EP REVIEW: D.G.A.F. – Cadaver

With the exception of a brilliant, teasing single released in the spring of last year, it’s been 16 years since we last heard new material from Norwegian death metal outfit CADAVER. The only remaining original member, Anders Odden is joined for D.G.A.F. by the one and only Dirk Verbeuren of SOILWORK and MEGADETH fame, with a special guest appearance from CARCASS main man Jeff Walker. Three tracks, ten minutes, does D.G.A.F. hint at a glorious return for CADAVER – or was this a project better left buried?

Don’t let the cover art of presumably human viscera ruin your appetite, ’cause D.G.A.F. is tasty. Kicking off with the highlight title track, CADAVER are joined immediately by Walker, and together the trio absolutely rip. Super grindy with subtle, sinster melodies chucked into the chorus – which, although unimaginative, it’s hard not to let the infectious refrain of “Fuck! Don’t give a fuck!” bury into your subconscious – and complete with a military precision drum performance from Verbeuren, it’s immediately clear Odden is back and better than ever.

Deformed Insanity keeps the intensity high with Odden grinding away with old-school death metal riffing and Verbeuren delivers a punishing rhythm. Heavy on the grooves, and even heavier on the HM-2 abuse, Deformed Insanity is a very strong addition to CADAVER‘s repertoire, while Disgrace offers a far doomier introduction, before delving into the most aggressive blast on the EP – no small feat. Stunning solo work kicks off the most grindcore passage on D.G.A.F., completed by an utterly frantic, totally chaotic bust of more soloing to round the EP off in a viscous fashion.

D.G.A.F is utterly furious. Over in the blink of an eye, the duo, with Walker‘s assistance, blast through a rapid barrage of grinding death metal that barely lasts ten minutes. Short, sharp, and straight for the jugular, the aggression on display here is crushing. After 16 years, could we finally be about to witness the return of CADAVER to a prominent position in the death metal scene? If D.G.A.F. is any indication, they are back with a vengeance.

Rating: 7/10

D.G.A.F. is out now via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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