Yep! I'm even hitting the live album. Ain't I great? This will be less of a review of the material presented and more of a story about how I came to love The Corpse. Believe it or not, this was my first Cannibal Corpse record. Actually, I'm referring to the (literal) home video version. That's right, you leaf-tailed fringehead fuckers.* I picked up a VHS copy of Live Cannibalism before hearing a note of the band's studio output (apart from the Ace Ventura soundtrack, but that was eight solar revolutions prior). Why the hell did I make such a rash, frivolous decision? Eh, a couple of reasons.
Foremost, I knew that I was on the verge of diving into extreme metal. I could just sense it. It was going to be my preferred style of muzak for a decent while, so this was a judicious investment. Reason number two? Morbid curiosity. As a kid, Cannibal Corpse spooked me a bit, and that was before I learned their lyrics/songtitles. Death metal was foreign to my ears. "How is he growling?" For all I knew, Chris Barnes was a veritable, unvarnished demon. I read that there had been a singer switch, but my eagerness to demystify these musical monsters remained steadfast.
The back of the box was goddamn intimidating. A bloody font, a plain black background, the words "Stripped, Raped and Strangled" staring at me...I was fourteen, but I suddenly felt nine. What if Mom and Dad see this? Will I be grounded? SODOMIZED? Anyway, I eventually watched the tape. It wasn't shocking or deplorable at all. It was badass! If you own this fine product, you know it starts with Alex Webster delineating his (and by extension, their) daily schedule. Y'know, life on tour. Alex is such a nice, conspicuously normal guy, it was a jolly jolt to my system. I don't know if that makes sense, but once my guard was down (so to speak), I was able to loosen up and appreciate CC's masterful performance.
And I do mean masterful. There is a rectitude, a well-schooled professionalism to the group's stage activity. Perhaps it's derived from road-weariness. They are intense and workmanlike. Corpsegrinder announces the next number (via his infernal gnarl), the number is played (this includes bionic headbanging), and after slippery seconds of repose, the cycle is repeated. Banter is kept to a minimum. This is a "meat and potatoes" death metal show, which could be perceived as a slight. It's not! I promise! You will want to be at this gig.
I've already said that I wasn't going to prioritize critiquing the songs. I mean, why bother? I will tell you that this motherfucker sounds brutal. The audio-only rendering (it was released on something called a compact disc) is missing "Devoured by Vermin" and "Fucked With a Knife," though you get the same mix. Each instrument is at the right volume. Setlist complaints? I don't have many, seeing as how I wasn't familiar with CC's "hits" when I discovered this artifice, let alone their hidden gems. Live Cannibalism leans on meaty cuts from Bloodthirst, their most recent album at the time. Fine by me!
* That was a lizard reference. Listen, I don't know why I researched different species of lizards. Okay? I don't visit your workplace and question your burger-flipping methods. That may seem like a parting shot, but I respect our nation's burger flippers. You're doing God's work, especially if you work at Wendy's.
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