After releasing a slew of mediocre and bland albums in the last decade, the most popular death metal band in the world returns with Evisceration Plague. On the surface, one may find that this is the same redundant formula CANNIBAL CORPSE has been using since the early 90’s - but this latest slab has finally matched the musicianship and songwriting that hasn’t been seen since their 1998 classic, Gallery Of Suicide.
From the opening seconds of “Priests of Sodom”, Corpsegrinder’s scream shows that he certainly means business. Alex Webster is one of the few talented bass players around that doesn’t just double whatever the guitar players play, and it’s fortunate that the bass is very audible in the mix. While Paul Mazurkiewicz’s drumming is (and always has been) the weakest link of the band, he does pull off more double bass and mixes a variety of beats this time, rather than the usual mid-paced “Cannibal blast beat” throughout the entire album. “Scalding Hail” kicks in with some tasty chops reminiscent of Gallery of Suicide and the arrangements on this album seem to flow a lot smoother than previous efforts. “To Decompose” features the classic CANNIBAL feel, as well as a nice mosh pit inducing break down towards the middle of the track. Pat O’Brien’s shredding skill is showcased throughout the album, especially on “Carnivorous Swarm” - which leads to the fact that the guitar duo of Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett is nicely meshed on Evisceration Plague, as opposed to on the lackluster Kill album. The title track includes the catchy “Plague leads to death…Plague leads to death…” chant that the live crowds will eat up while Corpsegrinder pounds his fists in the air and goes into his trademark windmill headbang.
Although new and fresh ideas from CANNIBAL CORPSE are long gone, Evisceration Plague dishes out a surprisingly solid album by these veterans. CANNIBAL fans, new and old alike, should be happy with this offering. If the albums Vile and Gallery of Suicide had a baby, Evisceration Plague would be the end result. (Metal Blade Records)
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