 | Tracklist:
03:31 [view lyrics]
2. C.F.C. (Cancer Fucking Cancer)
3. Witch Hunt
4. Into The Acid
5. Imminent Catastrophy
6. To The Gory End
7. Body Count
8. Sentenced To The Gallows
9. Die Die
| Ranking: #36 for 1990 | |
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On 17 Lists
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| Summary: The musical equivalent to having every bone in your body crushed and enjoying every moment of it. |
3 of 3 thought this review was well written
Imagine being a member of a small squad of four or five people that ventured deep into enemy territory and found themselves holed up in a lone building. With food running low and ammunition even lower, the enemy, armed with artillery and vehicles of war, has very little difficulty advancing. Surrounded by your foes, the shells crash against your only shelter, the weak walls succumbing to the onslaught, and, as the building crumbles, you desperately struggle to escape from the falling debris. Listening to Cancer’s debut, To The Gory End, feels very much like that.
From start to finish, To The Gory End is one precise, directed aural assault. Imperial, titanic riffs explode around the listener like mortars, while bullet-like drum beats fly by and a low, raspy voice narrates your demise. Every once in a while, a shrieking guitar solo pierces the air. It’s true that, occasionally, an ominous string arrangement or a foreboding clean guitar may briefly replace the electric bombardment, but these temporary cease-fires are nothing more than a few wretched moments spent preparing for the approaching barrage.
If the above paragraphs did not imply it well enough, To The Gory End is heavy. Every single riff, whether it’s a speedy, tremolo-picked run or a grinding battery of churning chords, is aimed straight at the listener’s skull, and every single one hits it’s target without fail. Not a single moment is wasted, and every single note feels like it’s absolutely essential to the album as a whole, causing the short opus (it lasts for little more than half of an hour) to feel very calculated.
Truth be told, the above descriptions could apply to numerous old-school death metal albums. If so, what exactly is it that makes To The Gory End so special? Simple: all of the riffs, in their maggoty, disgusting glory, are impossibly infectious. In addition to (or, perhaps, despite) the heaviness, all of the riffs are well-written and rather catchy, as are many of the vocal lines (don’t tell me that after listening to Die Die, you’ll be able to get the chorus out of your memory).
In the album’s twenty years, very few have been able to eclipse To The Gory End, which to this day remains one of death metal’s most essential opuses. Filled to the brim with skull-smashing riffs, this is a release that no fans of the genre should overlook.
4.4/5
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4.5
I was planning to do a Rick Wakeman album today, but I must give it one or two more listens to settle on a rating, which I do not have the time for now. Saw that this didn't have a review, so I made a quick write-up. Not sure if the semi-conceptual first half worked well, my first time (if memory does not fail me) attempting something of the sort.
Digging: Addaura - Burning for the Ancient Digging: Addaura - Burning for the Ancient | | |
This is not my cup of tea. Conciliate classical music and metal is a strange thing, and is rather paradoxal. However, many music lovers love both genres with a bloody passion. And you are one of these, my friend. This fact remains a profound mystery to me. I've read your review both in french and english to be sure, and it's a good read as always.
Digging: Locanda Delle Fate - Forse le Lucciole non si Amano piu Digging: Locanda Delle Fate - Forse le Lucciole non si Amano piu
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Great review dude, been meaning to eventually listen to this album.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks!
@Jethro
Yes, I probably could not imagine you listening to this. When I was two or three years old, I was exposed to mainly two artists: Mozart and The Beatles. The former led to a love of classical music, while the latter led to my discovering of rock, then grunge, and finally metal, so I'm able to listen to both genres.
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all of em
Digging: Alcest - Ecailles De Lune Digging: Alcest - Ecailles De Lune
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that's not cancer that's a machete
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gonna be a good movie
Digging: Neurosis - Times of Grace Digging: Neurosis - Times of Grace
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good but def not that good
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Ok I see vander. But I heard somewhere that both genres have more commonalities than we might think, wich probably explain the phenomenon. I'm just questioning myself on why on earth many metalheads love classical music too.
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damnit jethro when are u going to learn to not be french
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people use classical in the same sentence as children of bodom
IT IS ALL BULLSHIT
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remember when jethro went crazy on your ass
when he was cool
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damnit jethro when are u going to learn to not be french
On passe à un autre appel.
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fishowitz is not permabanned :/
| | | Album Rating: 4 | Sound Off
Sounds cool, sweet review man. I'll check this out.
Digging: Autechre - Amber | | |
man you are just pumping out these reviews, it's nice to see
Digging: mewithoutYou - Ten Stories Digging: mewithoutYou - Ten Stories
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
album's alright
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
yeah it's pretty good stuff
anyone ever tried to buy a physical copy of this? shit's expensive..
good review vander
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music | | | Album Rating: 4
cancer fucking cancerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Jethro:
Classical and metal may be a strange combination, but why paradoxical? I can picture you very easily listening to the most heavy stuff, you have the ear to appreciate it, if the sheer power is not appealing enough. Besides, how can you not listen to an album featuring "imperial, titanic" riffs? I'm sold!
But to be honest, I listen to this type of music less and less as the time goes by.
Good stuff, Vander.
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