Well. What can you say? I think if anyone back in the early nineties had said that any of the death metal acts around then would be on their eleventh album, still going strong, and entering into the US Billboard charts in the top 70, then they may have been treated with some mirth. But here we are, and if Evisceration Plague is anything to go by, Cannibal Corpse are getting even more proficient at their deathly art, and showing absolutely no signs of letting up. This album is Cannibal Corpse of 2009. No comparisons to other bands needed or too much comparison to their other releases. This is the here and now of death metal. Forget the bands that are the “darlings” of the metal mags and touted as the best thing since sliced bread. This album clearly emphasises what the correct hierarchy is, with Cannibal Corpse on top of the pile.
From the opening beats and riffs of “Priests of Sodom” to the final blasts of “Skewered from Ear to Eye” this album takes no prisoners. If “Kill” was raw, unrelenting, unforgiving and brutal, then “Evisceration Plague” is the older, tougher and more mature, chiselled brother. So, where do I start? The first thing that will hit you (in the face like a left hook) is the guitar sound. Yes. The band have quoted that’s it’s their best guitar sound ever (people always will be like……yeah, yeah, yeah….), but the sound delivered here is just amazing; a nod and bow having to go to Erik Rutan for producing one of the most cutting and aggressive sounds committed to disc (in my opinion). The guitars sound like weapons of war, relentless and aiming to gun you down, layered thickly over the drumming of Paul Mazurkiewicz, which is faster than ever, and so important in being one of the driving forces behind the sheer explosive dynamic of this release.
This album is packed with killer tunes from beginning to end and is one of those rare cd’s that you will listen to over and over again without skipping out any tracks. I’ve listened to it about twenty odd times now and I still keep coming back for more!! A testament to the arrangement of the songs on this album is the fact that there are so many fast yet brutally catchy songs. Sure, you’ll have your favourites, but there are so many high points to choose from. And that is one of the many things that separate this band from others – their ability to produce brutal music that has hooks and riffs that stick in your head.
Opener “Priests of Sodom” in my opinion is one of the best death metal songs ever recorded. With George’s experimentation with layered vocals, coupled with the most insanely heavy and memorable guitar work and a kick-ass solo, this one takes your breath away like a well-timed blow to the nether regions. In fact, George’s vocals on the entire album are top-notch, with his annunciation once again being the best of any vocalist whilst still keeping it as heavy and raw as hell.
Another area where the band succeed is when they do hit you with blistering all out pace, they keep the song to around two minutes in length like in second track “Scalding Hail”. To the point, brutal and effective. “Cauldron of Hate” is a heavy, contorting, sprawling mass that is catchy, brutal and enjoyable. The opening sounds akin to being submerged in acid whilst having your skins removed with a cheese grater. The title track is the slowest on the cd and is this album’s “Decency Defied”; a wonderful bass driven groove enabling the guitars to just pound away like sledgehammers. Webster’s knack for knowing how to seamlessly integrate the technique required to produce a heavy song with the hooks needed to make it memorable once again coming up trumps.
In all honesty, Evisceration Plague does not stop assaulting you with its caustic guitar sound and heavy as hell riff work. “Shatter their Bones” has perhaps one of the best change of dynamics within a song that Cannibal have ever attempted leading to a beautiful guitar solo that gives the song an extra dimension not seen before in their work.
“Carnivorous Swarm” has to be one of the most aptly titled songs produced with the opening guitar work literally sounding like a swarm of killer bees (a kind of malevolent sped up Flight of the Bumblebee if you like!), and the guitar work of both Barrett and O’Brien is top drawer throughout. Some of the solo work on this album being their best to date in regards to the how they seamlessly fit with overall song dynamic.
All this combined with the “Wretched Spawn” like dvd, which covers all the aspects of the recording of the cd, along with some added extras really does add an extra wallop. What other bands do this or have the same loyal fan base which means that they can do this??
An awesome album from the most hardworking, talented, and committed band in the scene today. This is metal at its very best.
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