Album review: Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific

By DAN SOUTHALL

CANNIBAL Corpse need no introduction – and by now don’t really need a review. They are known for being very distinct and not really changing the formula. This formula is an endearing trait to many fans, myself included. Let’s dig in to Chaos Horrific and see if Corpsegrinder has learnt to sing clean yet…

“Overlords Of Violence” kicks out the jams with a less than subtle bass rumble directing you to put your head in the nearest speaker and let it be blown apart (possibly). If you managed to survive the opening onslaught, “Frenzied Feeding” backs it up with a grotesque story of forced cannibalism and a starving society.  You wanted fast grim death metal, you bloody got it.

From here Cannibal Corpse begin to change it up as much as this band can without offending the hardcore fanbase. Tracks ebb and flow a little, injecting groove so it isn’t necessarily always just beating your skull into a puddle of ugly condensed milk, telling all their typically gore-driven stories with less of a focus on shock value for the sake of it and an eye more on the story, something they’ve have gotten better and better at over their long tenure.
Chaos Horrific is strong enough that there isn’t much in the way of standout tracks as they are all great, the injection of Eric Rutan on guitar since their last album keeps the solos fresh and melodic and feeling a lot less wedged in than on previous outings. The middle of the album packed around the title track is the closet you will get to stand out stuff, and if “Pitchfork Impalement” doesn’t have some of their best lyrics in recent memory then you aren’t listening close enough.

As stated at the beginning, this band needs no introduction, let alone a review from yours truly. They do what they do and they do it better than anyone has before – and possibly will after them. They were innovators when there weren’t any.  This album won’t bend time or change your car tyre, but it might smack you in the knee caps with a tyre iron or attempt to smother you if you fall asleep listening to it. It’s that good. Stop reading and go give it your time, before it finds you in a dark alley somewhere.
Buy Chaos Horrific on vinyl or CD