Infamous New York death metal legends Cannibal Corpse are set to unleash their twelfth studio album, the straightforwardly-entitled Torture, unto the world, via Metal Blade records on March 13th in the United States. The follow-up to 2009's Evisceration Plague once again sees Hate Eternal's Erik Rutan as producer, continuing a solid partnership that began with the brilliant album Kill back in 2006.
Demented Album Openers
As an appetizer, Cannibal Corpse have made the first track from the album, "Demented Aggression," available for streaming. There is no subtlety, build-up, or warning for what is to come on Torture. The song, and the album, start with a ferocious blast of cymbals and vicious riffing before pick scrapes rush us into the music.
For those wanting classic Corpse, this song has what they're looking for. George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher spits out the lyrics at an indecipherable pace before screaming the song's title as though he's on the receiving end of some hideous maltreatment himself. There is a brief, slightly groovy passage of music (reminiscent of "Make Them Suffer") before the track switches back into the brutal assault of Pat O'Brien and Rob Barrett's guitar work and Fisher growling out "I don't think you'll live." A fair assessment.
Entertaining as "Demented Aggression" is, it could have been just yet another Cannibal Corpse track, if not for the blast of guitar solo in the final third of the song. It's messy, all over the place and lacking any touch of finesse or refinement. Perfectly Cannibal Corpse.
The solo gives way to the final act, as music and vocals come together to create a frenzied crescendo before "Demented Aggression" comes to its explosive end. It's just the appetizer, though; there are 11 tracks of Torture still to come.
Thoughts on Torture
Given what they do, there's never any question as to whether Cannibal Corpse have still "got it". "Demented Aggression" won't see them break out of their niche, but the music is still solid, heavy and precise. Erik Rutan continues his flawless production history with the band, giving the song (and presumably the album) a thick, muscular feel that is the perfect complement to the unrelenting blast of metal that Cannibal Corpse has made their own.
The Face of Torture
As a side note, the cover to Torture is certainly more interesting than what we got with Evisceration Plague three years ago: a half-skeletal figure with an autopsy Y-shaped incision pattern looks through what appears to be a hole in human viscera, within which are trapped human heads and a full humanoid figure. It's pleasing to note that Cannibal Corpse seem to eschewing the blatant gore of their previous album covers and have been going for something more artistic and thought-provoking in their recent effects.
March 13th, 2012
Similarly, the music, while losing none of the carnage and extremeness that have come to define Cannibal Corpse, has become sharper, more focused and precise. "Demented Aggression" is a good example of the band's mastery of modern death metal and sets a gory template for the Torture that is to come.
Michael Perera - The only rule in writing is honesty. If you're honest, the words will write themselves.
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