ALBUM REVIEW: Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined

One of Death Metal’s most legendary acts CANNIBAL CORPSE, whom need no introduction, return with their 15th album. Out via Metal Blade Records on April 16th.

Blasting right into an assault of hammering drums and maniacal riffing, the brutal cascade of offal that can only be called Cannibal Corpse launches right back in where they left off. The savage vocals and tight yet unfathomably heavy instrumental work is just as much of a functioning unit of depravity as ever with their very able yet easily enjoyable songwriting ferociously delving right into the carnage from the get-go. Blistering solos add even more frenzy to the gore-drenched mayhem in sharp bursts while the bludgeoning riffs and concrete drums never relent in their aggression, nor does Corpsegrinder in his forever punishing vocal attack. This is the first record with new guitarist Erik Rutan (of Hate Eternal), whom brings a visceral groove to their sound which certainly can be compared to his other works, while not tainting the pure venomous Cannibal Corpse sound. The lyrics are certainly more impressive than the surface would allow, with a fine vocabulary to paint a gruesome picture alongside the monolithic onslaught of morbidity. Cannibal Corpse have returned, shaking the ground in their wake.

High-octane rampages continue to run wild with a feral speeding intensity to add more dizzying brutality to the slower chugging grooves, which work together in a harmonious relationship as most Metalheads will know by now, this formula of fearsome sound hasn’t changed, as most will appreciate, Cannibal Corpse do not stray from their own path. Some of the melodic work adds a refreshing and new angle to the sound, akin to Hate Eternal perhaps. Though it doesn’t feel alien, just like a band who have a new energy in their presence and utilise that well. While I speak of how tight they are musically, that does not mean this record feels any less frantic than their previous works, just perhaps even more like a juggernaut of gore lurching right towards you. You will not escape its all-consuming wrath.

Pulverising us from start to end, these 11 pieces of torturous barbarity are ceaseless, yet with plenty of diversity within the healthy Cannibal Corpse sound. To tame a beast like this is impossible, but to see them still churning out memorable and ripping tracks on their 15th studio album is nothing short of marvellous, a testament to the stubborn Death Metal spirit never dying or faltering. A band whose musicianship and passion for macabre visions has not wilted away with age or time, still doing what they love without regard for outside influence. That is something to be commended. Lunging right through the vital organs, this album will tear you to shreds, rebuild your zombified remains and repeat the process. Blast this album at the risk of being spewed into a cavern of horrors by the masters of gory Death Metal devastation and be obliterated by the sheer density of this slab of putridity.

A new Cannibal Corpse record is always something that will have most Death Metal fanatics in a state of ecstasy. While this band isn’t known for reinventing the wheel, that could be because they helped invent it. So what do we get here that we haven’t had before? There is certainly more groove and punchiness, along with a more feral, untamed feeling of urgency. If you don’t like Cannibal Corpse, I cannot promise this will change your mind. However for the legions of dedicated headbangers who adore them, you will not be disappointed in your quest for brutal and punishing Metal.