When one tries to go into any Metal genre that already exists, the best to do is to check the pioneers and titans before transforming the musical efforts on a shame. When one think about Doom Death Metal, one must remember that it was ignited by HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST on the 80s, and that PARADISE LOST, MY DYNG BRIDE, TIAMAT, NOVEMBERS DOOM, KATATONIA, ANATHEMA and others left a remarkable inheritance. And the Dutch act CADAVER SHRINE shows on “Into the Horrible Depths” the need to sharp its musical efforts.

MdeJong (the band sole member) worked on the recordings, mixing and mastering of the album, earning to it a bleak and oppressive sonority that is more into a Death Metal way than a Doom Death Metal one (yes, there are differences between both ways). It shows saturated and distorted instrumental tunes, but always with the feeling that things could be better worked for the sake of the fans’ understanding. But the artwork of Nether Temple Design for the cover is really very good.

To be honest, the work shown on this full-length is into slower form of traditional Death Metal in the vein SARCÓFAGO show on “Rotting” days than a Doom Death Metal act, because the level of bitterness and aggressiveness is far greater than the oppressive appeal expected (including some faster parts in the Old School Death Metal vein, as heard on “From the Maw of Madness”). There are some good ideas shown on the songs, indeed, but it needs that essential ‘something-more’ that is important and makes fans buy the release. It’s not bad, but the band seems as many others by now.

Again: some good musical ideas are depicted on “The Writhing Desperation of God”, “From the Maw of Madness”, “Cauterized Wounds”, “The Horrible Depths”, “Carnage Reigns”, “The Crowned Serpent”, “Plague of the Flesh” and “Rotting”, but that are drowned under a heavy sheath of cliches of Death Metal. But in the sense that bands can evolve, just adjusting things a bit more, and the tendency is to become a band that really is above the mean value.

“Into the Horrible Depths” is just a release with potential, but more is expected of CADAVER SHRINE in the future. It has potential to be great, so let’s wait for it.