Music Review: Cannibal Corpse - Torture

With Cannibal Corpse, what you see is what you get. When it comes to these behemoth's of crushing death metal, there is no subtlety and zero subtext to their music. I only had my official introduction to them with their last album, Evisceration Plague, and I am wondering just what I can say about them that hasn't already been said. Seriously, when you pick up Torture, you have to know what you are getting yourself into.



They have essentially made a career out of staying the course. They don't stray far from the path. In many ways they are a lot like Slayer, in that they remain consistent as clockwork in their approach. So, if you are looking for something new and groundbreaking you had better go elsewhere. However, if you want a dose of brutal death metal delivered by those with intimate knowledge, this is for you.

Cannibal Corpse are past their era of boundary pushing innovation has passed, but they are still a steadfast and enduring piece of the death metal landscape. They are the ongoing baseline to show you what death metal is, what it can be, and at it most raw what it can sound like. Torture is a straight up brutalizing excursion into the basest of what the genre has to offer and a great example of why Cannibal Corpse are so revered and why they are still a relevant cog in the world of death. The former poster children for the cause of societal decay, Cannibal Corpse is still alive and doing what they do best.

Tortured opens with "Demented Aggression," and never looks back. Fast, aggressive, and delivered with vocals that would cause the normal person to split up blood. They continue tearing it up through such tracks as "Encased in Concrete," "As Deep as the Knife Will Go," and "Caged and Contorted."

There is an almost mesmerizing quality to the music. In some cases a consistent pace or style will become boring, but in others it only draws you in further. Cannibal Corpse is one of those bands that has the better effect of drawing you in. I cannot quite put my finger on why this is the case, but it is. Perhaps it is the sound of George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's voice that leads you along, or the incessant surge of drums, maybe even the immediate grind of the guitar. More likely the answer is all of the above.

There is a strong level of musicianship on display throughout. The riffs are heavy, fast, and leave my face bruised from the experience. There are a few nice solos strewn throughout, and even a good sense of groove to keep me surging along with the music. Although, I have to admit to being most taken with the bass playing, there is some real standout playing here. All too often the bass gets lost in the mix, but here Alex Webster delivers a standout performance, for one keeping pace with the guitars, but also stepping to the forefront with some great lines.

Overall, you should know what to expect, but if not, this is another solid release from one of the steadiest examples of pure brutal death you are likely to find. No frills, just straight up death metal.

Recommended.