Band: Voltaje Cadáver Album: Todos Los Colores De La Oscuridad Label: Independent/Odio Sonoro Release date: March 30, 2018 Country: Spain Format reviewed: CD-quality download
“Mugre” (Spanish for: grime, dirt, filth, muck, grease) is the word that defines the sludge/doom/stoner style of Voltaje Cadáver. A band formed in the working class city of Torrelavega, an important industrial and commercial hub in the province of Cantabria in northern Spain. The city was an important agricultural (famous weekly livestock fair) center in the Kingdom of Castile since medieval times, and it is perhaps better known for the over fifteen thousand years old prehistoric paintings found in the nearby Cave of Altamira. A place that was profoundly marked by the most current global economic downturn, from which is still struggling to recover.
There is absolutely no surprise to find the parallels of this gray landscape, and it’s strives in the music of Voltaje Cadáver’s debut album, “Todos Los Colores De La Oscuridad” (All The Colors Of Darkness, in English). There are no apologies, no self-pity on display here. This band’s music is fully anchored in the crude realities. Musically and lyrically the desolation, discouragement and decline is vividly evident. Surroundings and elements that push creation to extremes. Agonizingly angry, pissed and wounded is Manu’s vocal delivery (mostly in the vein of Max Cavalera), supported by the hostile dual guitar assault courtesy of Óscar and Fidel, with bassist Luis adding respectable weight to the bottom end, all cemented in place by Panchi’s destructively assertive drumming. The in-your-face, speakers’ shredding production of the nine songs on the album, is the combined effort of Pedro Setien and Alex Pis at Drive Division Estudios (in Santander), and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, in Portland. In just over forty minutes of sheer brutality, Voltaje Cadáver, takes the listener to a somber and thoroughly overcasted place. The lead weighted lyrics remain fixated on social issues: scornful, mentally constipated and corrupted society, naivety of organized religion and greed. All the lyrics are intoned in the band’s native language: Spanish.
The maturity of the musicians involved in the band is obvious on this album, despite for this being their debut release. Nos gusta la mugre! Recommended. 7.5/10
© 2018 by Emil Chiru