Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Cannibal Corpse's Newest Album Is Torture



Cannibal Corpse - Torture

The other night I was out enjoying a few adult beverages and generally having a great time when I suddenly felt that urge that we all have, the one to expel some fluid as soon as humanly possible. And when I approached the urinal and laid waste to the cake that quietly slept in its porcelain sarcophagus I felt a sense of extreme relief and satisfaction, one that can only be felt in that exact moment. But I began to think, is there any music that might get close to that sensation, one that makes you sigh and think, “Man that was amaaaaaaazing!”…………



Lo and behold, what was in my inbox but the newest long player from death metal legends and originators Cannibal Corpse! The 12th full length in CC’s long and hall of fame worthy career might just be that feeling of relief that I am after. The spleen splattering hatred of “Encased in Concrete” is exactly what we expect from CC, a brutalistic (yea that’s a word) symphony of pure anger. “As Deep As The Knife Will Go” is sure to be a crowd favorite at shows, from the very beginning it is trying to shove a shank through your solar plexus. The chorus will have the entire crowd banging their heads and when the solo kicks in towards the end of the song the pit is destined to be full of rage that only a reindeer in heat could imagine. The riffs on “Scourge of Iron” are a little too basic for the brand of death metal that we are used to from these wily vets. The plodding nature is very reminiscent of “Evisceration Plague” without the sense of dread that song evoked. This was one of the only low points of the album as the majority had CC’s characteristic pummeling nature, pinecone gargling vocals, and heavy as an elephants balls rhythms. Cannibal Corpse has put out another good album to add to their arsenal of debauchery. While nothing extremely different from what they have released in the past few years, it is definitely a satisfying collection of music that is very close to that urinary culmination.

Struck By Lightning Get Crusty


Combining the likes of metal and hardcore in the 80s was something revolutionary; it fused the ferocious anger of every day thugs in hardcore with the intricacies and brutality of those in the metal sphere. As time moved on, this “metalcore” became a fad that turned metal into a joke and made it very easy for crappy bands to become very popular very quickly. Nowadays there is a bit of a resurgence of combing hardcore and metal into something more crusty, something filthy that goads the listener into behaving in a primal way that equates to man wanting nothing more than food, fire, and fornication. Black Breath, Kvelertak, and Cancer Bats have all used this equation to create something beautifully grimy and now Ohioan sludger-mongers Struck By Lighting have come out with their sophomore outing Predation. The album is a fun filled romp of sludge/hardcore/death metal that will easily appeal to fans across any subgenre. The album is streaming in full HERE  at Brooklyn Vegan and is out now on Translation Lost. If your work day is dragging a little bit, make sure you listen to this now for that 2:30 feeling the commercials have been telling us so much about.


Friday, April 13, 2012

A View From The Pit: Black Dahlia Murder, Nile, Skeletonwitch, Hour Of Penance

Here we are, another Monday night show that comes on the heels of a solid sow the previous night. A week before was Onslaught following Deicide, this week its Black Dahlia Murder and guests following Dying Fetus, 3 Inches of Blood, and seemingly 100 other bands. Now I did not go to either of the Sunday shows but as I was driving to the venue I was hoping more people show up to this Monday show than the previous one. Onlsaught was playing their very first US date in the United States and the venue was empty, by the end of the night there was maybe 200 heshers there. When I walked around the corner from the parking lot this time my fears were quickly laid to rest as the line was around the corner. I hadn't seen a lineup this long to get in to a show at El Corazon in a very long time.