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Cannibal Corpse - The
Wretched Spawn
2004 Metal Blade
Track
Listing:
1. Severed Head Stoning
2. Psychotic Precision
3. Decency Defied
4. Frantic Disembowelment
5. The Wretched Spawn
6. Cyanide Assassin
7. Festering In The Crypt
8. Nothing Left To Mutilate
9. Blunt Force Castration
10. Rotten Body Landslide
11. Slain
12. Bent Backwards And Broken
13. They Deserve To Die
Line-Up:
Vocals: George Fisher
Guitar: Pat O'Brien, Jack Owen
Bass: Alex Webster
Drums: Paul Mazurkiewicz
Website: www.cannibalcorpse.net
Skin Splitter's Rating: C-
Average Album Rating: C- |
Skin Splitter's Review:
The long awaited 2004 release of the quintet from New York. Rumor
had it that Cannibal Corpse had signed with Geffin Records,
therefore becoming mainstream and a sell out. This doesn't appear to
be the case considering that Metal Blade is still doing updates of
them on their web site. So, that's strike one to the rumor
mill. The other theory was that Cannibal Corpse was going to
go more technical in their music thereby losing some of their chaotic
form. After listening to this album, that's strike two to the rumor
mill. Here's the truth. Short, honest and blunt.
Somewhere between Bloodthirst to now, Cannibal Corpse lost
me. The two albums in between (with the exception of Live
Cannibalism which is phenomenal) just didn't bring the raw force and
brutality that Bloodthirst did. This one brings it
back. Granted the songs are not as fast as their early stuff (Eaten
Back to Life, The Bleeding, etc), but there is still a level of
intensity in this one that is surprisingly a change for the better.
Lord Webster and Lord
Mazurkiewicz still provide the strongest foundation of death metal
around. Sir Fisher changed his vocals a bit so they are not as low
and can be understood. This of course allows the guitars to be just
full-blown chaos. Well, that's how half of the album is. The
other half is of a slower taste. The slower songs allow for the
guitars to create a lower sound (although in the same tuning as Bloodthirst)
that can't be done when playing pure speed. In the end, this album
has its high points and its low points. The high points for me are
"Psychotic Precision" and "Frantic Disembowelment".
Pure Cannibal Corpse speed and chaos. A slow song that has
their style but not their speed or chaos would be "Festering In
The Crypt" and "Nothing Left to Mutilate".
The song that angered me the most is "Decency Defied".
It's basically "Sentenced To Burn" with different
vocals. The worst part about the song is that everyone on the planet
knows that this will be the song they make a music video for to be played
on the festering ass waste known as MTV. This is another
"testing" album for them so I put this album as average for Cannibal
Corpse and better than average for the death metal world.
Song summaries include...
- Severed Head Stoning - Once
again right out of the gate to set the tone, a catchy tune with fast
vocals and faster drumming. Pretty standard, however, in terms
of riffs, but the best part is that it's short and to the point.
B+
- Psychotic Precision - Were
you paying attention to that? I hope you were. THAT'S A CANNIBAL
CORPSE INTRO I'VE COME TO KNOW AND LOVE! Fast, chaotic lows,
highs, harmonics, tempo changes, oh yeah! And they do it again
just for fun! Best song on the album. A+
- Decency Defied - Ever heard
the song Sentenced To Burn? If you have then you can skip
this one because it's about the same damn thing. Pretty much
straight forward except for the solo. No harmonics. It's a
song you can listen to as background noise while you vacuum the rug or
change your oil. D-
- Frantic Disembowelment - It's
fast, with lots of guitars in the forefront. It isn't as chaotic
as Psychotic Precision, but it has some guitar/bass parts that
are definitely going to stump some people. At some point around
1:30 they throw a guitar part that's is just nasty. A
- The Wretched Spawn - When I
think of a slow song by Cannibal Corpse, this is what I think
of. Well, the intro riff anyway. The chorus riff is a
little weak, but not that bad. Has some harmonics. I'm
reminded a little of "From Skin To Liquid" in some
parts (zombies dragging axes down a paved road kind of thing).
