Cavernus

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Band(s): Cavernus
Label(s): Self-Released
Release Format(s): Demo, Digital
Release Year: 2024
Review Date: March 10, 2025
Author(s): Morgue

Cavernus is an example of a good modern band that plays earnestly and with passion. This is music that sounds like it was made by big and possibly sweaty dudes who were drunk and smoking cigs while playing. This is definitely cliché but also true – the music here sounds to me like it could have come off a tape uncovered from a box in somebody’s garage, actual old school style Metal. Not the recent revival OSDM worship wave of Hardcore bands trying to be Entombed and what-have-you that you’re primed to expect when that acronym gets tossed around but rather genuine greasy parking lot music to drink beer to. Imagine the New York & New Jersey school of American heaviness ie Morpheus Descends/Incantation (the sense of darkness comes through in the riffs like Incantation as well), then with a bit of maybe Dead Infection, Goatlord, and Fermenting Innards blended together and thats a rough approximation of the sound on ‘Adoratores Cultus Ancestralium;’ (“Worshippers of the Ancient Cult” in Latin).

The album hammers you off the bat and shows you what you’re in for sonically pretty quick which is primarily Death Metal blended with a healthy dose of Grindcore influence (including some Goregrind-sounding stuff at points, especially in the blasting) and a heaping tablespoon of Black Metal riffs. I wouldn’t jump to call this stuff “Caverncore” despite it having some elements in common, it’s a little too varied in influences to fit in that box. I’ve seen people online describe them as Blackened Death or Black/Death Metal however in my ears this is a Death Metal band first and foremost before anything else and the ratio of Black Metal parts/riffs doesn’t put it enough into that territory to consider it as both in my mind. The guitars are really quite heavy, possibly down-tuned or with super thick strings and a heavy tone dialled in but either way the tremolo parts don’t sound too dinky or thin and the bottom end is very centre stage and present in the mix.

The riffs here are strong and have this sense of being ancient and dusty such as on the title track ‘Adoratores Cultus Ancestralium’, it’s a filthy and refreshing spin on Death Metal that doesn’t have that boring “overly-familiar” feeling some genuine but uninspired bands can have. This song ends off with some fantasy sounding acoustic guitar which could be title screen music for Oblivion or one of the Final Fantasy games or some such RPG (that’s a compliment here). This sort of interlude/intro/outro is a reflection of music hinted at on their 2018 demo ‘NON OMNIS MORIAR’ [Not All Will Die] on ‘Requiem’ but instead of through an old synth/keyboard they are bringing these archaic-feeling ideas to life with an acoustic guitar. This short passage at the end of an intense song is the briefest of respites before things continue down the path of brutality and breaks up the relatively short album a bit.

The production of the second half is a bit fuzzier and more raw as it consists of material from a different session. I love the blasting here it’s badass and pummelling, this dude is going hard! On ‘Cavernus’ or ‘Katabasis’ it sounds like the drummer is on some Goregrind inspired type of work and it sounds awesome. I want to shoutout the excellent creature feature art from BRVJA XIII it totally matches the vibe of the music. In addition the final track ‘La Noche Del Vampiro’ – [‘The Night of the Vampire’] is the renamed-for-Latin-audiences title for Tobe Hooper’s 1979 ministries ‘Salem’s Lot’ (one of the best versions of the “Nosferatu-style” vampire depicted on screen IMO). The series of course was an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 novel – Death Metal and horror books/movies/media in general have always had a close relationship and it’s great seeing this nod here (this track also appeared on the bands’ full length “Ápeiron” [aka “ἄπειρον”, Greek for Unlimited/Without Boundary].

Cavernus brings a deceptively monstrous sound for a two piece band and holds down the old-school way of playing this style of music. This is the third release by a band whose output I enjoy and can recommend to listeners looking for something heavy, dark and brutal while keeping away from more modern, goofier tropes of the genre.

Country: Mexico
Style: Death Metal, Black Metal
Links: Facebook, Bandcamp

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Cavernus – Adoratores Cultus Ancestralium [Demo]

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Cavernus

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