Norwegian Death Metal duo Cadaver are back with another full length. Their fourth album, ‘Edder and Bile’ is a ten track thirty-one-minute chunk of death and gore.
Cadaver – Edder and Bile (Nuclear Blast)
Release Date: 27 November 2020
Words: Jools Green
The line-up currently consists of founder and primary songwriter Anders “Neddo” Odden on vocals, guitars, bass and Dirk Verbeuren on drums.
Over the decades there have been a few line-up and a name change. Briefly in 2001 they renamed themselves as ‘Cadaver Inc.’ but that name caused a few unwanted and confused enquiries via their website into the nature of the services offered, so the ‘Inc.’ was dropped
Also in that period they released the blacker and thrashier ‘Discipline’, an element of which does manifest in this release.
For this album, Anders told MetalTalk: “I think I scream my heart out towards all the dark sides of life on this record – disappointment, betrayal and deceit
“It is about the human condition, our frail existence and our high hopes that will be killed by time and death at the end of it all. That may sound very sad and angry, but it’s how any man of my age will feel sometimes.
“In general, I feel great and making this music makes me very happy. Brutally happy.”
And with Dirk Verbeuren covering drums, Anders told us that he now has the perfect musical foil: “Dirk is just such a great person, musician and everything else.
“He is a one-in-a-billion drummer and I am so honoured that he wanted to do this and to help me to achieve things I never did with Cadaver in the past. We plan to do this for the rest of our days now, regardless of other things we do.
“It’s just such a great partnership in music.”
‘Edder and Bile’ commences with ‘Morgue Ritual’, opening on snarls and driving insanity, but it settles down to a tasty chunk of sinister thrashy Death Metal. It is an interestingly convoluted listen, but it is with the next couple of tracks that Cadaver start to pull the stops out.
Firstly on ‘Circle of Morbidity’, with its sinisterly haunting mid-point drop. This track also features guest vocals from the legendary Jeff Becerra from Possessed, who brings an extra level of vitriolic terror to the vocals on a track, which without, would still be a superb groovy stomper. It is just better with Jeff’s input.
Then, the subsequent track, the driving d-beat rich ‘Feed the Pigs’, features guest vocals from the equally legendary Kam Lee of Massacre, Nattravnen and The Grotesquery, who adds a rich, lower growl to the vocal department.
The next track ‘Final Fight’ is brutal, convoluted and addictively catchy in both the lyric and riff departments, complemented by the acerbic vocals. It is followed by the dark, driving and acerbic ‘Deathmachine’, with its sinister mid-point shift.
Coming in at an even more intense pace is ‘Reborn’ It has a slightly blackened leaning and convoluted rhythms. The pace then initially pares back for the dark and thrashy ‘The Pestilence’, another fascinating track where the pace, tempo and direction flits around with breath-taking fluidity.
Title track ‘Edder and Bile’ speaks for itself, delivering an unrelenting two and a half minutes of vitriolic brutality and soaring riffs.
Insane thrashy leads, driving rhythms and pummelling drum work make up the superb ‘Years of Nothing’.
Final track ‘Let Me Burn’ absolutely oozes sinister atmosphere from the slower pace, hauntingly diabolical riff patterns and acidic vitriolic vocals and it is completed by a couple of surprising and superb chunks of second half leadwork.
‘Edder and Bile’ is out on November 27th on Nuclear Blast Records as a CD and limited edition vinyl, in three different colours and as a digital download.
