Ep Review: Grand Cadaver - The Rot Beneath
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
It is safe to say that Mikael Stanne is one of the busiest men in metal. Known to most as the frontman for Gothenburg melodic death metal legends Dark Tranquillity, Mikael also somehow has the time to front three other bands - The Halo Effect, Cemetery Skyline and the most overlooked of the four, Grand Cadaver. Grand Cadaver was formed during the 2020 covid lockdown by five longtime friends paying tribute to the HM-2 drenched sounds of old school Swedish death metal. A debut E.P. “Madness Comes” was recorded in three days and paved the way for two full length albums “Into The Maw Of Death” in 2021 and “Deities Of Deathlike Sleep” in 2023.
2025 sees the release of a second E.P. from the band titled “The Rot Beneath” and serves as a soundtrack to the current state of the world and especially the state of humanity. As the band state themselves - "When you look at the state of the world today, it’s difficult not to feel despair. We see madness, death, war, corruption and polarisation. And it makes you think, what are we if not the cause of the problem, what are we but the rot beneath? This is the anthem to mankind’s demise”.
The music on “The Rot Beneath” does really sum up this sentiment with its roots showing in old school Swedish death metal but it furthers the direction that the band took on their previous release building on a doom-laden atmosphere and with a greater use of melody interweaved throughout the death metal ferocity. Whilst melody can be heard throughout the four songs that make up “The Rot Beneath”, it isn’t the overriding factor. This may be death metal with melody but it is a far cry from being melodic death metal. This is an oppressive sounding release from the bleak doomy tones of ‘Blood Red Banner’, the thunderous melody driven attack of the title track, the old school fury of ‘The Endless Dead’ and the bleak but relentless ‘Darkened Apathy’.
“The Rot Beneath” is a short but sweet release from Grand Cadaver which, whilst rooted in Swedish death metal heritage, continues to see the band develop their own take on the sound with growing atmosphere, use of melody and influence from darker metal sounds. Although there are a lot of modern bands emulating an old school death metal sound and playing it a bit safe, Grand Cadaver shows with this new release that you can homage the past whilst turning some other corners musically. This E.P. has definitely whetted my appetite to see what the band comes up with next.
