Norwegian Death Metal for the Ages – Cadaver at Rock In, Oslo

A cornerstone of Norwegian death metal invited fans to witness their first headline gig in the capital in over two years on the 9th of November. The atmospheric club venue Rock In, again displaying visual artist Toto Lara’s dark and intriguing work, served as the backdrop for this special night. But would Cadaver (performing at Hellsinki Metal Festival 2024 in the photos) deliver the goods after over 35 years of their inception?

Starting their set roughly 45 minutes after the doors had been opened, the death metal veterans quickly proved to be in good shape. As the intro and the opening track of their latest studio album “The Age of the Offended” (2023) were let loose, the nuanced but in-your-face death metal shined in all its glory. 

Led by the sole constant member Anders “Neddo” Odden, Cadaver has released six studio albums, the latest two under the famed Nuclear Blast. With Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, ex-Soilwork) busy with other duties, Neddo was accompanied on stage by drummer Emil Wiksten, experienced with bands like Tsjuder and Abbath, and bassist Eilert Solstad. The latter was dressed as a plague doctor and conjured deadly rhythms with a contrabass reminiscent of a scythe. 

You could tell the musicians weren’t new to the game. Executing the rhythm-heavy tracks with tight precision and addressing the audience with an adorable charm, Cadaver showed why they are one of the better-known Norwegian death metal acts. The rhythm section in particular did a magnificent job, seamlessly shifting between chaotic blasting and lead-heavy doom metal sections. With a setlist spanning each full-length album except 1991’s “Discipline”, the band delighted me with an approach more layered than Cannibal Corpse, yet not too progressive or technical for my taste.

Even so, the setlist lacked individual gems of the same caliber as the best Deicide and Death songs. Whereas most songs induced wild energy, some newer tracks lacked the same degree of sharpness. This was especially true for the title track of the latest album, though the dynamic rhythms made up for some of the loss. Certain lyrics, like the choruses of “D.G.A.F.” and “Decomposed Metal Skin”, came off as flat, but the latter was consciously presented as a dry joke. 

After 15 slashes of deadly metal, Cadaver left the stage, leaving the most loyal fans longing for their return. We in the front row had the opportunity to spoil the obvious surprise: the band would return for not one but two encores unless they had scrapped the script. With intrigued fans collecting two of the three setlists before the band’s return, we could only hope they remembered what to play. And indeed they did. We were treated with two fine doses of the band’s signature sound, which is easily recognizable in the somewhat formulaic genre. 

I’d seen Cadaver for the first time in August just before moving to Oslo when they conquered the indoor stage of Hellsinki Metal Festival with remarkable vigor. After witnessing them perform inside Helsinki Ice Hall, with numerous people watching the show from the sitting auditorium, I was curious to catch a more intimate show in their homeland. The crystal clear sound did the best possible justice to their music, and even though the venue wasn’t full, the atmosphere was delightful. The only exception was a couple of people pushing and pulling others who didn’t even see them and clearly weren’t keen on their attempt at a moshpit. Kindly let others decide for themselves how they want to enjoy the show.

Compared to younger death metal bands like Cryptic Hatred, Ruun, and Sovereign, I couldn’t help but think Cadaver could have used a more reckless energy on stage. Nevertheless, the band delivered a great if not mind-blowing show, which I’m looking forward to experiencing again at next year’s Inferno Metal Festival.

Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to the great evening!

Cadaver’s setlist:

1. Postapocalyptic Grinding
2. Circle of Morbidity
3. Mr. Tumour’s Misery
4. Erosive Fester
5. Scum of the Earth
6. Ignominious Eczema
7. The Age of the Offended
8. Bypassed
9. Hallucinating Anxiety
10. D.G.A.F.
11. Reborn
12. Blurred Visions
13. Innominate
14. Morgue Ritual
15. During the End
16. Encore: Decomposed Metal Skin
17. Years of Nothing

Photos: Olga Järvenpää (Instagram)