Waking The Cadaver – Authority Through Intimidation (2021)

January 1, 2023

I was very happy to see that Waking The Cadaver were back with a new album. I was under the impression that they had broken up.

Authority Through Intimidation is a return to the brutality of old. That’s not to say stuff like Real Life Death isn’t brutal, but that super chunky, boxy slam on there is different from this record. Authority Through Intimidation (a very old title, those words were emblazoned on the back of a WTC hoodie I got during the Necromangler days) seems to walk a tightrope between the gory, insane beat-downs of the debut, and the tight, lightening-fast death metal of the Beyond Cops, Beyond God era.

Parts of “Human Chop Shop” or “Asphyxiating Ligature” could be straight off Perverse Recollections… if the production was a bit shadier (and the drums a bit crappier haha). Going back to that sound is not something I ever would have expected to see in this day and age! LOL – I think the pink logo on the cover signals an bold intention to bring back those “Core” sounds they got so much shit for back in the day. Good on you, lads.

The one downside for me is that the production is very over-compressed and modern. It sounds great out of the gate but after a while fatigue starts to set in. Otherwise, I’m really happy with this album. Fair play, top effort.