Cadaver
Necrosis
8.2
You know you're in for a treat when the first track on an album is called "Necro as Fuck". I should be able to just leave the review at that sentence alone, but I'm sure I'd catch even more shit than usual for doing that.
So does anyone remember when Cadaver Inc. had a website up about being a murder-site cleanup crew? Even had a hotline and everything. Well, that didn't exactly fly too high with the Norweigan authorities, but hell, they got plenty of attention out of the ordeal. So, the band that was once Cadaver, then Cadaver Inc., has been changed back to Cadaver. Anders Odden is the man responsible for all of this - once the guitarist of the original Cadaver, he's the sole original remaining member. Joining him again are a few members of the band Aura Noir as well as Dødheimsgard; the same lineup that appeared on Cadaver Inc.'s 2001 album (after a 9 year hiatus) Discipline.
But don't let the progressive/industrial black metal mention turn you away - Cadaver's still intent on chugging out some extremely creative old-school death metal. To be honest, I was almost baffled once I heard this album. It's got a really recognizable sound, but then it's just tweeked and warped quite a bit to the point where it makes you raise your ears a little more than usual. There's a lot of early 90's death/thrash influence combined with extremely frantic and dissonant riffing which gives the overall sound a sense of urgency. When you're not busy looking like an idiot while headbanging next to your speaker, you'll probably be sitting on the edge of your chair biting your fingernails.
It's really confusing how this all works together so well. With plenty of different tempo changes within each song, modern black metal riffs, and even some fucking punk/rock parts, Cadaver really set themselves apart from other old school revivalists like Bloodbath. Necrosis sounds a bit like it could almost fit into the Sadus back catalogue if they had decided to go into different progressive territory. There's really some remarkable songwriting going on here, as there are multiple opportunities for this album to fall flat on it's face - but it never even comes close. Perhaps there's a bit more Dødheimsgard presence here than you'd pick up on during your first listen.
I can't really find any major faults with Necrosis. The vocals are pretty goddamned gruff and angry. The drumming makes me beat on my head with my fists and uncontrollably causes me to tap my feet - and I don't even play drums. Hell, even the bass is audible. Everything's done in a pretty raw sounding fashion, but not to the point where there's any clarity being sacrificed. Really, the only thing I could criticize Cadaver on is the erratic usage of shit like the distorted vocals at one part on the song "Odium" and some of the guitar effects on the later tracks. It's just a little forced, but nothing that'd prevent me from listening to it again and again.
It's a bizarre album. But really, it isn't. It's just a refreshing take on an old style, and if you're anything like me, you'll be smiling throughout the entire 35 minutes of Necrosis.
