ALBUM REVIEW: Cannibal Corpse, "Chaos Horrific"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 22/09/2023
Label: Metal Blade Records

 
“Chaos Horrific” track listing:
 
1 Overlords Of Violence
2 Frenzied Feeding
3 Summoned For Sacrifice
4 Blood Blind
5 Vengeful Invasion
6 Chaos Horrific 
7 Fracture and Refracture
8 Pitchfork Impalement
9 Pestilential Rictus
10 Drain You Empty
 
 
The Review:

The most reliable of all the death metal institutions, Cannibal Corpse, are back- not that they went away- with their sixteenth (!) studio record. Thirty three years in, this represents a very impressive work ethic indeed. It’s all the more remarkable for the fact that, much like thrash veterans Overkill, there are no bad Cannibal Corpse records.
 
While there are no bad records, I wouldn’t deny that some are better or more significant than others. For instance, The four Chris Barnes helmed early records are often held up as classics, but I have always preferred the Corpsegrinder years; “The Bleeding” IS a classic, but so is “Torture”, or “A Skeletal Domain”, or “Red Before Black” and so on; it’s just that “The Bleeding” has that zeitgeist-right-place-right-time vibe/nostalgia. “Violence Unimagined” from a couple of years back was one of the best- possibly THE best CC records of any era. Was it as significant as “Tomb of the Mutilated” or “The Bleeding”? Probably not. Was it better? I think so,
 
Fortunately, the band are very much switched on here. “Chaos Horrific” picks up where “Violence Unimagined” left off. It’s brutal, chaotic, horrific, aggressive and crushingly good. “Overlords of Violence” is a fresh and frenetic opener; busy bass and full tilt aggression in place.  “Frenzied Feeding” manages to keep the vibe and quality going before an album stand out: “Summoned For Sacrifice”- which combines crushing slow tempos, breakneck pace, memorable hooks and incredible vocals. Erik Rutan is firmly assimilated into the band’s sound now; his lead work is exceptional throughout, and he works really well with Rob Barratt. The rhythm section remains pretty much peerless, while George Corpsegrinder Fisher reminds us all why he viewed as the best DM vocalist on the planet by many.
 
I really like the varied tempos on this record “Blood Blind” might be slow by CC standards, but this is as heavy as they come. The band avoid the “Gallery of Suicide” trap (having too many tracks on one record) and instead have offered up ten tracks of three and a half to four and a half minutes each, Perfect, really, as a little of this goes a LONG way.
 
There is complex riffage on “Vengeful Invasion” and just unrelenting brutality abounds. At the half way mark this is a candidate for one of the best CC records. The material is strong, the sound and production is superb, the playing incredibly tight. From there, there is no dip in quality or energy. The title track thrashes very convincingly with lots of changes used effectively.
 
I’m not as keen on “Fracture and Refracture”- for reasons I don’t really even understand, but “Pitchfork Impalement”, “Pestilential Rictus” and “Drain You Empty” all impale and disembowel the listener extremely effectively; they are all memorable, frenzied and ferocious in their approach.
 
Cannibal Corpse have brought their A-game here; no wasted tracks, no wasted riffs, beats or solos. Everything counts; there are nifty changes, some really technical playing, incredible vocals and an overall sense that the band are utilising every year of their experience to create a death metal tour de force. Death metal simply doesn’t get any better than this. Imperious. 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Vomitory, “All Heads Are Gonna Roll”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26/05/2023
Label: Metal Blade Records
 

“All Heads Are Gonna Roll” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. All Heads Are Gonna Roll
2. Decrowned
3. Ode to the Meat Saw
4. The Deepest Tomb
5. Piece by Stinking Piece
6. Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead
7. Dead Man Stalking
8. Disciples of the Damned
9. Dead World
10. Beg for Death
 
The Review:

Vomitory return after over a decade… but the Swedes haven’t lost any of their rabid aggression or deathly destructive power. This is death metal from the old school- but better than the new school. And better than most of the active old school as well!
 
The album sounds thick and meaty. The performances are very aggressive and fully committed. The moment the title track races out of the gate, it’s clear that this is a true nitrous injected deathride of monumental proportions. There is no backward step from there; “Decrowned” is fantastically aggressive and wild.
 
