I was introduced to Cadaverette about three years ago, courtesy of the (now on hiatus, tragic) excellent sludge band A Deer A Horse. I think the two toured together; I’m not sure exactly what the connection was, but regardless, it got me to hit play and instantly become obsessed with their unique brand of noisy, amorphous rock.
I reached out to founder, primary writer, and guitarist Logan Abbey to chat about the band’s journey over the last decade since their formation. We figured it would be best to start at the beginning.
‘When the idea to start Cadaverette came about, I had just finished playing with another Portland band called Stone Tools with our now-drummer Gwen. I had a handful of concepts that I’d been working out but no band to execute them with. I was selected to be part of a local festival in which musicians are put into random groups and have 48 hours to write and perform a set of original music. That’s where I met [original members] Zach, Nick, and Reesa.’
I immediately asked Abbey about the Portland, Maine scene, as I’ve got family in the area and always had a fondness for it, and ‘second cities’ in general. It’s a bit of a contemporary artists’ colony, in a way, and I was pleased to hear that even post-pandemic, there is a thriving community.
‘I moved to Portland 17 years ago and it has been really amazing to see how much this scene has grown. Portland truly has one of the most eclectic scenes in the whole East Coast. It is also super incestuous in the best way possible. Bands collaborate constantly and there are always new and exciting projects coming down the pike. Cadaverette really tries hard to fit into any kind of bill. We have shared the stage with local indie bands as well as black metal, hardcore, noise, the list has grown pretty large over the years.’
‘Fit[ting] into any kind of bill‘ really makes sense once you spend some time with Cadaverette‘s discography. Cadaverette lives somewhere between hardcore punk and experimental metal–but the ever-present genre question doesn’t really matter much at the end of the day, considering the instrumentation and tone can change drastically between songs on the same album. I think their slippery sound is best understood via their 2022 record We Are Everything but…Not Anything.
“Against the Wall”, one of their most-streamed tracks, is an off-kilter punk rager that features heavily distorted semi-spoken, semi-screamed vocals reminiscent of an angrier Le Tigre. Then the chorus features smooth backing crooning and acoustic guitar. This sort of push-pull between soft and hard sticks around for the rest of the album as well. “Ghost” lets singer Patrice Vengeant show off her more melodic side with something that feels a bit like Epica meets my bloody valentine.
I am always interested in what inspires musicians to take the leap towards creating a new project, whether that be an entirely new band or a fresh album. Abbey revealed that Cadaverette has been in the studio and will release a full-length titled Smoke From Counterfeit Flames later this year; they’re in the mixing process right now. When I asked him to discuss anything and everything that is making him tick right now, he had this to offer:
‘I draw inspirations from so many different places, as far as bands go, I’ve been hooked lately on Guerilla Toss, Viagra Boys, and Intercourse. These are three groups that I see as truly fearless. We have also had the privilege of touring multiple times with our good friend Fed Ash. Watching them perform night after night and pouring their entire souls into it… I am also now a father of two, and the whole world of becoming a parent and creating another human is a trip in itself, which I have found very inspiring to the emotional side of the writing process.’
What I love about this particular group is that while Abbey named a few punk bands, their sound really can’t be singularly captured within that sphere. Take 2024’s “Sacrifice” as an example. The track opens with a distinctly math-y, progressive riff, and Vengeant goes full Converge guttural, with some backup by Abbey. The song twists and turns, but overall, it treads much more into the metal arena than their previous works.
It seems like this heavier sound is indicative of their unreleased album. I prompted Abbey to give me a little insight into the recording process for Smoke From Counterfeit Flames and, if he was feeling generous, provide a sneak peek into what listeners can expect from the new Cadaverette.
‘One major thing we have done on this record is the use of xylophone and vibraphone. This has always been something I have wanted to explore. I wanted to create a dark sound using non-traditional instruments when the average person thinks of heavy music. I was able to recruit Jim Loughlin from the band moe. He is truly the best in the biz, and I’ve been a massive moe. fan for many years, so it really was a dream come true. I would say in a lot of ways this is our heaviest record yet!’
Consider me officially intrigued.
You can find Cadaverette sharing the stage with excellent artists like Griefmonger, Viqueen, and Miracle Blood on November 8th in Portland, and also catch them at the Caterwaul Festival in Minneapolis next year.
Cadaverette is:
Logan Abbey: guitar and vocals
Patrice Vegeant: lead vocals
Guinivere Sylvain: drums
Jason LaFrance: bass
