Cadaveria - Far Away From Conformity
2004 - Scarlet Records - SC 073-2
By Philip Whitehouse
A very apt title for this second album from the band formed by
Necrodeath vocalist Flegias (here on drums) and former
Opera IX vocalist Cadavaria after the latter's somewhat-less-than-amiable split. Apt in the sense that
Far Away From Conformity is near-impossible to pin down in any particular genre. Right from the apathy-shattering, full-steam-ahead first seconds of the album, you're being taken on a journey steered by four musicians who clearly want to see and do everything they can in the time available to them, and they're determined to drag you along for the ride, willing or not.
Where 'Irreverent Elegy' starts off as a slow-burning, moody and sinister gothic metal dirge, at around the 2:30 mark it turns into a palm-muted riff-driven thrash lite track, with Cadaveria herself trading the alternate clean and screeched vocals for a hoarse bark, before the original riffs come back in, mutated and out for blood. Later on in the album,
Blondie's 'Call Me' gets a thorough mugging, rearranging it into a slow-as-hell doom-dirge while Cadaveria handles the singing duties with considerable aplomb. That's just two of the tracks. Nu-metal, doom, gothic/horror metal, thrash, death - all styles get a look in at some point, and the rhythm section (particularly the guitarist) do an admirable job keeping everything for going off the rails and becoming an unlistenable musical car crash. Cadaveria's vocals are a bit of a sticking point - although her diversity of styles are admirable, none of them could be said to be at the top of their game. Her clean singing lacks range and control, her guttural barks a little forced, her screeching a tad shrill. But the gusto and energy with which she delivers the lyrics is admirable too.
Oh yeah, mentioning the lyrics - I should award this disc extra points for making me laugh like hell with the line 'scare my shaky brain' in one of the tracks. Okay, perhaps it's a little low to mock the words of a band whose first language isn't English, but come on... besides,
Cadaveria lose those extra points anyway due to the production. Nothing much wrong with it, other than the fact that it's as hot as an Indian takeaway after a night on the Carling, which introduces an annoying fuzziness into the sound at times.
So, an impressively schizophrenic release, let down vaguely by a 'jack of all trades, master of none' vocal approach and a producer seemingly obsessed with getting ahead in the loudness race. Still well worth a look.
7/10
Cadaveria Official Website
Scarlet Records Website
