Interview with legendary death metal band from Norway - CADAVER.
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - CADAVER - Edder & Bile (2020):
https://www.deadlystormzine.com/2020/12/recenzereview-cadaver-edder-bile-2020.html
Ave CADAVER! I now go to the forests very often during the pandemic. I have your new record on and play it my ears while I'm waiting to find myself somewhere at an old cemetery. The new album "Edder & Bile" has an amazingly dark atmosphere. I read somewhere that the original idea has already originated in 2012? Is it true? How did the record come about and why for so long?
Ave. I always write music. The first riffs that survived to this record was writen in 1988 - Morgue Ritual is a remake of song called «Morgue riflig» on the Into the outside demo from 1988. Music takes forever and nothing is ever done really.
Anders, your voice is a real demonic for a new guy. But I know you were involved a karaoke project where you sang old metal songs. But this is a slightly different discipline than death metal. Did you have to change your approach? Did you take singing /screaming classes somewhere? I admit that I am completely blown away by the vocals of CADAVER. Finally, someone who does not have generic vocals but an interesting tone and colour and can work with it.
Thank you. My classes were listeing to Jeff Becerra, Jeff Walker, Mille Petrozza, Tom Angelripper and Quorthon. I tried to find my own voice in that realm. The trick is not to sing too loud. It’s mainly not so hard as is sounds like. I always warm up and treat my voice with respect to not go soar. This I have learned from song pedagoges that I know.
I admit that I had to get used to the sound of Dirk's drums from the beginning. But only until I received the original CD. Then I was excited. How did you get together in the first place? And where the drums were recorded?
The drums and 90% of everything else is recorded in a studio in North Hollywood. Its where Dirk lives and works as a drummer. We wanted the drums to sound like drums. Most metal bands like drums to sound like drum machine nowadays. Its why its «wierd» - its real.
Simply put the sound is excellent. He is simply differs from the than others. Demonic, dark, insidious. The album was produced by Adair Daufembach from Brazil. Why him in particular? Who mixed the record? What was the collaboration with Northwood Sound Studios like?
Adair Daufembach was a suggestion by Dirk and he did everything. Recording, edits, mixing and mastering. He is a dream to work with. A truly inspired and positive man that knows music so well. I will work with him on the next record too even if this one might be recorded remotely due to the pandemic.
You recorded several clips for the new record. I'm not much of a person who watches clips, but yours are really exciting me. Especially "Reborn" and "Morgue Ritul" are great. They really remind me of an old ritual. Beautifully filmed. I wanted to ask, who actually came up with the motive? And who are the actresses who appear in them? They are so scary!
I had both ideas for the videos. The Morge video feature a group of occult witches form LA that I know. They are lead by the talented designer Missy Stell. MMcustomarts (google it) - She did all the props for the album cover photoshoot and I hired her crew to make the lyrics of the song be played out instead of having a band miming to the music. I turned out different and awesome.
«Reborn» is shot in Norway and LA - My own daugther Regine is playing «Pesta» a Norwgian folklore figure from the 1349 black death plague - They thought that the plague was spread by a female demon. I wanted to picture the Pesta (representing the pandemic), The plague doctor (representing science), The Necro Jesus (representing mans fragility and imagined superiourity) and the beast (representing our true connection to nature). The song is about rising as a phoenix - As I got the nes I was cancer free the same week of the shoot this all made sense to me. Its about us all getting back to life in a post apocalyptic world.
You have two guests on your record. Jeff Becerra and Kama Lee. They both did a great job. Why them? And how did the cooperation go? I know that everything is done online these days, but nevertheless I need to ask. Were you in the studio together during the recording?
Jeff Becerra was doing a photo shoot with Possessed in the same room I used as my bedroom when I was recording the album. Hannah Verbeuren (Dirks wife) is a bonafide photographer and this is her studio. We came home as they packed down and I asked him if he wanted to join us for a track. He did it on the spot and used the demo recording on the album as it fittet perfectly.
Kam Lee and I was in touch way back in 2003-2004 and agreed to keep in touch for a collaboration in the future. When we demoed «FEED THE PIGS» in 2016 I had not yet decided 100% if I was gonna sing on everything, so I sent the song to him. He came back with this classic Massacre/Death wibe and we kept it. It connects the album to the founders of death metal and make me very proud.
Anders, you are an experienced musician with a varied and interesting history. You played and you play in many bands. You are mainly signed under CADAVER. Isn't it sometimes hard for you not to get lost in all that music? Can you still keep up? Or do you have someone who is your first critic and tells you, this is good this is not, etc.?
Its been 30 year of albums and recording with tons of music so far. I am my own worst critic. If it sucks I can tell, but if I think its great and its not I can tell if I play it to Satyr from Satyricon. He is my bullshit filter number one.
CADAVER are also interesting this year in terms of text as well. Where did you get your inspiration for lyrics that are really elaborate? When I compare them with those from the 1990s, they are much more mature, which is probably understandable. How were the lyrics created? As I listen, I feel like I'm somewhere in Mexico at an old cemetery, and next it will be my turn to become a victim.
The lyrics on E&B is pretty straight forward I would say. I wanted an old school in your face almost punk attitude to them. Next time I have decided to do them more layered and poetic as my new ideas draw me to more abstract thinking. I normally just sing what feels right for the track and lyrics just come out by the wibe of the music.
"Edder & Bile" is a pure death metal, yet it is possible to trace elements of black and grind. You are from Norway and the black manuscript is there. I think it's very good. Your inspiration is probably clear, but I would like to know which death metal records influenced you, which ones you always liked and played? By the way, I don't know many death bands from Norway, right now I can only think of BLOOD RED THRONE.
I am from the old scene that became the black metal scene. My influences are Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Bathory, Possessed, Morbid Angel, Sodom, Kreator, Slayer, Mayhem and Voivod. Mayhem is my mentors so I see my work as a death metal sideshow to their aproach. Its hard to explain, to me its just about the right attitude and originality. I do not like cockiemonster vocals and riffs with no meaning so most Death metal fly over my head. I like grim and simple stuff.
It's probably hard to imagine that CADAVER would ever play live, what do you say? Do you have any plans, wish to do so? Can we look forward to it? And what about a tour? That doesn't appeal to you? Trying how songs work live for fans?
We did our first «new» show in august 2019 before the world changed. We have several gigs and tours in 2021, so we rehearse for this every week. I cannot wait to do the new songs live! Its gonna be different - again. We have the old bassplayer from In Pains back - things are happing - slowly.
With CADAVER you have a new record that really worked. After sixteen years. What is CADAVER planning for the future? Do you have any ideas, visions? I just hope we don't wait that long again :-).
Most of the ideas for the next record is ready. We will start working seriously on this early 2021. It will not take that long before a new album again.
Asking old musicians what music means to them is probably silly, but I wonder what death metal means to you. How do you perceive it, why did you actually create CADAVER? Now I refer to more philosophical view of the matter.
I wanted to create a original band that was outside the norms. We wanted to do whatever we liked. Its my guideline for Cadaver and I will never change this. If its death metal, black metal, progressive metal - to the listener, to me I am Death Metal, and all early death metal was also a little thrash and black. I just do my thing.
Thank you very much for the interview, I really appreciate your answers and I wish you many good fans, and may you prosper in your personal life as well ! I'm going to the woods again, maybe I'll meet some new demons!
Thank you as well!
Recenze/review - CADAVER - Edder & Bile (2020):
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