The band may have been putting out records since the 90s, but this goes to show that they’ve lost none of their potency or power. “Ode to the Meat Saw” shows another side to the band- just as nasty, but at a slower pace. Rolling bass drums and some guitar riffing reminiscent of Bolt Thrower in places.
 
At ten tracks, this is an old school blast of traditional deathly values and spite. Any fans of Dismember, Entombed, Paganizer- even Asphyx and most other Euro/UK DM acts you would name will find everything they like here; it’s got the style and feel of an old school rager but with a crushing modern production and mix. No bad tracks and some great song titles (“Dead Man Stalking”) make for a fetid mixture of true death metal.
 
Overall, this is for all fans of death metal and should be compulsory listening for all fans of the genre in 2023; you won’t hear better this year.
 
“All Heads Are Gonna Roll” is available HERE

Band info: Bandcamp || Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Goatwhore, “Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven”

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 07/10/2022         
Label: Metal Blade Records
 

“Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Invocation 3
2. Born of Satan's Flesh
3. The Bestowal of Abomination
4. Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven
5. Death from Above
6. Ruinous Liturgy
7. Victory Is the Lightning of Destruction
8. Voracious Blood Fixation
9. The Devil's Warlords
10. Weight of a Soulless Heart
11. Nihil
12. And I Was Delivered from the Wound of Perdition
 
The Review:
 
Yet another classic band from NOLA, Goatwhore have been at the coal face of extreme metal for twenty years plus. Unbelievable, but true. They’ve enough albums under their (studded?) belts now that I was wondering if the spite, the energy, the ferocity would still be there. Well, it’s not only there- it’s burning brighter than ever!
 
“Invocation 3” sets the tone and then “Born of Satan’s Flesh” brings the speed and power. From there, it’s all ferocious… and with a myriad of genres cropping up. This is not one dimensional at all. It mixes death metal, thrash, post metal and black metal in a gumbo that I can only really describe as ‘extreme metal.’ Each track brings something different, whether it be the blackened/post vibes of the title track or the thrashing brutality of “Death from Above”.
 
The songs themselves are uniformly tight and muscular in terms of composition; and they are aided by an appropriately tight and muscular production and mix. There’s no fat here and only the closer “And I was Delivered from the Wound of Perdition” really lengthens the band’s stride. Elsewhere it’s all focus and drive.
 
It’s one of my favourite extreme metal releases from the last year and I can’t fault it. It has the energy and burning ambition of bands half Goatwhore’s age (both in the band members’ physical age and in terms of their recording career). There is everything to like about this gnarled beast of an album and nothing to complain about it. It’s well balanced, streamlined and brutal in the right measure. Just have a listen to any track, or try “Victory Is the Lightning of Destruction” or “The Devil’s Warlords” Or “Ruinous Liturgy” or… well, any track.  Superb and vicious metal, in every way.
 
“Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven” is available now

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Revocation, "Netherheaven"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 09/09/2022
Label: Metal Blade Records

“Netherheaven” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Diabolical Majesty
2). Lessons in Occult Theft
3). Nihilistic Violence
4). Strange and Eternal
5). Galleries of Morbid Artistry
6). The 9th Chasm
7). Godforsaken
8). The Intervening Abyss of Untold Aeons
9). Re-Crucified (feat. Trevor Strnad & George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher)
 
 
The Review:
 
Revocation blast back to resume their place as the leading light of the tech-death/thrash masters. I’ve not followed the band fully since “Deathless” back in 2014, but I’ve dipped in and out. On that basis, I can proclaim that this is a great record- even by Revocation’s lofty standards.
 
So, the good news is plentiful here; tight and punchy sound, loads of riffs- for days and days- catchy sections and endless musical dexterity. The band, collectively, perform incredible musical gymnastics and from the very fast start, it’s obvious that they mean business. The lead work is sublime all the way through, and the drums are both technical and hooky- lots of repeated motifs and ‘framing’ of the labyrinthine structures.
 
The album is very thrashy in parts- the sections in “Nihilistic Violence” when the band puts their foot down are an aural feast of, well, nihilistic violence. The record further endears itself to me by being nine tracks long; ideal for this type of thing where a little goes a long way. The songs aren’t nine-minute exercises in repetition either; they’re punchy and brimming over with ideas and changes; leads to start “Strange and Eternal”, rhythms and guitar progressions reminiscent of “Individual Thought Patterns”… it’s pretty majestic stuff.
 
