Band: Cannibal Corpse
Album: Torture
Release Date: 13th March
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records
With Cannibal Corpse you always know what you are going to get, though that’s not to say that this is a bad thing. Cannibal Corpse are brutal and technically very skilled, and this new album is definitely both of those things, though they are tighter now than ever before.
“Torture” sees a welcome return to their notorious gory front covers (though not exactly to the extremes of previous albums), this one featuring an interesting flap to pass the censors.
Recorded once again at Sonic Ranch studios in Texas, this is the twelfth Cannibal Corpse album and the third album with the line up of Webster, Mazurkiewicz, Barrett, Corpsegrinder and O’Brien. They are still sounding strong with this collection of twelve brutal tracks.
The riffs are fantastic, especially on opener ‘Demented Aggression’ and ‘As Deep as the Knife Will Go” which are classic Cannibal Corpse songs. They are aggressive and certain to get you head banging.
The guitars sound thunderous and angry, just as they should be. And Bassist Alex Webster proves his chops as a one of the best death metal bass player with blistering speed, particularly clear on ‘The Strangulation Chair’ and ‘Rabid’.
‘Scourge of Iron’ adds a different flavour to the album. It starts quickly but slows down to a doom-y, groove laden riff that is both hypnotic and addictive to listen to.
‘Followed Home Then Killed’ is very tight, proving that all five men work exceptionally well together.
Closing track ‘Torn Through’ mirrors the opening track with a great first riff and continues just as strongly as the rest of the album.
There is nothing ground breaking or new here, but that doesn’t really matter. Cannibal Corpse are brutal, technically very skilled and are still sounding very together, this album is definitely proof of this. Overall it is groovier that previous outings but I think this definitely adds to the albums appeal making it slightly catchier and a great listen.
Violent and precise, Cannibal Corpse refuse to slow down and this album is certainly evidence of that.
4/5
Jade Hunter
Valkyrian Music 