Review by JD on March 23, 2014.

I love bands that have been together for a long time, and continue to try and better themselves as musicians and to improve the music they craft. Slayer is one example of a band continuing to get better, yet still keeping to their roots. Norway’s Cadaver has been together since 1988 (three years under Cadaver Inc.) and have made a mark in the lesser known death metal scene in Norway.

Riding the lines between death/thrash and black metal, Cadaver has been all of these, or parts of them since their inception many years back. On Necrosis (3rd full LP) they seem to have gone into some of the earliest roots of death metal. Using insane thrash melodies to accent their death metal, they show who they are and they unleash the brutality that has punctuated their career.

I was impressed a little, as the experience of the band comes through everything. I loved songs like "Evil Is Done" and "Goatfather", as the vibe was incredible and massively heavy but other tracks seemed muddled and a little off. It could have been a recording problem or it could be something else entirely. It just seemed that the other songs were either unfinished or simply slapped together due to time restraints. This is confusing as all hell, but somehow the music has pulled itself through to pound our ears.

Despite the varied problems I heard with Necrosis, Cadaver has given us all a good album but still it was not a great one. It is more than worth to have in any Metalhead’s collection, but the album as a whole could have been done up way better. Must dig into what they have done more in depth for me.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 5
Originality: 8
Overall: 7.5

Rating: 7.1 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 7, 2018.

Australia's Depravity launch themselves into the bloody and sickening smelling death metal playpen with no shame or care. They happily swirl around in the severed remains and entrails laying and hanging around. This is brutal death metal that doesn't get tiresome after lending ears for 4 tracks. Evil Upheaval is a well thought out, planned and putrescent plate of poisonous death metal. It spans 40 minutes in length but like some albums I've reviewed, it invokes a false sense of time and leaves the listener with a full stomach of excrement, but a brain sending signals begging for more.

'Manic Onslaught' begins with a sample in which the sentence "all the forces of hell were unleashed" is spoken. I think that sentence is 99% accurate when describing Evil Upheaval. The music on 'Manic Onslaught' is belligerent in every sense conceivable; the drummer Louis Rando plays as though his feet and arms possess their own consciousness and are the prototype builds for future robotic genetics. His drumming on 'Manic Onslaught' and on the entire album is bodacious. Though the drums do sound triggered; Rando's stick striking style is filled with control and precision as he yanks out some semi-technical blast beats and stomach kicking double bass. Vocalist Jamie Kay, guitarists Lynton Cessford and Jarrod Curley are at war with each other on this 4:39 scene of carefully constructed carnage. Jamie Kay doesn't seem to stop burping pollutants while Jarrod and Lynton discharge combinations of riffing ferocity.

'Repugnant' has one of the best opening drum and riff combos I have heard thus far from a brutal death metal band. It bares a slight similarity to Succumb's 'Coal Dark Earth' (drum-wise). 'Repugnant' also has a bit of diversity incorporated into its structure; via thrash metal drumming and even a deathcore breakdown. I'll admit the deathcore breakdown did come as a huge shock to me and I hope they leave it out of future releases. I have little deathcore in my collection (Carnifex and Thy Art is Murder) because finger movement on the guitars doesn't seem to be a hobby; by majority of the bands within the deathcore genre. Please Depravity; let this be the last time you ever implement a deathcore breakdown, cause one thing will lead to another (dare I say 'djent'). 'Repugnant' is still a fantastic track despite the blemish, however, you did worry me.

'Vile Defloration' is Depravity's mightiest out-pour of hatred and anger. Its slow on most sections of the record but gets the job done in terms of message and interpretation. Don't let your guard down here, there's one wild guitar solo being augmented and prowls unsuspectingly within the shadows of this dark, soggy alley. 'Vile Defloration' is different in terms of tone and speed. It has a direful feeling and is presented as the final act of an abominable festival. If you enjoy your death metal loud and remorseless, then this barbaric brew of a boisterous battery (being Evil Upheaval) has your depraved desire in mind.

Rating: 9 out of 10