Rating: 5.2

Country: Italy

Release Date: 2007

Record Label: Promoted by Necrotorture Agency

Track list:
1.Zombie Ritual (Death Cover)
2. Fear and Loathing
3. Abhorrences and Diseases
4. Inside Violence

Band Website: Kadavar

Kadavar - Modern Visions of Human Madness (Demo 2007)

Lorenzo Bidoli "Evil Jeff" - Guitars & Vocals
Luca - Guitars
Filippo "The Red" - Drums
Luca Colucci - Bass & Vocals

Contrary to what this budding Italian Death Metal band thinks, opening a demo with a cover isn't the best way to create a striking first impression, especially when they are yet to be signed. Thankfully they have covered “Zombie Ritual” without hurting your sentiments and corroding your fond memories of it, which means they have just about pulled it off. Kadavar (probably 'cadaver' spelled as it is pronounced in Italy) don't have their own sound and they apparently don't have any issues with it either, because these rock stars have the sound of Carcass. Good enough reason for their existence they think.

Kadavar's first original composition “Fear and Loathing” sounds Carcass with a vengeance, as if playing that Death cover exasperated them beyond their capacity. Admittedly, it is quite a sweet song harking back to the mellow post-Necroticism period of Carcass, what with its gentle mid-paced tempo and endearingly soft catchy beats. The Jeff Walker vocals in particular are admirable; the rasps have enough phlegm and spite in them to fly out of your speakers and give you a nasty cold. With the words ‘Fear and Loathing' repeated as many times as they are in that song, towards the end you begin to take their meaning quite literally. “Abhorrences and Diseases” sounds distinctly different from the previous song – here the Carcass influence is supplanted by more of the heinous and gritty old school deathrashy goodness. Sketchily composed and executed, I have my doubts on it been deliberately played in that manner or it being a just case of them having amateurish skills. Probably the best song of this demo, “Inside Violence” features delectable early Slayer-inspired tunes that are sloppily performed, and they conjure up the dark and evil old school feel albeit a fluctuating one because of the irregular energy supply from the music.

Seasoned metalheads and labelheads are not going to catch hands and sing jolly Christmas carols upon discovering Kadavar, for the music on their demo sounds too tame and rudimentary, not to mention unoriginal. If in the mid/late ‘90s you were to ask a newbie and perennially drunk me to attend a show of this Carcass and Death influenced band, I would have stared at you blankly for several minutes but later agreed to it very enthusiastically. Not so now. Still, unwittingly or not, Kadavar have that old school charm thing working for them. If they can bypass the late Carcass worshipping and develop the sound on their last two songs, they could get signed in the future.

December 28th, 2007