Review by Death8699 on October 31, 2019.

This is vintage Napalm Death at their absolute finest. What an intense and insane musical noise terror. "Barney" on vocals coming from Benediction, Shane on bass from Unseen Terror, Jesse via Terrorizer, Mick Harris (who discovered N/D in 1985 at a local pub) and Mitch Harris from Righteous Pigs. All-star cast and intense death/grind genres. The band has changed too much from what they originally started as a grindcore act. With Mick behind the set and "Barney" featuring more death metal-oriented vocals (also different from nowadays). The band plays 20+ songs on this monumental live concoction. It is really entertaining and well played out the whole way through.

Intensity and love for the extreme music, Napalm Death just kills here. Too bad that Mick left the band back in 1991--they've not been the same without him. I'm not really sure why he left either he only owns a pair of drumsticks now doesn't even play the drums anymore. Mick and Mitch had a falling out some time ago, they had their act called Defecation way back in the early 90's. I suppose Mick just stopped liking the extreme music, Harmony Corruption I think would be their best album ever. What's played on here i.e. Live Corruption is a combination of songs from Scum, From Enslavement To Obliteration, The Peel Sessions and Harmony Corruption.

Really I need to re-order the actual DVD of this live album because the intensity is so there. These guys know how to give an awesome show back then and I think still put on a good live show even though Jesse died, and Mick is gone. Danny could never live up to Mick's talents behind the set, but at least the band is still active. They formed way in the early 80's, 1981 I think. Their lyrical topics are taken from heavy political standpoints and society. They sing about things that I think people can really relate to. I don't agree with everything that they right about, but I still think that they really put a lot of thought and time into what they choose to write about.

This live video with them at their peak is played with utmost precision. I especially like the newer tracks like "Malicious Intent", "If The Truth Be Known" and "Suffer The Children." That doesn't at all mean that I dislike their earlier stuff. It's actually played on here very well by Mitch and Jesse dishing out the grind riffs and a live production sound that's super high-end quality. "Barney" is at his finest, he changed his vocal style on the newer outputs. I'd rather stick with the past work with him especially on Harmony Corruption and Utopia Banished. They should've stayed death/grind but decided the path that they did and are still high end intensity on newer live shows.

I think that they really lost their spirit nowadays with newer albums. Again, the music here is just brutal with riffs that are blazingly fast. Mick played a role in getting them to play at their peak with their intensity. Simply amazing. His blast beating has become an interest and influence on newer death/grind bands like Nausea, et al. He really had that super intensity that was unequivocal. "Barney" is totally "chuffed" in terms of dishing out the death metal style of vocals. Amazing that the whole band came together and just annihilated the spectators. I wished that I could've seen them on Harmony Corruption tour with Mick in the band. But he had left and never got to see him live unfortunately.

This whole output is simply extreme noise terror, even the founder of Earache records who knew the band when they had just formed in the early 80's would agree. I don't think that there are any songs on here that I don't like. Some are like 5 seconds long like "Dead" as an example. But yeah, these guys would probably be more likeable if they kept at the death/grind they were so good at. Some other good songs that were newer at the time were also admirable like "Mindsnare" and "Extremity Retained." All songs were played with precision and each band member gave a little commentary on politics, musical interests (mellow to extreme) and overall it was an outstanding performance.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Yener on May 13, 2019.

It’s a wonder how I haven’t reviewed this album yet as it’s not only legendary, but also something that I practically grew up with.

You see, Cenotaph are from Turkey. They’re from Ankara, and I’m from Istanbul, but the studio that this was recorded at is in Istanbul, and my band used to rehearse there as well. When this first came out, it was monumental, because the amount of brutal death metal bands in Turkey at that time were about zero.

And at first, even I was skeptical. How good could they be? These were the years when I was basically living off Cryptopsy and having Nile for breakfast. I was deep into the technical side of things back then (kind of still am) and I didn’t think these home-grown boys could manage to hold their own with the best of them.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

The album starts off with quite a bang. The first song, the title of which I am too lazy to write here, grooves, grinds and just pulverizes you. One of the first things to note is the sound - I am still actually kind of amazed that they were able to record this this well. Everything sounds excellent, and even with so much going on guitar and drum wise, everything is loud and clear. And the vocals. The vocals are fucking crazy. Batu is a legend in his own right - he’s the only original member of the band left at this point - but through thick and thin, he has always dug down deep and kept Cenoptah going. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can never take that away from them. 

If I’m being completely honest, the last three tracks on here are my favorites. Especially when “Verbalized Opinions...” kicks in. Just batshit craziness from start to finish, this is one of the best tracks on here, hands down. The “hit” from the album, I’d say. Crazy guitar work, even crazier vocals, and outstanding drumming. Speaking of the drumming, I am so so happy to report that the drumming here is very creative, and not just your typical “let’s just blast through this entire section who gives a fuck” nonsense. The drum patterns are carefully thought out, compliment the vocals and guitars very well. Honestly, it’s a pleasure to listen to. While not on the level of say, Flo Mounier or anything like that, it doesn’t have to be. The creativeness of the drum parts is really special on this record. 

The songs have more of an experimental feel to them, I mean there are a lot of things you’ll encounter that you just weren’t expecting. Songs twist and turn like eels. The guitar changes are real, they don’t fuck around at all. This album manages to keep you on your toes at all times. 

“Sickened by His Own Pathologic Fancy of Collecting Ingots of Humanial Meat” has got to have one of the best middle sections of any death metal song, period. At 1:30 shit really hits the fan, the riffing, drumming, and absolutely insane vocals will leave you gasping for air. And the band actually do take it down a notch after a while, only to come back even fiercer and more brutal, finishing the song in one of the most punishing way imaginable. Just absolutely incredible and awesome song writing, the likes of which I am starting to miss in today’s metal.

To conclude, I would say definitely check this out. This is basically the Turkish version of "None So Vile" - it’s that good. 

I also have to give a major shout out to Hammer Muzik who funded and released this back in the day on their own label. Hammer Muzik was, and still is, the metal record store in Istanbul. Whenever you walk in, still to this day, there is all sorts of filth blasting out of the store’s speakers. Absolutely legendary place which has been very monumental to the metal scene over here, so it's only natural that these were the guys that released this. And thank fuck they did.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10