CADAVERIC FUMES “Echoing Chambers of Soul”

By Dr. Abner Mality

This will be my first, last and only review of CADAVERIC FUMES. Mostly because “Echoing Chambers of Soul” is their first, last and only album. These French death metallers have struggled for 10 years to get a record out and apparently the battle was so time-consuming, they’ve decided to call it a day.

All I can do now is wistfully dream of what might have been, because this record is a fantastic trip into the world of morbid yet progressive death metal. Perhaps you may remember James Murphy’s one-and-done band DISINCARNATE? Well, CADAVERIC FUMES seem to be the heirs to that band here. They also have echoes of DEATH, PESTILENCE and their under-rated countrymen MERCYLESS. The songs are smartly laid out, excellently produced and superbly played, with a truly morbid, dismal feel. It’s not particularly speedy or blasting, but the riffs have weight and forward velocity. The lead guitar work is amazing and ranks with names like Murphy, Azagthoth and Mameli. If you don’t believe me, just clap ears on “The Stirring Unknown”, “Engulfed Sepulcher” and the progressive doom-death of “Voidsailors”. Even the instrumental interlude “Waters of Absu” is striking and eerie.

Very little of this style of death metal is being done anymore. Either it’s so bestial that the musicality is lost or so technical that the morbid atmosphere necessary for true death metal vanishes. Not so for CADAVERIC FUMES. They hit it just right. One album in and these guys are already done. Believe it or not, I’m going to miss them…

BLOOD HARVEST RECORDS

CADAVERIC FUMES