This type of music, of course, is something you build up to and get or you don’t… If you’ve been craving something a little more complex than what you’ve been listening to or have felt that traditional thrash bands don’t go far enough in terms of technicality or extremity, then this is for you. Likewise, if you are a fan of everything from Death to Arkaik or even Nile, then there will be a great deal to delve into and enjoy for you here.
 
There are no bad tracks across the nine on offer, and while they broadly conform to a type/style, there is variety in terms of tempo, rhythms and hooks. “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” employs quiet/loud dynamics and rhythmical approaches that are not just aimless blasting or thrashing. It’s different from the opener “Diabolical Majesty”- but still sounds like it belongs on the same record. There is melody here in sections of all tempos but mainly this is not an album of hooks per se. It is still memorable, but the technicality is to the fore.
 
While the band don’t quite get to the jazz infused side of a band like Atheist, again there are jazzier/fusion type elements to the playing, and this adds a light and shade to the record which would have been easy to miss out. The instrumental, “The 9^th Chasm”, bears this out. I much prefer my tech-death/thrash to have these types of departures (or additions) as they make things more interesting and listenable. There are few things harder to listen to than dull death metal- either live or on record.

So, what else can be said here; the artwork is fantastic- Paulo Girardi has delivered a nightmarish sleeve (his work for latter day Manilla Road was perfect), the production and mix is superb- it’s just crystal clear- and I really can’t find any faults at all. This is a superlative example of the sub-genre and the blending of the genres involved. All hail Revocation.
 
“Netherheaven” is available HERE 

Band info: official

ALBUM REVIEW: Rivers of Nihil, "The Work"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 24/09/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

 
“The Work” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. The Tower (Theme From “The Work”)
2. Dreaming Black Clockwork
3. Wait
4. Focus
5. Clean
6. The Void From Which No Sound Escapes
7. MORE?
8. Tower 2
9. Episode
10. Maybe One Day
11. Terrestria IV: Work
 
The Review:
 
Rivers of Nihil are certainly one of America's most interesting metal exports these days. Their last album, “Where Owls Know My Name” was positively avant garde- bringing new sounds and textures in a way not heard since perhaps Opeth or Celtic Frost to the death metal genre.
 
Indeed, the band are now quite some distance from 'death metal.' I would hazard that this is best described as progressive metal. There are death metal building blocks here and there- Adam Biggs' growl, the riffage in places, blasts etc... but, really, this is progressive fair. The album is a series of movements and soundscapes (in common with Opeth), and a mixture of clean singing and growls (ditto) but there are many touches of classic rock, prog and even industrial music in the rhythms, synths and so on.
 
The lead work is uniformly good, the production is solid but a little homogenous for my tastes. There is a sheen throughout that is not perhaps entirely welcome and the drums thud rather than crack- belying their processed nature. These are small gripes, really, as there is nothing wrong with the album at all. As a collection of musical pieces, it's adventurous and daring. Fans of Opeth, Mastodon et al will find much to enjoy here.
 
I first got into the band for album number two- “Monarchy”- and truthfully it is still my favourite as it is techy, brutal and pretty straight up death metal. That said, there is once again saxophone on this record, there is huge variety and a lot of lateral movement within each composition. That could not be said of the music on “Monarchy”, so the band have legitimately evolved, softened and expanded. It's to be commended, as they could have stuck with what they did and just kept doing it.
 
The brutal moments here (right next to the sax on one occasion) serve to highlight how sparsely they are used. This is not a death metal album- it just incorporates elements of the genre. It's impressive, varied and wide ranging in scope.
 
How you feel about all of this will probably be informed by where you climbed aboard the Rivers of Nihil Train- if you liked the progressive elements of recent albums, this is assuredly for you. If you are looking for tech death- look elsewhere. If you are looking to sample this, pick the track “More?” for brutal death. Pick the track “The Void From Which No Sound Escapes” for progressive experimentation and try out “The Tower” (the opener) for a bit of a flavour of a few elements in one. Overall, this is impressive and probably worthy of the plaudits that will be heaped upon it.
 
“The Work” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Criminal, "Sacrificio"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 17/09/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

 

“Sacrificio” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Live On Your Knees
2. Caged
3. The Whale
4. Zona de Sacrificio
5. After me, the Flood
6. Dark Horse
7. Theocrazy
8. Sistema Criminal
9. Zealots
10. Age of Distrust
11. Hunter and the Prey
12. Ego Killer

The Review:

Chile's (and England's/Spain's) finest, Criminal, are back with this rip-roaring, thrashing, seething beast: “Sacrificio”. Right from the opener “Live On Your Knees”, the band sets their stall out and goes for the throat. Anton Reisenegger delivers riff after riff, sandpaper-throated vocals and a sense of real conviction (no pun intended).

