Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific
Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 22/09/2023
Running Time: 38:00
Review by Rory Bentley
8.5/10
Some people may argue that in 2023, after 35 years of ploughing that Death Metal furrow, we don’t really need another Cannibal Corpse album. But some people can fuck off. Because I do, and I’m here to tell you that, to what should come as a surprise to nobody, “Chaos Horrific” slaps harder than one of Andre the Giant’s chops. What might be a little more surprising though, is the fact that the Buffalo NY legend’s 16th album sits on the upper end of their revered discography.
Like putting on an old jumper and sipping a fresh cup of cocoa on frosty winter night, Alex Webster’s distinctive bass comes in with a comforting familiarity that makes me both acutely aware that there’s something wrong with me and, more importantly, that I’m about to have a great time for the next 39 minutes. Of course, listeners should know what they’re in for by now with the ‘Corpse, but when a song combines big groovy hooks with putrid cacophony as beautifully as ‘Overlords of Violence’, it’s difficult to pine for mind-bending innovation. The chromatic riff and ensuing squalling solo are emblematic of a band with a no-nonsense approach who are still more than capable of throwing in technical flourishes when the song needs it.
Every CC record opens with a balls to the wall number played at lightning speed and with seething intensity, however latter day releases don’t always sustain this level of frothing madness throughout their runtime. I enjoyed 2021’s “Violence Unimagined ”, however I did find it dined out a little too heavily on the more mid-paced numbers. Although the band is fantastic at big, stinky grooves and there was plenty to enjoy on the record, a few more driving numbers would have lent a greater momentum and variety to stop things dragging a little towards the end. No such issues here as the band sound more savage and dangerous than they have in years with long-time producer and recent full-time band member Erik Rutan cracking the whip in the studio to produce some blistering, precision-engineered audio violence. As the bass pedals reached warp-speed on ‘Frenzied Feeding’, I thought to myself “My god, Paul Mazurkiewicz has been eating his Weetabix!”.
This latest wretched spawn (see what I did there) of songs are particularly impressive thanks to their deceptive complexity and deft blending of all aspects of the ‘Corpse sound. Ignorant cave dweller grooves inhabit the same space as breakneck tremolo savagery and pristine virtuosity often in the same song. ‘Summoned For Sacrifice’ has some absolutely honking grooves that made my face screw up like a world-champion gurner eating a sour pickle while transitioning seamlessly into a rapid fire assault that felt like Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees were having a stabbing competition on my spleen. And this is without mentioning the collision of pure filth when the dive bombing soloing meets another mid-paced chugger that is so filthy I might have to have the building condemned where I first heard it.
Meanwhile the band pull out an all-time classic Corpse riff on ‘Blood Blind’, which somehow squeezes a lethargic, swampy chug and wrist-snapping tremolo picking into the same musical phrase. As the verse kicks in the band locks into a tempo and texture that feels like wading through a quagmire of thickening blood. It also helps that Corpsegrinder, in typically imperious form shows why he’s the best in the game by barking the bridge section with the visceral, rapid clarity of a machine gun without breaking a sweat.
Those of you who are keen gore connoisseurs will find much to enjoy across the lyrics of these 10 rotten anthems as well. The monstrous title track is pure zombie-slashing fun, particularly when everyone goes full tilt and Corpsegrinder Starts screaming the title over and over like a tiger with roid rage, and if you can’t get behind a song called ‘Pitchfork Impalement’ we straight up can’t be homies. Incidentally the mid-section on said agricultural stab jam sounds like Pantera’s ‘Primal Concrete Sledge’ played by those possessed corpses from Evil Dead. Delightful.
“Chaos Horrific” is an utter joy of an album for Death Metal lovers, pitching itself perfectly between the swampy simplicity of Obituary’s (rather excellent) recent album and the more technical likes of Horrendous and Tomb Mould. 2023 is a banner year for Death Metal and nothing illustrates that better than the kings of the genre showing up and dropping one of their meanest, most masterful, maggot-riddled albums in a long old time.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Overlords of Violence
02. Frenzied Feeding
03. Summoned for Sacrifice
04. Blood Blind
05. Vengeful Invasion
06. Chaos Horrific
07. Fracture and Refracture
08. Pitchfork Impalement
09. Pestilential Rictus
10. Drain You Empty
LINE-UP:
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – Vocals
Erik Rutan – Guitar
Rob Barrett – Guitar
Alex Webster – Bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
