Review by Jeger on July 23, 2024.

I remember the days when Cannibal Corpse were a lot more than the commercial death metal powerhouse that they are today. The artwork, the aggression, the lyrics and Barnes - a repulsive cocktail of volatile poison to the average American household. And the kids were all over it… Chuck and Death had led the way with their debut record and before we all knew to look over our shoulders, from out of Buffalo, New York and down to Tampa, Florida, Cannibal made their way, and the world of death metal has never been the same. No one was prepared for these dudes and never before had such grisly music been unleashed on American soil. Their debut, “Eaten Back to Life” and 1991’s “Butchered At Birth” - downright absurd in their flagrance and neither pastors, parents nor therapists could quite wrap their heads around them. Cannibal Corpse were the epitome of everything that extreme metal was meant to be.

True death metal was destroyed at the turn of the millennium. It gained popularity once people began to understand that it was nothing more than a sonic horror flick. Shock value? Gone and I believe that as a result, more and more bands began to realize that they’d better get to innovating before the trend died. Subsequently, outfits like the aforementioned Death and Monstrosity began to experiment; carrying the music over technicality’s threshold into and onward toward genre revolution. Cannibal Corpse? Well, they just sat back and held down the fort; unwavering in their mission to create only the most violent and depraved death metal. Sure, the thrill of the kill has faded into mere entertainment value for horror buffs and riff junkies, but the spirit and energy have always been there as Cannibal have so valiantly stayed true to what they’ve always done.

Now, death metal has become something rather silly thanks to bands like Cattle Decapitation whose idea of DM is a modern day abomination. AI cover art, sanitized production and overwhelming percussion. Not to mention carbon-fiber tech bands like Archspire whose main ambitions revolve around creating death metal to impress other musicians as opposed to bringing the old-fashioned carnage. But alas, Cannibal Corpse are having none of it as usual. On September 22, CC released their latest effort, “Chaos Horrific” via Metal Blade.

Scarce are the telltale chops and grinds that have so defined Cannibal Corpse’s style over the decades. With “Chaos Horrific”, the band are drawing blood with a bit more ease as opposed to the usual frantic disembowelment. Fluid progressions, swifter tempos and a rejuvenated approach to soloing have made for a more unique experience than what we’ve come to know. Tracks like “Overlords of Violence” and “Frenzied Feeding” channel old-school Sepultura and herald Kreator’s debut “Pleasure to Kill” with thrash-hearty riffs and flesh-blistering leads. So much more life to this album, nothing forced or vulgarly misplaced. Cannibal Corpse are quite simply in the zone on this one. Taking it easy as it were… The approach toward percussion a martial one and it’s a guitar-driven affair from beginning to end. Tried and true songwriting methods, fundamentally sound and epic yet simple in regard to its segmented compositions - an album for one who’s taken aback more by class than brutality alone. Finally, a new Cannibal Corpse record that testifies to the band’s long and deep-running understanding of what traditional cranium-splattering death metal should sound like. A little something to bang your sick heads to.

“Chaos Horrific’s” high water mark is undoubtedly the titular cut. Midway through the album, you’ll experience Cannibal Corpse at what I feel is a newfound apex. A little finesse and a lot of speed, a respectable level of catchiness and predictable but in no way boring - one of this legendary band’s finest album contributions. Cannibal Corpse have loosened the old belt a bit and much of “Chaos Horrific” feels like a loose studio session; “Entombed “Wolverines Blues” level jam and disregard for technicality. It feels almost as if CC had a lot more fun this time around. Something had to be done. Another album like “Violence Unimagined” would’ve been an exercise in redundancy. Cannibal Corpse are proving that there’s still some gas in the tank and I feel that it’s of the utmost importance for them to adhere to what they did here. A nice change of scenery from the typical “let’s try to create the most brutal album ever” type of American death metal recording.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Michael on August 23, 2023.

Only two years after Violence Unimagined guys from Cannibal Corpse are going to release their 25th studio album Chaos Horrific. I guess they used the Covid-19 lockdown times very productively, otherwise I cannot explain the short time period between the two albums. For me Violence Unimagined was a quite okayish Cannibal Corpse release, I feel very different about Chaos Horrific.

Starting with a casual The Bleeding - in memoriam bass riff, 'Overlords Of Violence' (damn, the title reminds me of an old Playstation game) goes into a very interesting direction. Although the song sounds pretty much like a "normal" Cannibal Corpse song, it has some nuances that make the song a very catchy and with a few other ones the most accessible song on the album. The guitar solos are pretty sick and the whole thing is a high speed neck breaking trip that leaves no room to breathe. That's a very good start for sure. With 'Summoned For Sacrifice' the band has released their second single a few days ago and this one may be the most outstanding and catchiest song on the album. The lyrics are pretty sick and Corpsegrinder's vocals sound as malevolent as possible. The song is a pretty much a mid-tempo stomper, only here and there the Floridians increase the tempo to severe some body parts. 'Blood Blind' starts with some slow lava-flowing Morbid Angel-like riffing (not the only parts where you can clearly recognize Erik Rutans influence on the song writing) but soon turns into a slow galloping avalanche of massive death metal riffs. That's a pretty simplistic but brutal track. But as I mentioned before not all songs make it that easy. Let's take the title track as a very good example. The beat of the song is very confusing and the term "chaos" matches pretty good to the song. Okay, not right from the start but when the vocals start Paul Mazurkiewicz's drumming sounds very unusual and very technical. Same goes to the sick guitar solo which again reminds of Morbid Angel or early Hate Eternal. But there are also some really typical CC songs to find here like 'Pitchfork Impalement' (hell yeah, the fall and the harvest will come soon!) or 'Vengeful Invasion'. Oh, and with 'Pestilential Rictus' they do have written a very punkish one with some fantastic thrash borrowings, too. Just check the song structure and you will know what I mean.

