get the ass kissing out of the way first. Tad Morose is presently my favorite band, and Modus Vivendi is in the running for the Album of the Year title. It is absolutely phenomenal.

Urban: Thank you.

I was introduced to Tad Morose in 1999, when a friend recorded two songs off of Mended Rhyme for me, and I was not particularly impressed?

It's understandable.

But then I rediscovered you with Undead. I remember "Servant Of The Bones" completely blowing me away, and then it just never stopping from that point.

It's a good song, and a very good album opener. Kicks right in.

You know, Modus Vivendi, I bought it, I listened to it, and next day I could remember every single song! Now that's class! An instant classic in my book.

Wow. Thank you, this is a great compliment.

You know, it's fantastic how every song is just so memorable. How do you do it?

Well, I try to write memorable vocal melodies. And I like to keep them simple. "Cyberdome," for example. "Was it worth it all? I don't know!" is a simple vocal line. If it is simple and catchy, I always try to use it. And if the guys don't like it, I just hold on to them until the better moment.

So what comes first, melodies or words?

It depends, really. Well, it usually starts with me and Daniel throwing ideas around and exchanging files. Then we work something out and give it to the rest of the band, and they either hate it, which doesn't mean anything, or they don't, and we go to work on them again.

You are one of a few lyricists who actually write good lyrics. It's quite refreshing.

Well, the lyrics are rather personal to me. I mean: I write all of them, so if they're bad -- *I* am to blame! So I try.

Can you clarify a few songs for me?

I can try.

"Life In A Lonely Grave" is about the aftermath of the nuclear explosion, right?

Yes. This was actually where the melody came first: Daniel brought some guitar parts and I was watching the news, and I was imagining what would it be like, to live after the nuclear holocaust. I then started singing, and, amazingly, almost everything that I sang that first time made it into the final version of the lyrics! It was just flowing. And audience generally likes this song. The first verse or so puts you among the survivors of an apocalyse of sorts... Then later on I throw you a few hints as to what might have brought you there. Anyway, I cut down the arrangement from the 9 minute piece it was to a more streamlined four and a half minutes. This did not go down well with the band, I can tell you, where Anders in particular kicked my ass back to the drawing board. I re-arranged it into the arrangement you can hear on the album.

"When The Spirit Rules The World."

This is one of those that the band does not like but people do. Imagine a spirit, an entity, in the afterlife, that is... well, I don't want to say "in hell," but... let's just say in the place where it should not be. And this soul is looking back and thinking "what have I done wrong?", you know?

And it rounds the album off with the same Egyptian sounds that it started with.

It was Anders' idea. In fact, it was Anders that put together the whole tracklist. We sent Century Media two versions, mine and Anders', and I'm just glad they picked Anders' version since it was clearly the better one.

"No Mercy."

This one we like to play live. It's about a certain feeling, you know? How you live, taking shit from everybody, and everybody is taking advantage of you, and finally you say to these people: "Enough! No mercy!"

"Cyberdome," I assume, is about a failed internet date?

Yes, you are correct.

And "Another Way" is about the neo-Nazis?

Yes.

I love this song; it was my Song of the Year in 2002.

We never played it live. I wrote it all by myself, and they just don't like it, I guess. Besides, it is a fast song, and we already play "Matters of the Dark."

"Ethereal Soul."

This is again, about the soul separated from the body. When I was writing it, I was inspired by the Biblical story of Loth's wife that was turned into a pillar of salt. The audiences in Europe don't seem to like it very much, so we're considering dropping it from the set.

Omigod, this is one of the best songs on that album!

Well, the chorus goes over well, and everybody sings, but during the verses people are bored, seem to be. Actually, American audience may react differently.

"No Wings To Burn."

You know, I don't even remember this one. Can't tell you.

"Corporate Masters."

Oh, it's more futuristic in nature... You know we have all these multinational corporations running our lives, and if they go unchecked, one day a man suddenly wakes up and realizes that "My god, we have sold out and I just play a part." That sort of stuff.

"Sword Of Retribution."

Another science fiction-based song. "Star Wars," maybe.

You know, "Mother Shipton's Words" actually prompted me to go online and look it up.

Yeah, once I just kind of ran across it and it seemed like a good idea for a song, and I always wanted to do a song on prophecies.

And, you know, everybody and their dog have already written about Nostradamus...

Precisely. And this is quite similar. Too bad our bassist doesn't like it, and we don't play it live.

A pity. Now, when you write lyrics, do you deliberately try to make them vague? You operate on images -- and very powerful images -- rather than on events.

