UMUR "...In Pains" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Norwegian death metal act Cadaver. The album was released through Earache Records in September 1992. It´s the successor to "Hallucinating Anxiety" from 1990 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as bassist René Jansen has been replaced by Eilert Solstad. Cadaver are a three-piece on this album and the remaining members of the lineup are Anders Odden (guitars, effects) and Ole Bjerkebakke (vocals, drums, flute).

While the material on "...In Pains" maintain the old school death metal brutality and grimness of "Hallucinating Anxiety (1990)", Cadaver have added technical playing to their sound and "...In Pains" is not necessarily what you´d expect to hear if you only know what the predecessor sounds like. It´s not only the technical level of playing which has changed quite a bit, but also the vocals, which are now more an aggressive snarl than brutal growling. There are clear fusion elements in the way the rhythm section play, and it´s audible that a new bassist has arrived. In addition to electric bass Solstad also plays double bass, which provides that part of the music with a nice organic touch. The band often make use of dissonance which sends a few nods toward an artists like Voivod, but this is still predominantly an old school death metal release, and the use of technical playing is not a constant on the album, and the adventurous ideas only surface occasionally. But pressed on the issue, I´d say it´s about 50/50 old school death metal and technical/progressive death metal (with the occasional avant garde edge).

The sound production is pretty distinct sounding and it´s definitely up for discussion if it´s a sound which suits the music well. It´s a bit "light" and sterile for a death metal production, but to my ears it´s the perfect production for the music featured on the album, because all instruments and vocals are clearly audible in the mix, which means that all details can be heard and appreciated. It´s not the most brutal production, but it´s edgy and powerful enough to do the music justice.

The album is wrapped in an abstract dark atmosphere. An atmopshere which is further enhanced by the lyrics and song titles like "Mr. Tumor´s Misery" and "Runaway Brain". Upon conclusion "...In Pains" is a unique sounding death metal release by Cadaver (especially considering the time of release). It´s probably not for everyone because of the adventurous/experimental nature of the material, but to those who enjoy their old school death metal with a twist, "...In Pains" is definitely a recommended listen. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.