Ah, good old Cannibal Corpse. Who hasn't heard of them in one place or another? One thing is for sure though, your never going to hear these guys on MTV. But anyway, just a little background info, this was the Corpse's 3rd full-length album and considered by many, (including me) to be their best album. The lyrics are gory, the riffs are beyond brutal, and the vocals, well, I’ll get to the vocals. Overall, this album just fuels the flesh that has kept Cannibal Corpse running for these past 18 years.
Cannibal Corpse is:
Chris Barnes- Vocals
Bob Rusay- Guitars
Jack Owen- Guitars
Alex Webster- Bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz- Drums
This album defiantly one of my favorite albums in my collection because of its sheer brutality and how it stands out the most in all of CC's list of albums. This album along with
Butchered at Birth would help to lie out the concrete foundation in the Death Metal dictionary for Cannibal Corpse to sit in.
1.)
Hammer Smashed Face- (5/5) Well duh, this song is going to get a 5. For all of you who have been living under a rock, this song was in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The intro by its self is enough to send shivers down your back. As if that isn't sufficient, this is the first you hear of Chris Barnes's throat-shredding vocals. It bewilders and amazes me how a human voice can be this low and not be coughing up blood all night. But anyway great song. Once you hear it, you will be slapping you knee all day to the "Tsh Tsh Tsh Tsh-Tsh Tsh Tsh Tsh" of the intro.
2.)
I Cum Blood- (5/5) Another sweet song. A definite crowd pleaser. The intro is the first and about only time with maybe a couple more where you will hear a guitar...but no other instruments. Soon after we get blast beats and a beefy bass line cranking in the background. Overall this song is great. The verses are extremely technical on all parts. The drums have a strong presence, the guitars are on the dot, and the bass is constantly giving atmosphere to the song. 2 five's in a row? Can Cannibal Corpse keep the streak going?
3.)
Addicted to Vaginal Skin- (4/5) No, I guess not, but close to it. This song starts with an odd man saying something very morbid. Listen yourself to find out. Nice and slow when the music kicks in. The bass to the song is incredible. Being a bass player myself, I find it difficult to play Alex Webster's parts. Now this is something new, as most death metal bass lines are chugging or following the guitars. He does follow the guitars, but these aren't crap guitars, these are Cannibal Corpse guitars. Already tough enough. But to add even more, he throws in a nifty tapping solo. Nice. The vocals are on top of the world, as usual. Just overall good song.
4.)
Split Wide Open- (3/5) No! A "meh" song! Oh well, every album has to have one or two, unless its legendary. Basically, what we have here is a Cannibal Corpse song. As you get into later Cannibal Corpse records (excluding KILL), you will get alot, and I mean ALOT of these. It’s not a bad song, but it just doesn't have the same stuff about it as the first three tracks.
5.)
Necropedophile- (3/5) Again? Same spiel as the last song. Another "filler-ish" song. If I didn't love this album with a passion I could get this song mixed up with the last one. As with before, not bad, but just not good either.
6.)
The Cryptic Stench- (4/5) Nice song. Really has that Death Metal feel to it. Has the slow intro, which leads into the speedy verses and whatnot. The drumming on this song is really key to giving the song character. Overall, the guitars keep the song thrashing along with many fills and tricks. Not much else to it folks. An overall good song.
7.)
Entrails Ripped from a Virgin's C**t- (4/5) Lovely name wouldn't you say? Besides that, this song is somewhat reminiscent of The Cryptic Stench in terms of the drum fills and double bass patterns. The guitar fills even remind me of the last song. Not that that’s a bad thing, considering I like the last one, but I probably would have given this one a 5 if it hadn't been for that little peeve.
8.)
Post Mortal Ejaculation- (4.5/5) Sweet intro. Has nice bass accompanying the guitar. The usual blast beats are here, but what? What is this? Extreme variation with drumming technique? Excellent. Makes this song stand out amongst the last few. The same bullfrog gulp is here thanks be to Chris Barnes. The bridge is sick. It has some of what sound like maybe even synthesizers in the beginning. Has a few stray notes and back into the assault. This song really gets you ready for my favorite song on the album...
9.)
Beyond the Cemetery- (5/5) Yay! The 9th and final track on here also happens to be my favorite. Has a speedy intro that leads into a superb palm muted riff, which then turns around and goes into a chugging brain-piercer. The song repeats its genius structure over a few times and gives you The Superman roller coaster ride of Death Metal. This song is really just great all over. Paul makes his presence known with beautifully crafted drum fills and beats while Jack and Bob trade off sawing away at you brain with their lightning-fast fingers. Alex pulls his weight with his usual pulsing bass groove while Chris continues to tear holes in his Voice box with his in-your-face grunt. To cap it all off, Alex again throws in his knowledge of bass tech. and cranks out more tapping on his fret board. All in all, best track, hands down.
Well, there you have it. A wonderfully crafted Death Metal album. Cannibal Corpse has made an album that will be remembered for years to come with this effort. If you don't already have it, buy it the first chance you get, from itunes or your local record store. Itunes will even be nice and throw in a live version of "I Cum Blood" for ya.
Key Tracks:
Beyond the Cemetery
Hammer Smashed Face
I Cum Blood
Post Mortal Ejaculation
Pros[+]:
Top of the line musicianship
Great Vocals, best I have heard on any Death Metal Album
Best Cannibal Corpse album to date
Cons[-]:
Just that tracks 4 & 5 blend a little
That All!