It sounds great, too- with real sounding drums, thick guitars and audible bass in the mix. This is thrash, by way of some early kind of death metal influences; there are blasts here and there, plenty of atonal riffing and a certain South American ferocity to the delivery. If you like your BTR/Arise-era Sepultura, then this should be right up your street.

The band is nearly thirty years into making records at this point, so Reisenegger can be described as a lifer- one who lives and breathes metal. Criminal, Lock Up, Pentagram Chile... it's an incredible and prolific resume.

Twelve tracks, every one of them under five minutes long and every one of them as vicious as the last. There really are no weak links here. There is absolutely no need for a track by track as the standard is so high throughout. The quasi-title track in Spanish stands out as a neck snapper for reference, but you can play any one of these songs and get the flavour. Vicious and relentless, this is superlative thrash/death from a master. Listen to it. Buy it.

“Sacrificio” is available HERE 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Cirith Ungol, "Half Past Human" [EP]

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 28/05/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

 
“Half Past Human” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Route 666
2). Shelob’s Lair
3). Brutish Manchild
4). Half Past Human
 
The Review:

Cirith Ungol's comeback was surely the comeback of the decade; it is no mean feat to revive a band decades after their dissolution AND make an album as convincing as “Forever Black”. Cirith Ungol managed it and are now back with this EP. Four Tracks of trad/doom/hard rock idiosyncrasy. Cirith Ungol have never been the easiest band to like or 'get' and this surely continues here. The themes are fantastical. The vocals are an acquired taste, the bass is bobbling in sound and high in the mix- just like on their debut, “Frost and Fire”. All of that said, this rocks. It's great.

Cirith Ungol are a cult band for a reason- they sound like no one else. They meld genres and sounds like no other band. They fall into a similar bracket to Manilla Road or Pagan Altar: you love them or you are just puzzled.

It is crucial to note that these are not exactly 'new' songs. Instead they are revived from the band's dim and distant past. We assume that they were thus written decades ago; certainly, none have been officially released before. This alone makes for a real fan's treat. Of the four tracks here, you get hard rocking proto-metal on “Route 666” and “Brutish Manchild”, The fantasy element (specifically Tolkien) is fulfilled on “Shelob's Lair”- with a great middle section riff and solo. The biggest treat here is saved for last, though. “Half Past Human” is close to seven and a half minutes in length and is a wonderful track. It is evocative of dynamic and maudlin early Judas Priest moments. Thematically it deals with a dystopian glimpse of the future, science fiction and technology providing ample inspiration.

Overall, then, this is four more new-old songs from Cirith Ungol, all of which sit well with anything else in their discography. For true fans, it’s a must. For casual listeners, this is a perfect introduction to the band, with all their eccentricities on display. It's magnificent, obviously.

“Half Past Human” is available HERE 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Cannibal Corpse, "Violence Unimagined"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 16/04/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

“Violence Unimagined” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Muderous Rampage
2). Necrogenic Resurrection
3). Inhumane Haarvest
4). Condemnation Contagion
5). Surround, Kill, Devour
6). Ritual Annihilation
7). Follow the Blood
8). Bound and Buried
9). Slowly Sawn
10). Overtorture

The Review:
 
Ah, Cannibal Corpse. The Motorhead of death metal. The Overkill of death metal. The High on Fire of death metal. They are relentlessly consistent. Relentlessly brutal. Relentlessly... relentless. I think it's fair to say that there are no bad CC albums. Equally, there are a few great ones- which most fans agree on (“The Bleeding”, “Butchered at Birth”, “Kill”...). Ultimately, they have always made good albums. I love “A Skeletal Domain” as much as I love “Tomb of the Mutilated”- but any other fan may disagree and pick another pair of albums they enjoy equally.
 
This record finds a line up shift having taken effect. As many will know, Pat O'Brien has legal problems not too far off the themes found in in CC's songs. His technical prowess and creativity are of course much missed- but if there is one replacement who could step up the mark, it has to be Erik Rutan. He's death metal royalty and surely needs no further introduction?!
 
