Review Summary: hahaha 420 blaze it am I right?
The funniest part about Cannabis Corpse isn't their name. It isn't their or song titles, nor is it the endless and surprising easiness of twisting metal classics into weed-drenched references. No, the funniest part of Cannabis Corpse isn't their schtick--it's the fact that, in the face of this bush-league humor, they still manage to be one of the best death metal bands currently making music.
Their latest,
Left Hand Pass is a reference to an Entombed album (ha ha ha okay now with that out of our system let's move on.) Like most of their references, said album is a stone cold, genre defining classic, so there's no room for misinterpretation. Cannabis Corpse want you to be in on the joke because these ***-eating-grin moments were lovingly tailor made for fans of death metal. Such call outs would be flimsy when handled by another band, and after so many years they are starting to wear thin here. But as mentioned previously, Cannabis Corpse aren't just
another band. Cannabis Corpse are surprisingly excellent.
For a band whose sole existence stems from a rather rote act, Cannabis Corpse sound display a lot of lateral thinking in regards to modern death metal. Cannabis Corpse sound fresh and invigorating, despite aping bands like Cannibal Corpse and Deicide (and sometimes Morbid Angel). It's a fast and bludgeoning mix of a few revered acts but with a crisp and clean twist--but not too modern or technical. Dual vocal flourishes and bouts of practical technicality lend itself to similarities between Cattle Decapitation and Revocation as well. Therefore, references aside, Cannabis Corpse aim to please aesthetically, leading to a surprisingly cohesive and palatable blend of old and new.
Cannabis Corpse are, by all rights, better than they have any right to be. Even with eyeroll inducing titles like "In Battle There Is No Pot," once the guitars start to
buzz (hahaha see I'm in on it too!) it doesn't really matter.
Left Hand Pass is really fun without being dumb. It's intriguing and impressive without being portentous. Like everything the band has created before, it's an album for metal fans by metal fans; a potent and enjoyable love letter to death metal. And weed too I guess.
