There is a point where shock value becomes redundant and bands need to be judged on their musical merits. In keeping with this, it is important to note that Death Metal tends to be blacklisted as being “a threat to the children”, and have been decried by culture warriors the world over for more than 3 decades. Some might argue that those crazy Norsemen who took to church burning are the real outcasts, but this style of music tends to have much more name recognition amongst prohibitionist enthusiasts, though I’m sure Mayhem and Burzum might enjoy similar infamy should they become better known to these sorts. But for someone like me who just simply likes good metal, it is little more than poetic aesthetics, and ones that don’t really demand a look at the lyric sheet despite the words not always being clearly enunciated from death metal vocalists throat. Anyway, Let's talk about this band and their album. Each riff, each combination of deep and slightly higher pitched barks, every blast and breakdown comes in exactly where it’s expected, leaving very few wow moments. Within this somewhat overly limited collection of brutal possibilities lays a few really good songs that lend themselves more to individual obsession, There’s a few intercessions into slower, sludgy sounding riff work before the high tempo pandemonium ensues, also has a couple of nice punchy yet dissonant grooves to change things up amidst a mess of shorter songs that fly at brutal speed. At the end of the day This is death metal by the numbers, putting the pedal to the metal, and frontloading the vehicle with the usual assortment of dissonant and chromatic goodness. Guitar solo enthusiasts will find a better version of what Cannibal Corpse attempts on every single album, something that actually might be close to as memorable as the brilliance normally heard out of Trey Azagthoth circa “Blessed Are The Sick” or even Santolla’s own work on “Individual Thought Patterns”. Nevertheless, a good pickup for fans of old guard death metal before the pig squeals and ham slamming shit. Basically, this album is packed full of memorable songs that are simplistic and to the point. It may not be the most technical, brutal or slamming death metal ever but this is a great achievement in brutality.
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Review by Paul Caravasi
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