Bringing the Dead Back to Life
After reading up on the history of Cadaver and how this little gem, Hymns of Misanthropy, came to be, I became obsessed with how and when this album was made. If you’re a fan of old-school Cadaver, you will love this album. These guys have been on the scene since I was in high school in the late ’80s.
One of Norway’s first death metal bands, formed by guitarist/vocalist Anders Odden and drummer/vocalist Ole Bjerkebakke, Cadaver went back in time to bring Hymns of Misanthropy to life.
Joined by original member Eilert Solstad on bass, Cadaver delved deep into their past and revisited some songs they had recorded way back in the early ’90s while working on their second album, …In Pains. At the time, Cadaver had recorded another album’s worth of “raw and unpolished” tracks — one of which was the first single from Hymns of Misanthropy, “Maltreated Mind Makes Man Manic”. It had never been completed — until now. And let me tell you, this song slaps harder than my missus after I’ve been a bad, bad boy!
With drums reminiscent of Brann Dailor of Mastodon and a little laugh at the end straight out of Christopher Lee’s handbook, Maltreated Mind Makes Man Manic is a song of rebirth — brought back to life by the old lineup.
The drumming on this album is a superb introduction to intricate idiosyncrasies that any and every drummer should envy, be they amateur or experienced. Even what would be the simplest of grooves is given the Ole Bjerkebakke treatment and, like a wish granted by the drumming fairy, is transformed into a lesson in speed drumming — as well as smooth grooves where required. Ingenious, Ole!
My personal favourite track — or what will become known as ParMetal’s pick of the pack — is “Chained to His Fate.” Fast, gritty, and a testament to a band that has waited decades to get these songs into our ears. It really is like a trip back to 1991. Trust me, I was there!
Hymns of Misanthropy was recorded in the very same studio where the band was formed — in Råde, Norway, at Studio Tomb. Cadaver finished the recordings in a session with the original lineup, bringing Hymns of Misanthropy back from the dead and breathing new life into tracks they probably thought would never see daylight again. Ten of the finest Cadaver songs ever recorded. It’s as if Doc Brown and Marty McFly picked me up in the Delorean and took me back to the early ’90s — something I wouldn’t mind, just between you and me.
With ferocity and vigour, Anders, Ole, and Eilert have made the old new again, pushing the envelope to ensure extreme metal lives on through Hymns of Misanthropy. Ten punishingly brutal tracks push the limits of death metal — with a hint of black metal — offering both nostalgia and a fresh assault on the senses. These songs will blow the socks off any metal maniac within a five-kilometre radius.
As far as ratings go, I’d have to give Hymns of Misanthropy a solid 8/10. A gratifying taste of Norway — and if their ice cream doesn’t do it for you, Cadaver absolutely will. Raise your fists, metalheads — Cadaver are in the house, and they’re here to kick ass in every way, shape, and form.
Kudos, fellas. You’ve got my attention all the way down here in Australia. Now it’s finally time for Cadaver to conquer everything between Norway and Aussie land. Be sure to give Hymns of Misanthropy as many listens as possible — it just gets better every time.
— Brett Parmenter for Metal on Tap and ParMetal Media
