My one and only introduction to Madam Cadaveria came through the Sacro Culto CD of Italian black metal bandOpera IX. Having barely listened to the album twice, all I can remember it had some early Cradle-of-Filthian overtones, tinny production, the obligatory washing machine riffs and some cool folk melodies. As far as the voice of the singer goes I could not remember squat, except that it was Cadaveria. So, when I got Far Away From Conformity promo I expected to hear more of the same. Wrong. Then, I looked at the bandmembers’ pictures. The group is made up by shock rock looking guys and a girl, all bearing some gothic makeup. Thus, the thought “Could it be Marilyn Manson like?” quietly crawled into my mind. So, what is Cadaveria’s Far Away From Conformity? In a way, it probably would be good for me, a novice to Cadaveria art, to review this album. The dedicated fans, of which probably there are a few, will buy the album anyway no matter what I say here.

Still hailing from Italy, even though the bandmembers’ names or nicknames (Frank Booth on guitar, Killer Bob on bass and Marcelo Santos on drums) may suggest otherwise, Cadaveria is a very strange mix of heavy music styles. By my incomplete count, I have heard gothic metal, heavy metal, nu-metal, blackened thrash, doomdeath riffs, and, yes, shock rock theatrics. Meshing all those styles isn’t easy, and thus the album comes off a little disjointed in parts. Cadaveria calls it Horror Metal and moves on ahead uninhibited.

Numerous chugging moments, very reminiscent of nu-metal, do little for me (The Divine Rapture, Out of Body Experience, Prayer of Sorrow). Those downtuned for heaviness guitar riffs is a ticket for a modern-day popularity and accessibility, but I must be from the wrong crowd. Luckily enough, this is not the only direction Cadaveria takes as Eleven Three O Three can be nu-metal, gothic and thrashy all at the same time. The songs where the riffs crunch close to death metal (Blood and Confusion) or cool leads are thrown in (Irreverent Elegy and Omen of Delirium with its dirgy character) are better for my taste.

When the band’s name bears the name of the singer you know that he or she will be the main attraction. Madam C. turns in a very respectable performance. Her clean gothic singing may border on Cindy Lauper (Omen of Delirium), while she sounds totally menacing and throat ripping on crunchy death parts (Blood and Confusion). Sometimes her clean singing goes into a hysterical scream, and thus reminds me of Marilyn Manson, probably a “good” thing for Cadaveria, but not a pleasant sight in my book.

Call Me cover of Blondie is a very interesting piece. The original song is made a gazillion times heavier and performed a two gazillion times slower to make it really extreme. Clean singing and another cool lead complete the palette.

I have to really commend the production on this album. It is incredibly crisp and clear, modernized and heavy. Drum sound is bombastic and goes right into your head, bass is audible and booming, and vocals are mixed just right to be a centerpiece, but not to overshadow the rest of the band.

Given the fact the musicians have talent, and the production is great, all there is left for Cadaveria is to start writing better songs. Blood and Confusion hooks you right in with that chorus, but those moments are few and far between. Maybe, ditching those modern nu-metal influences would do the band well. Why waste the obvious talents on some dead-end music? So far, my assessment would read as “quality, heavy, but nothing special”.