CANNIBAL CORPSE
CANNIBAL CORPSE "Chaos Horrific"
By Dr. Abner Mality
Even though the Good Doctor has dissected a ton of dead things over the years, it still took me a long time to acknowledge CANNIBAL CORPSE. I thought their early stuff was garbage or maybe it just took me a decade or two to adapt to a new level of grotesque imagery and equally grotesque music. As the bloody years dragged on, I realized they were at the forefront of their sub-genre. And when I finally saw them live, I realized that these guys were machines...death-dealing machines in the form of men.
"Chaos Horrific" is the latest chapter in the book of CANNIBAL. It's true there's no big surprises here, but it's a masterclass in efficient, almost effortless audio butchery. Realizing less is often more, we get ten tunes full of precise fury and speedy mayhem. It's one of the faster CC albums, with very few mid-paced or slower moments. "Overlords of Violence" opens the attack with juicy bass and a ton of confidence and from there, there's no looking back.
When the album reaches "Blood Blind", they are at their absolute peak. This is death metal that challenges younger bands to keep up with the mayhemic aggression. One of the top CANNIBAL tracks of all time, but the thrashy "Vengeful Invasion" and frantic "Pestilential Rictus" aren't far behind. The band even experiments with some dissonance on "Drain You Empty", something just a bit different. But the way these guys mesh together so effortlessly, from the perfect lead guitar to the relentless drums to Corpsegrinder's roars, is a marvel.
The album is clipped enough to avoid boredom setting in...another couple of tracks would have hurt it. So my final word on the album is just as predictable as the band itself...CANNIBAL CORPSE have earned their top position in death metal.