The Cadaver Synod is truly a fascinating case in history. It's a relatively small footnote in the long history of the Catholic church which will forever be used as a weapon against it by non-believers, an example of the madness of religious power, and as perfect inspiration for metal music. It's a wonder then that it took this long for a band to write an album about the subject, but Danish outfit Sylvatica has stepped up to the plate and tackled the incident head-on, and boy, have they knocked it out of the park.

A short history lesson for those unaware: the cadaver synod was a trial of Pope Formosus in January 897, where he was accused of perjury and ascending to the papal throne fraudulently. The issue was that he was being accused by Pope Stephen VI, who was the successor of Formosus's successor, Pope Boniface VI. Oh, and one other thing... Formosus had been dead for seven months. As you'd expect, this spectacle didn't go over well with people and he was deposed after an uprising, following which he would be strangled to death that summer in prison. As mentioned, it's a perfect story for metal music.

It would be easy to churn out a song about the cadaver synod and move on, as some bands have, but Sylvatica absorbs it and does everything they can to transport the listener to Rome all those centuries ago. They achieve through the use of keyboards/organs to not only give the album an ecclesiastic feel but also channel the sound of sixties and seventies rock music which is clearly a big influence on the band. Immediately with "Strife," Sylvatica piques interest by mixing these instruments and influences with death growls and some really cool drumming, creating a sound that is both new and classic.

"Papa Poltergeist" continues mixing the groovy and the gruesome, blending a galloping speed with black metal and, of all things, a keyboard melody that harks back to Fantasia. Elsewhere, "Song Of The Leper" harbours a real sadness to it and is something of a doom metal ballad, telling the story of disease, poverty, and abandonment. As an added bonus, an acoustic rendition of the song finishes the album, which adds a new dimension to it. "Pope Innocent VIII" really taps into the sixties vibe, especially when it comes to the keyboard solo that the Zombies would be proud of, while remaining a dark doom song with some symphonic black metal touches.

"Cadaver Synod" is masterfully put together. The listener is constantly guessing where the album, or even the song playing, will go next, but in the most natural way possible. It's marvelous from beginning to end and is required listening for anyone who dismisses the influence of early and proto-heavy metal. Sylvatica has crafted a wonderful album that has something for fans of all kinds of metal music, tells a story sublimely, and offers something new at a time when it's increasingly hard to do so.