There are a lot of cool surprises in the songs. In comparison to its predecessor, the songwriting is much more diverse and this is the reason why in my humble opinion this might be one of the three best Cannibal Corpse albums in their discography. The band hasn't focused that much on brutality and technicality this time but more on variety and joy of playing. I guess that they had a quite different approach towards the song writing this time which seems to be successful and somewhat refreshing. Also the production of Chaos Horrific is well done. The instruments sound powerful and well-balanced and the crushing vocals are brutal as hell. There were some albums that didn't sound that good in the past. If the next album will be that amazing and we just have to wait 2 more years again, I won't be sad about it!

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 9, 2023.

Welcome to the new black goat manifest where wolves of Belial howl their hymn to the firewinged one. In other words: here comes Aegrus’ fourth black metal storm over the full distance of 41 minutes. This band has been a very reliable distributor of the most infernal form of music so far and I see them in the first row of Finnish black metal, together with Behexen (will they ever return?) or Malum. Invoking The Abysmal Night is another black mass without any external influences, a pure onslaught of diabolic anthems. Do you have just the smallest instinct for aesthetics? Then have a look at the overwhelming artwork, enjoy it and understand that it does not make a promise the represented music cannot keep. Now you have the first indication concerning the enormous quality of the musical content.

Aegrus have had a knack for very attractive compositions right from the beginning. Invoking The Abysmal Night continues the tradition of absolutely gripping pieces. Once again, the band finds a nearly perfect way to present itself. The songs shine with musicality, maturity, coherence, atmosphere, aggression, high velocity, density and fervour. 'Temple Of Ardent Worship' is a piece that brings all these elements into full bloom. Some of its parts burn with apocalyptic intensity, while other sequences do not forget the melodic, immaculately flowing guitar lines. Surely, Inculta’s malignant vocals are surely not unique, but full of authentic hate and raw force. Not to mention the precise high speed drumming. Aegrus create a devilish beast that is full of energy, violence and seductive power. This track alone justifies the purchase of the album – but there are definitely more reasons to add it to your (and my) private collection. The brilliant sound is just one of them. For fans of raw black metal or lo-fi demos (trve cvlt, of course…), Aegrus may sound a bit too polished, but I like the professional mix, because it does justice to the harsh yet never barbaric approach of the Finns.

Another detail I appreciate very much is that the musicians are always able to intensify their songs in a matter of seconds without hurting the organic flow of them. 'Followers Of The False Prophets' is a very good, stomping mid-paced piece with a numinous undertone right from the start. But it gets even better after three minutes when the band accelerates the tempo. A fantastic, menacing melody line during the final 60 seconds adds the finishing touch. This great configuration is no isolated case. Aegrus always have some aces up their sleeve, but they do not put too many ideas into one song. Instead, the musicians never forget to come to the point quickly. The comparatively short 'Through Devil’s Breath' underlines this thesis – and, once again, the furious ending spreads apocalyptic vibrations. This is great and the inspiring song titles are cleverly chosen as well. No doubt, Aegrus know how to talk to their target group.

Believe me, it's really a tough job to listen to Invoking The Abysmal Night, but only if you absolutely want to find something crappy. I admit that I am not quite sure whether or not the unexpected instrumental part with this almost Testament-ballad-compatible solo in 'Nocturnal Rites Of Faust' enriches the portfolio of the guys with the luciferic-soaked souls. But the typical sequences of this track, the parts where absolutely no light shimmers through the acoustic harbinger of Armageddon make up for this. Some hellish chords, garnished with a short "Ugh", have the power to drive you mad – out of joy (if you have a good music taste) or despair (bad music taste). And so the album progresses, full of self-confidence, with maximum strength and a strange yet fascinating mixture of cruelty and dignity.

All in all, the B side is a bit more experimental than the A side. The short sequence with the solemn vocals in 'Those Who Hide From Light' plays a role in this and the closer is a typical last song that heralds the approaching end with a big portion of pretty melodic melancholy. Nevertheless, even this track holds some brute sequences. Abysses open up, but you and me know the right way, correct? However, each and every of the seven songs of this soon-to-be-classic provides irrefutable proof of the fire that blazes in the hearts of the band members. If this album doesn't convert you to the yet-to-be-founded religion called Finnish black metal, your soul is truly lost.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10