Yes, absolutely deliberately. I do it because I don't want my songs to sound like newspapers, because they ten years later they become, well, dated.

It still is great that you pay attention to lyrics like that. Not many metal bands do that. I was brought up on a Russian tradition of lyrics being very important...

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with it...

...and it pains me to see excellent musical bands like Rhapsody writing utter nonsense.

Well, you have to remember, they are Italian.

You are Swedish!

Actually, in Sweden most people know English? I guess it comes from the fact that we get English-language movies subtitled, not overdubbed. I think they dub them in Italy.

Another question. Have you considered writing a rock opera? Or a concept album

I have but at this time I don't want to. You see, when I'm writing a song, I want to know exactly where it's going and I don't want to lose focus. With rock operas you can't pay as much attention to individual songs, to details. But if it feels write -- why not?

Talk about your covers, please. Specifically, the beautiful "Knowing Me, Knowing You" for the Abba Tribute and "Power of the Night" by Savatage, which, I admit, disappointed me a little.

It's actually somewhat different for covers. We usually do not have enough time to thoroughly polish them. It's more like: here, you have a day to do it. And "Power of the Night" was basically done live in the studio. It was soon after I joined the band. We didn't quite know what to do with me (laughs).

Does the music pay the bills?

Not exactly. I also work as a head of a "veneer drying team."

Do you have any professional training as a singer?

Two years of classical singing, which was a waste of time. I mean, I would come in, and they would be like: so, have you been singing metal again?

Do you sing with your throat or with your chest?

It's actually both my throat and my gut.

Your influences?

There is one man that I consider to be an enormous influence on me: Ronnie James Dio. He is fantastic and just keeps singing great, year after year.

I can hear a bit of his influence here and there in your songs.

I also respect Geoff Tate a lot.

On Undead you sounded a lot like him, but I think it went away a bit on the later works.

Yes, you're right. On Modus Vivendi there is clearly less Tate.

On MV you sound like a cross between Crimson Glory's Midnight and Savatage's Zak Stevens.

Thank you, they are great singers, and yes, I guess it would be a valid comparison. I like them both.

Is there anybody in particular you would like to tour with?

Everybody. I guess I?d love to tour with Dio, so I could watch him sing. Everybody.

Are there any particular Swedish bands that you like?

Well, there are some, but I don't really know.

It's strange how Sweden exploded in late 90s, with Hammerfall and Nocturnal Rites, and now, it seems, it is deteriorating a bit.

To me, the problem with Nocturnal Rites is that when they are struggling, they go back to the double-bass. And it just gets so tedious, you know! It's all the same, superfast, double-bass kicking. Actually, on their last album they had a pretty good song, I can't remember what it was called...

Let me guess: "The world is on my shoulder, I'm the one against the world."

Yes, that's the one! This one was fresh.

What about Lefay?

Oh, they have a practice space not far from us, so we are good neighbors.

What are they up to? By the way, it was great to hear Charlie guest star on "Matters Of The Dark" and "Reason For The Ghost."

They're working on the new album. I think they are on Black Mark again. By the way, I bought one of my mikes from Charles. He needed money at one time, and I bought a microphone from him.

I have heard that you are quite a workaholic as far as background vocals go... (Urban laughs) ... And as far as writing goes. What are the plans for the future? Are you working on any new material?

I am now working on new songs... well, not as we speak (laughs), but I always have something going. But I am not going to show it to the boys yet. I always wait until it is actually time to record a new album. That way they don't get used to the songs, and the songs don't seem tired, you know.

... And I have also heard that you don't drink or smoke.

No, I don't. Never did. Never touch alcohol.

Wow, that's quite un-Swedish. How do you do it? Is that because of your voice?

Hell yes! Let me put it this way: if I were a guitar player, would I want to cut my fingers off? It's true for many singers... Brainstorm vocalist, for example, he takes care of himself well too.

What exactly is the band's modus vivendi? And who came up with this title?

I did. And what it means is: we have all these different ideas of how our music should sound, but when we fight it out, we have a good album. So we essentially agree to disagree.

Wow, these are the exact words of Krunt!

That's because that's what I told them. This was the philosophy that I brought, and we just kind of signed in to it.

Like I said, MV is so far my album of the year... I mean, the year isn't over yet...

I can only say one thing: it's wonderful, but if a better album comes along -- that's great. This is all for the good of the music and the metal scene.

Thank you very much, and I will see at ProgPower 5.0 in Atlanta!