Speaking of Rutan, the sound on this record is incredible. It's crystal clear and incredibly punchy. The snare snaps like a zombie's neck. The bass is springy and easy to pick out without being clanky and overbearing (lovely highlights are to be found in “Follow The Blood”). The guitars grind and shred like any number of torture devices- or DIY appliances.  
 
As soon as I started to listen to “Violence Unimagined”, I knew it would be one of the great ones. It has all the best elements of Cannibal Corpse. The musicianship is absolutely insane. The hooks embed in your brain and refuse to leave. It's brutal, catchy and brilliant. George Corpsegrinder Fisher is as imperious as ever. His vocals are both guttural, clear and forceful in equal measure. Barrett and Rutan really deliver on the riff and solo front. Alex Webster remains the best bassist in extreme metal and Paul Mazurkiewicz brings his precise yet wild drumming to its natural conclusion- the blasts are there, the fills are there and he switches so well around the kit and from hi hat to ride. 
 
Thematically, of course, you know what you are getting. I'll be honest and state that the song titles/lyrics/themes and artwork are the least attractive part of CC's music for me. I'm not really a huge horror fan, I'm not gore obsessed (!) and I have no particular interest in the macabre beyond what most metal fans may have. I can't defend the genre to its critics or explain it to those who are repulsed... All of that said, I do like death metal. No, I love death metal. The sound, the vibe, the extremity: I just have an affinity for it- when it is done well. The classic death metal bands are classic for a reason- Obituary, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Death, Dismember, Entombed; the list goes on. All those bands are great- or were great at the very least. 
 
The thing with Cannibal Corpse is that they were great and are great and will continue to be great. They continue to make incredibly good records. They continue to define death metal in sound, theme and all visual aspects. Whether it's “Ritual Annihilation”, “Inhumane Harvest” or skin flaying opener “Murderous Rampage”, the band has delivered on every conceivable level here. The playing is amazing, the atmosphere is dark and gritty throughout, the songs are memorable and don't ever descend into mindless blasting. 
 
I've really liked the preceding two records to this one- “A Skeletal Domain” is one of my favourite CC albums and “Red Before Black” was another masterclass. My first impressions are that this is better than both and thus is the best CC record in years and that is REALLY saying something. It's majestic in its violence and force. If you like/liked or want to try out death metal- just give this album a listen. I fear that if you can't get into this, you simply don't like death metal. The best in the business are back. Bow down and expect swift decapitation.
 
“Violence Unimagined” is available HERE 

Band info: official || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: The Crown, "Royal Destroyer"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 12/03/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

 
“Royal Destroyer” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Baptized in Violence
2). Let the Hammering Begin!
3). Motordeath
4). Ultra Faust
5). Glorious Hades
6). Full Metal Justice
7). Scandinavian Satan
8). Devoid of Light
9). We Drift On
10). Beyond The Frail
11). Absolute Monarchy
 
The Review:
 
Ok, so the tracklist on the info sheet does not match how the files store in my media player- or on the band's Wikipedia entry... so track by track is out of the question here. However, information issues aside, what you really need to know is that this RIPS!
 
The Crown are Scandinavian and play, officially, melodic death metal. Don't expect the Gothenburg sound of In Flames on their later records though- this is feral and vicious. There are blast beats, thrash passages, solos and plenty of nasty noise.
 
You can pretty much pick out any track (running order be damned!) and enjoy- if you like Swe-Death. Advance track “Motordeath” is as good as any at a summing up- fast and furious with a huge dose of adrenaline. There is a surprising amount of depth over the course of the tracks here- “Ultra Faust” is dynamic and develops across its running time and elsewhere there is no shortage of slower pacing and, yes, melodic guitars. The song titles are uniformly excellent (“Full Metal Justice”! “Baptized In Violence”!) and there are nice touches that keep things interesting- things like the cowbell at the start (and later on) of “Scandinavian Satan” and the helter skelter riffage contained therein.
 
The record, overall, is a good mix of Entombed, Motorhead, The Haunted and even structural echoes of the best American thrash. There are no bad tracks, the production is great and you get ten tracks of high quality Scandinavian death metal. There is a lot to like here and I would urge all fans of the genre to give it a go- it's an engaging and weighty listen, without descending into dissonance or mindless blasting. Top quality death metal.
 
“Royal Destroyer” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook