Being around for already a whole decade France based death metal act Cadaveric Fumes holds an uncanny sound that resembles none but their own. Musically, the band has a knack for writing infectious riffs. Their unsettling song structures have the ability to capture your attention with a peculiar mixture of creepy cavernous auras processing a mysterious, voluminous atmosphere. Over the years Cadaveric Fumes has released a number of EPs, demos and split albums, but their newest offering ‘Echoing Chambers of Souls‘ is where they have finally harnessed the art of brewing some old fashioned morbid death metal tunes. The seven tracks spanning over thirty minutes are brought to full unearthly effect, creating a morbid vibe. The composition of progressive/psychedelic rock is brilliantly instilled in the music.

Though the sound quality is a bit foggy, the ghoulish growls of vocalist/bassist Romain Gibet add a lot of depth. Eerie riffs and striking drums move through the mid-tempo at a precise pace. On-board guitarist/keyboardist Wenceslas Carrieu (Necrowretch and Repugnizer) provides bizarre instrumentation that incorporates rhythm/lead guitars. While the slow-laden riffs make for the best moments on the album, resulting in many tempo shifts, the slow guitar sections always build up towards transitions. Drummer Léo Brard (Repugnizer) sets a devastating pace and pounds out the right rhythm to contrast with the guitars. The art of composition reveals a deep-rooted mindset wielding a masterful performance from this French trio.

The songs on ‘Echoing Chambers of Souls‘ reek of ghastly ambiance, but what Cadaveric Fumes present here is quite atmospheric. The meticulous guitar arrangements on ‘The Stirring Unknown‘ prepares the listener for a dark trip into the cavernous realms of death metal. The song moves from mid-tempo sections to a more galvanic tempo, highlighting the organic performance of the drums.  

The guttural growls will smite you with a bizarre trance of witchery. Infectious rhythm guitars expose a dark demonic imagery of ancient catacombs conjuring the musical turmoil and churning riffs fully drenched with the foul stench of a cadaver. While showcasing their unique invention, the bass guitar resonates along, acting like a fine cobweb hovering above the layered guitars, ‘A Desolate Breed‘ immediately captures the listener with its excellent lead work. And the drums march through the spiraling lead guitars that create a sonic wall of rusty, cobwebbed riffs that put you under a spell. At times the drums become slow and plodding, then shift in an abrupt manner bringing a scale of trembling blast beats and cataclysmic double bass only to settle again in their own sluggish pace.

‘Waters of Absu‘ features some eerie, primitive synth and minimalistic drums that simulate the sound of a heartbeat, which gives it a very hypnotic feel like an old horror film. While sounding proggy and psychedelic here and there ‘The Engulfed Sepulchre‘ maneuvers into the sonic landscapes of old school death metal. Heavy crushing drums march towards its climax as the guitars echo into the ghastly reverb, adding cavernous layers of thick riffs and tremolos that offer a shrill, boisterous sound. Its scorching lead guitars conjure an atmosphere of ominous darkness. Everything becomes awash in a dim gloomy aura. With the doomy pace being slow and static, the drums suddenly release outbursts of blast beats and morph constantly between the slow and mid-pacing tempo.  

The key elements of the album lie in the excellent songwriting that emphasizes the quality of the instrumentation, where the guitars exude an otherworldly experience. ‘Echoing Chambers of Souls‘ navigates through plenty of styles. Each track on the album slithers along creepy passages. Even though the band applies a touch of its progressive elements, the dark guitar effects make it so unreal and effective.

On ‘Into Cold Astral Sleep‘ the guitars convey bizarrely psychedelic textures into the song structure with a wonderful guitar harmony used as a backdrop to offer the melodic hooks. Cadaveric Fumes is one of these bands that emerge only once in a lifetime. Even though there are influences from bands like Obliteration, Morbus Chron and early Tribulation, their songs are uniquely kaleidoscopic. The final track ‘Voidgazers‘ kicks off with double bass and the guitars culminate into a churning vortex of heavy death metal riffing. From the potent blows of the dynamic drums, the guitars offer a variety of riffing techniques where later its sheer focus provides a sense of sporadic instrumentation and dense drumming. Unfortunately, this would be the band’s final offering as the trio decided to quit shortly after releasing the album. Albeit, this is one of the best death metal records I’ve heard this year.  

Release Date: December 10th, 2021
Label: Blood Harvest
Tracklisting:

1. Exordium
2. The Stirring Unknown
3. A Desolate Breed
4. Waters of Absu
5. The Engulfged Sepulcher
6. Into Cold Astral Sleep
7. Voidgazers