Humanity is at a pretty low level, at least in my lifetime, and there are myriad problems plaguing us right now that should be laid right at our collective feet. The planet is in trauma, authoritarianism is on the rise, and social media has become a pox on humanity instead of an incredible tool for advancement. We are not great stewards.
Death metal superpower Grand Cadaver are paying close attention to this and giving their fiery reaction on their new EP “The Rot Beneath.” Chaos, death, destruction, and injustice are flooding the planet, and as time goes on, political leaders are doing their worst to try to seize power and never relinquish it. The band—vocalist Mikael Stanne, guitarists Stefan Lagergren and Alex Stjernfeldt, bassist Christian Jansson, drummer Daniel Liljekvist—contains members of heavyweights such as Dark Tranquillity, the Halo Effect, and Katatonia (well, a former member), and though they have an EP and two full-lengths on their resume, this is their most intense, agitated release so far, and the lyrical content surely puts the extra bits of venom into the mix.
“Blood-Red Banner” starts fairly viciously, a fury builds through mangling howls and wrenching playing, keeping their level of vitriol noticeably higher than they achieve with their other bands (which is not a slight, by the way). Guitars spiral as the pace slows, bass chugs through smoke, and everything comes to a sooty end. The title track is the highlight, guitars charging up, the vocals ripping at flesh, punishment wrapping around a massive, melodic chorus. “What are we if not the cause of the problem?” Stanne wails righteously, seeing the decay in our ways of life, melody piling up as he laments, “We’ve got to fight ourselves.” “Endless Dead” is fuzzy and frenzied, a raucous, yet simple chorus landing blows, the power leaving blisters. Stanne’s howls get throatier as the playing turns molten, the rhythm section guts, and the final blazes burn off. Closer “Darkened Apathy” is shadowy at first and then speeds up, flattening as guitars spill over, the emotion getting to a boiling point. “We’re a perfect storm of moral decay,” Stanne blasts as guitars sting, screams smother, and the devastation turns to numbing waves.
Grand Cadaver aim right at the heart of the problems on “The Rot Beneath,” a quick, deadly EP that makes a sobering realization that humankind is the source of our problems, and an internal battle might be the only thing that saves us. The frustration and disillusion bleed through perfectly on these songs, and it hopefully can act as a wake-up call for some before it’s too late. That’s not likely to happen, but you can’t say that Grand Cadaver didn’t warn us in the most forceful manner possible.
For more on the band, go here: https://grandcadaver.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://grandcadaver.bandcamp.com/album/the-rot-beneath
For more on the label, go here: https://www.majesticmountainrecords.com/
Meat Mead Metal 