Artist: Cadaveric Incubator / Cardiac Arrest
Country: Finland / USA
Label: Extremely Rotten Productions
Formats: Split 7″ EP
Year: 2026
To mark their joint European tour, Extremely Rotten Productions is releasing this split 7″ EP on which both bands perform two songs each, which, to keep things simple, have all been given the title ‘Torso’. Cadaveric Incubator is no stranger to Extremely Rotten Productions, as the Danish label has already released two split 7” EPs in recent years (with Undergang and Hemorrhoid respectively), but both bands also currently share their main label: Hells Headbangers Records. That label is slowly but surely making all previous Cardiac Arrest albums available (again) on vinyl; ‘Vortex Of Violence’ (from 2012) is next in line. But before that happens, we have this nice little piece of vinyl which, alongside the tour, also deserves all the attention on its own.
Cardiac Arrest opens with, well, ‘Torso’, a song that was already recorded back in 2021, but only finds its way onto one of the band’s releases. It is a full-on Cadaveric Incubator track in the right Cadaveric Incubator tradition, mixing Death Metal with Grindcore in a very tasty fashion. Basically, it is a vigorous blend of early-style Carcass and later-style Carcass or early Vomitory. Depending on which release you listen to, the sound might lean slightly more towards Death Metal or a bit more in the direction of Grindcore. On the previous split 7″ EP, with Hemorrhoid, Cadaveric Incubator seemed to have a slightly stronger Death Metal influence, but here they have a slightly heavier Grindcore feel. Perhaps that’s not so surprising, as the second track, also called ‘Torso’, is a cover of Exhumed. It originally appeared on the split CD with Hemdale, one of the very best Grindcore releases in history. Excellent performance here!
On the other side of this small-format vinyl record is ‘Cardiac Arrest’, and to be honest, what really stands out is just how similar the two bands are. It might not fully surprise, but Cardiac Arrest is the one leaning more towards Death Metal, but they too have an undeniable heavy grinding edge to their track (called ‘Torso’). Cardiac Arrest is a band that has been slowly growing and building a name for themselves in the international Death Metal scene. Honestly, I have never been an avid fan of them, but their no-nonsense approach of the genre is something that is hard not to appreciate. I always felt that Cardiac Arrest sounds as if Cianide and Nunslaughter were to merge into one band. Groovy and simple, but like a merciless punch in the face. Perhaps it has to do with the short playing time of this EP, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed their part of this split release as well. Their second song, by the way, is called ‘Torso’ and is a cover of Machetazo and originally appeared on the band’s debut album ‘Carne De Cementerio’ from 2000.