There is some speed in the song but it comes at the end and it's not
that impressive. B-
- Cyanide Assassin - Fast song
with the guitarist doing what they do best. Making a colorful
mess. Everything is pretty standard until :35 seconds in.
Then there's new hammer ons and pull offs like in Perverse
Suffering (if you've seen the DVD, that's what Pat is doing on his
B.C. Rich 7-string), but other than that and the solo, it's a typical Cannibal
Corpse song. B
- Festering In The Crypt - Slow
song. You can really hear what a Bb on a 7-sting sounds
like. Good tone and guttural, however, the speed doesn't pick up
and the drums and bass reflect the slow style. No Harmonics as
well. Gets a little faster at 2:30, but by now it's too
late. Great tone, but not the Cannibal Corpse we've come
to know and love. C-
- Nothing Left To Mutilate -
This is another one of those songs that annoys me. It's fast but
straightforward. And in the chorus they did something that I
never thought they would ever do. If you listen carefully, the
double bass is in sync with the guitars when they "triple
pick." That ladies and gentleman is a Chimaira, Fear
Factory, Metallica trick a.k.a. a "nu metal" move
that usually involves triggers. I never thought Cannibal
Corpse would ever do something like that. For the bands
mentioned above that would be acceptable. But for Cannibal
Corpse, that's a step in the wrong direction and a step down in
their music quality. FOR SHAME! D-
- Blunt Force Castration - As
soon as I saw the title, I had to hear the song. And thank god I
did. This song is more to my liking. Chaos, tempo changes,
good drumming, and for once not about violating women. This song
almost takes a hardcore style to it later on. After the solo
(around 1:53), comes a hellish open Bb chord. Then a little
buildup, then right into a riff that is half death metal, half
hardcore. In other words, the notes are death metal, but the
drums in conjunction with the guitars, creates almost a breakdown
situation that you can nod your head and punch things at the same
time. T hey were on to something here. However, it goes back to
chaos at 2:30. A-
- Rotten Body Landslide - Same
good old Cannibal Corpse style for the first that we've come to
know and love (with all the trimmings), but once again around 1:35
there is a breakdown in speed drumming a little hardcore flare.
And it happens again. This really enhances the song. Not
only that, but it gets even slower and goes down to, dare I say it,
one snare hit per measure? This may be the wave of the
future. I'm calling it now. It shall be dubbed
HARDDEATH. Most Cannibal Corpse fans will not like this
one, but I do so piss off. B+
- Slain - By now it's old
hat. You might want to skip this one because it sounds like
every other death metal song done by them with just different
words. C-
- Bent Backwards And Broken - I
think I heard this song already on this album. If not then I
just think I did. BORING! C
- They Deserve To Die - The
intro is not that great, but as the song gets rolling, there are some
harmonics and chaos that are thrown into the mix. What are these
chaotic moments? How about this? A bass solo at 1:29 (give
or take)? And then the guitars follow Sir Webster bass
precision. And then, oh hell, let's get back into a riff that
most people in the world can't play. The song is good but a
little long-winded. B+
Skin Splitter's Rating: C-
Also be sure to read:
Cannibal
Corpse - The Bleeding by Skin Splitter
Cannibal
Corpse - Bloodthirst by Skin Splitter
Cannibal
Corpse - Gallery Of Suicide by Skin Splitter
Cannibal
Corpse - Live Cannibalism by Uncle Meat
Cannibal
Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated by Skin Splitter
Discography (last updated 10.22.05):
Eaten Back To Life - 1990
Butchered At Birth - 1991
Tomb Of The Mutilated
- 1992
Hammer Smashed Face EP - 1993
The Bleeding - 1994
Vile - 1996
Gallery Of Suicide - 1998
Bloodthirst - 1999
Live Cannibalism - 2000
Gore Obsessed - 2002
Worm Infested EP - 2002
15 Years Killing Spree box set - 2003
The Wretched Spawn - 2004
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