WAKING THE CADAVER is a Slam/Brutal Death Metal band from the Jersey Shore. "Authority Through Intimidation" is the band's first LP in eight years and fourth overall, released by Unique Leader Records on October 22, 2021.

My review of this album is probably going to surprise some people, as if you've ever read any of my reviews, you will know that the one thing I care about is a good riff. The riff, in my opinion, is perhaps the most important aspect of Metal as a whole. I have railed against subgenres such as Power Metal, Symphonic Metal and the like for (generally speaking, in my opinion) giving up on creating heavy riffs in favor of an epic, overly-produced sound.

On the opposite end of that spectrum, however, is what I call "riff soup," which is what "Authority Through Intimidation" essentially is. Riff soup is when you have so many riffs and such an emphasis on brutality that song structure tends to go by the wayside. There are more riffs on this album than I could write in a year - and, on top of that, they are all very good. But when you have so many riffs, it becomes impossible to keep all of them in your ear after listening. So, in essence, the songwriting talents of this band leave a lot to be desired.

That being said, obviously, the group is comprised of very talented musicians. While I am not a fan of the pig squeal/random grunt style of Death Metal singing that was popularized by bands like PIG DESTROYER and DYING FETUS, the moments when I could actually pick out what vocalist Don Campan was saying made my jaw drop. Like I said before, even though there are too many riffs on this album to count, they are all excellent, and that is thanks to guitarist Mike Mayo. And finally, Marco Pitruzzella - what a machine of a drummer!

Some highlights for me include the ending riff to "Corpse Decomposition," the opening riff to "Human Chop Shop," the utter groove-fest that is "Threaten Physical Force," and the SLAYER-like chromatic trills towards the end of "Authoritative Aggressor."

Overall, if you're a fan of the style, you're going to love this album. Personally, I would not give this album another listen after this review because it's so hard to keep track of everything that's going on here. If WAKING THE CADAVER truly wanted to captivate my attention, they would pick a couple of riffs and make a song out of it. But then again, this album is not for me but for the fans of Slam/Brutal Death Metal. So, if that's you, then enjoy.