Dedicated fans recognize the above piece of artwork as the censored cover of Gallery of Suicide, Cannibal Corpse's sixth long player. Why didn't I use the uncensored version? Eh, I like this one better. It's kool and kreepy. With a "k," so you know it's legit! As I make my way through this gangling, hematic discography, I'm beginning to view Vile as an outlier. It's almost as if it doesn't belong to the band's classic, banned-in-Germany era or the modern, Corpsegrinder-shopping-at-Target era. Because it doesn't. It was a stage of metastasis. It was an airport! Y'know, a point of transition where you are sent hurdling to your destination, your next...um, death metal record.
Gallery is a mixed bag and my feelings reflect that heterogeneity. Certain tracks accelerate my blood pressure; others devitalize my already inert pulse. I'm headbanging one minute, then sitting surfeited and spiritless the next. I'm also cussing because I hurt my neck (always stretch before attending a metal show, even if it's held in your bedroom). None of the songs are awful. However, there are various moments that fall short for me, whether it's an arrangement that doesn't seem to be explored to its fullest (see "Sentenced to Burn," which I'll dissect later) or a vocal choice that strikes me as odd (the high-pitched shrieks that begin "Blood Drenched Execution").
All in all, the boys have dialed back the technicality. Just a smidgen! The rhythms are jagged and asperous when the riffs call for it, but there are numerous instances of Paul bashing the fuck out of his snare without a care in the world. It's beautiful. "Sentenced to Burn" is a ducky example of this caveman approach. It was chosen for the lead single, and at first, I wasn't digging it. It was too simple. I saw it as a trial run for "Decency Defied," a Jack Owen slugger that wouldn't rear its monstrous head until 2004. Whatever. In the present day, I would grade it as above average. I still think it could have been fleshed out, if you'll pardon the mortifying pun.
Earlier, I implied that Gallery ushered in a new chapter for Styx. While I wouldn't claim that Journey (wait, I mean Styx...wait!) switched on cruise control, it's clear that they found a comfortable sound that suited their talents. George, in particular, locked onto a tone that he has been using ever since. I suppose that an annex of fans turns their collective snout up at these strides, but it's not a lack of progress. Do you know how fucking hard it is for an extreme metal vocalist to keep his/her chords limber and healthy well into a fourth decade on Earth? It's really, really fucking hard. Here, The Neck's growls are dependably brutal and his range is insane. I'll go a little more in-depth on his screams on a future edition of the Dead Review Collection.
My favorite cuts are "I Will Kill You," "Disposal of the Body," the title track, "Unite the Dead," "Chambers of Blood," and "Every Bone Broken." The riffs are unholy. If they were people, they would be wanted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Or arson of public buildings. Maybe larceny? You get my point. The mediocre conjurations are at least heavy. That's a given, I guess. I can't even pinpoint why the lesser tunes are lesser. The punches don't connect, so yes, I caution you to...ask a sharpened writer. I have dulled. I am discerning enough to tell you that Gallery of Suicide is somewhere in the middle of the stack.
Three ellipses? My days are numbered.
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