Review: Cadaver’s The Age of the Offended is a Middle Finger to Conformity
Tomorrow, Cadaver’s sixth studio album The Age of the Offended will offer listeners a wicked treat. It’s a must-hear release that’s bound to delight metal fans of all stripes. This go around, Cadaver raises a middle finger to conformity and creates something that rises like a mushroom cloud above all others.
Formed in 1988, Cadaver stands out as one of Norway’s most revered extreme metal outfits. The Age of the Offended features Cadaver’s legendary co-founder Anders “Neddo” Odden on vocals, guitars, and bass. Despite having battled cancer, this pioneer’s game is stronger than ever. Odden’s vocals — raspy, authoritative, and menacing — betray his status as one of the genre’s all-stars. Yet he also bursts with the youth of someone who never lost his burning enthusiasm for his craft. The Belgian-born Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who joined Cadaver in 2014, likewise delivers a crushing performance.
Eilert Solstad, who has been playing live with Cadaver since 2020 and appeared on …In Pains (1990), contributes double bass. This adds a highly individualistic and unexpected charm. Meanwhile, TNT’s rockstar guitarist Ronni Le Tekrø shines as a guest artist, which is yet another welcome surprise. Trombone player Svein Johannessen, who recorded an intro for Hallucinating Anxiety (1990), returns again for the album’s instrumental opening “Sycophants Swing,” which dishes up a haunting 1920s vibe.
Flesh-melting, brutal, and rancid as The Age of the Offended may be, it still has elements that are quite gorgeous. The phenomenal instrumentation will keep you hooked throughout. The hellish grooves, killer riffs, dazzling solos, and pounding beats are sure to work their way under your skin, as if by demonic possession. Of course, the songwriting provides constant grounds for amazement and will catch you off guard time and time again; chaos, order, truth, and insanity engage in a head-spinning dance.
As one might expect given the talent involved, The Age of the Offended is a thoroughly professional offering. We must admit that the production is remarkable. Recorded in Norway, Finland, and California, the instruments come through clearly, yet the product isn’t too polished. Thus, this effort feels more alive. The mix is just right. Tight as bandages over an open wound, the beautifully balanced The Age of the Offended does not allow for a weak moment.
Again, on The Age of the Offended, Cadaver forges an exceptionally distinctive style. Therefore, this genre-defying record doesn’t quite fit into any categories — after all, Anders Odden is an artist who enjoys changing things up. Nevertheless, The Age of the Offended could be described as apocalyptic death metal laced with hallucinogens. It takes audiences on a nightmarish trip that eats away at you like necrosis. Expect punk rebellion, black vitriol, and the same nausea induced by grindcore. The Age of the Offended delivers what old-school listeners want while also sounding modern. It explores new territories and also digs backward in time, as proven by the intro, to create lovely juxtaposition.
Angry yet wise, The Age of the Offended is a truly relevant offering that speaks of the problems of today and captures the ethos of our age. Fiery, though often chilling, The Age of the Offended concludes with “Freezing Isolation” — an ideal track for the present. The Age of the Offended should prove an instant success. Furthermore, it is sure to serve as an eerie time capsule in the future. The Age of the Offended is an uncompromising victory.
Pre-order Cadaver’s The Age of the Offended here. It drops on July 21 via Nuclear Blast.
