Review by Krys on February 22, 2002.

This is getting ridiculous. How, out of 11 tracks, do I get to review the album based on 3 full-length songs from which one barely hits a 2-minute mark (the remainding 8 fade out after 1 minute)? Well, maybe I wouldn’t be so pissed if the best stuff didn’t actually start after first 3 songs.

Let’s back it up a little. Opener ‘Hatchet To The Head’ opens with such aggression that only Cannibals and a handful of today’s bands can pull off and while I didn’t expect drastic changes I hoped for a little more innovation in song structures after their latest more or less average releases. Surprisingly enough I didn’t have to wait long to change my mind and with ‘Pit Of Zombies’ the Cannibals proved the Corpse is not rotten yet and there are plenty of fresh ideas for crunchy riffs and dynamic rhythms left in them.

In case you forget what these guys are all about, ‘Dormant Bodies Bursting’ kicks in with crushing blast beats and twisted riffs mixed with a slower middle part where George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher growls and screams his balls off to pit-friendly guitar work.

I guess I should end this right here because we don’t review 1 min. samples but what I’ve heard is so thrilling and incomparable to their previous work that I would be committing a sin not giving you at least a glimpse of what’s to come. While it might sound a little strange, Cannibal Corpse feels a little more accessible to the listener and while it’s not melodic death and speed is still the main component, most of the tracks seem to be very well balanced between gore-filled onslaughts and slower groove sections. While ‘Hung and Bled’ must be one of the best songs they’ve ever written, ‘When Death Replaces Life’ marks first Cannibal’s ‘ballad’. That’s of course based on 1-min. samples so I’d better shut up before I say something I might regret later on.

Bottom Line: Definitely the best Cannibal Corpse album in years and while “Gore Obsessed” doesn’t bring anything new, aggression and a will to destroy seemed to find its way back to what looked like slowly degenerating corpse.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Ves on May 31, 2023.

The French black metal scene often gets a lot of love from enthusiasts of the genre, and for good reason. Over the years, and especially in the 21st century, the French have given us some of the most important black metal albums since the demise of the 2nd wave, if not of all time. One can go naming bands of various flavours of black metal, from the evil and demonic members of Les Legiones Noire, to the avant-garde titans such as Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord, there is something for every occasion. This also includes more modern takes on the genre, with elements of other musical styles creeping in through the atmosphere or riffage, while still maintaining the harshness and edge of black metal.

The topic of today's review is Aodon's 3rd album, Portraits, coming 3 years after their sophomore, 11069, released in 2020. The label people usually attach to Aodon is atmospheric black metal which is, in my opinion, too restrictive for the versatility at display within strong>Portraits. From your typical tremolo riffs over blast beats with reverb-soaked melodies on top, to moody melodic passages, the band definitely includes all the hallmarks of atmospheric black metal. However, it is the moments when they stray away from this formula where some of the most interesting ideas on the album surface. The breakdown halfway through the second track, 'Egon', screams with a post-rock attitude before evolving into a short tremolo passage. The chuggy gallops on 'Mayerson' have a lot more meat in their tone and groove than your typical atmo-black bridge would, and the dark clean intro on 'Andreas' may have a cliche feel but sets the tone of the track perfectly. The sombre bridge on 'Liza' gives you just enough breathing room between two barrages of ruthless double bass and thick tremolo riffs with a simple melody holding the top end in the background. The riffs on 'Inaki' are exactly what I would want a band with post and black metal influences to write, driving a steady groove without compromising on the atmosphere.
The album has an overarching concept where each track bears the name of a person who was guided towards their fall by a different element: misery, ego, addiction, belief, violence, obedience, abuse, destruction, or love. The lyrics take us on this journey, painting each of their destinies beautifully, with all the rage, hostility but also vulnerability one would look for in such a work of art.

For anyone who likes losing themself in immersive atmospheric pieces, I would highly recommend giving Portraits a listen. With the right balance of a contemporary sound and traditional atmospheric black metal elements, it is easily one of the better offerings of the genre today.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Ves on May 31, 2023.

The French black metal scene often gets a lot of love from enthusiasts of the genre, and for good reason. Over the years, and especially in the 21st century, the French have given us some of the most important black metal albums since the demise of the 2nd wave, if not of all time. One can go naming bands of various flavours of black metal, from the evil and demonic members of Les Legiones Noire, to the avant-garde titans such as Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord, there is something for every occasion. This also includes more modern takes on the genre, with elements of other musical styles creeping in through the atmosphere or riffage, while still maintaining the harshness and edge of black metal.

The topic of today's review is Aodon's 3rd album, Portraits, coming 3 years after their sophomore, 11069, released in 2020. The label people usually attach to Aodon is atmospheric black metal which is, in my opinion, too restrictive for the versatility at display within strong>Portraits. From your typical tremolo riffs over blast beats with reverb-soaked melodies on top, to moody melodic passages, the band definitely includes all the hallmarks of atmospheric black metal. However, it is the moments when they stray away from this formula where some of the most interesting ideas on the album surface. The breakdown halfway through the second track, 'Egon', screams with a post-rock attitude before evolving into a short tremolo passage. The chuggy gallops on 'Mayerson' have a lot more meat in their tone and groove than your typical atmo-black bridge would, and the dark clean intro on 'Andreas' may have a cliche feel but sets the tone of the track perfectly. The sombre bridge on 'Liza' gives you just enough breathing room between two barrages of ruthless double bass and thick tremolo riffs with a simple melody holding the top end in the background. The riffs on 'Inaki' are exactly what I would want a band with post and black metal influences to write, driving a steady groove without compromising on the atmosphere.
The album has an overarching concept where each track bears the name of a person who was guided towards their fall by a different element: misery, ego, addiction, belief, violence, obedience, abuse, destruction, or love. The lyrics take us on this journey, painting each of their destinies beautifully, with all the rage, hostility but also vulnerability one would look for in such a work of art.

For anyone who likes losing themself in immersive atmospheric pieces, I would highly recommend giving Portraits a listen. With the right balance of a contemporary sound and traditional atmospheric black metal elements, it is easily one of the better offerings of the genre today.

Rating: 9 out of 10