Well, the time has finally come. I can't put it off any longer. I need to review Chaos Horrific, the new(est) album by Cannibal Corpse. I haven't been looking forward to writing this invective for various reasons. For starters, I don't have many positive things to say about this batch of songs. I mean, I do, but I don't. Hmm...I feel like the best qualities that make up Chaos Horrific are things that can be said about the band as a collective whole, as opposed to traits that are unique to these specific compositions. The fact that they are still brutal at their advanced age is commendable. I suppose I should be thankful that they haven't pulled a Morbid Angel with their latest release, taking a brusque left turn into alternative waters.
But is that enough? Shouldn't the new Cannibal Corpse record grab me by the throat and violate me in unspeakably egregious ways? 2021's Violence Unimagined did just that. This line-up has had time to congeal, so you'd think that uniformity would show in the songwriting department. Let me cut right to the chase. The only aspect of Chaos Horrific that surpassed my expectations would be the lead guitar work. To be plainspoken, the fiendish tandem of Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan deserves all the (dead) flowers in the universe. The guitar solos kill! I love the crooked harmonies, the sophisticated note choices, and just the overall "vibe" of what these guys are laying down.
There are other things I dig. The demented circus melody of "Vengeful Invasion." The manic drum fills on "Fracture and Refracture." George's vocal patterns on...well, the whole album. So what's my issue? Setting the lead breaks aside, there is a prevailing sense of sameness across the ten tracks on display. Honestly, the riffs sound tired. I would never accuse these fine gentleman of mailing it in or going through the motions, but you could hardly blame them for simply running out of ideas. This is their seventeenth full-length offering, after all. And of course, this is only my puny opinion. Before I backtalk too much, I can't apologize for not absolutely loving everything that my favorite extreme metal band does.
I will say, I'm a fan of "Summoned for Sacrifice" and "Pestilential Rictus." "Blood Blind" wouldn't be my pick for the lead single, but it does carry a badass groove. Kudos to Paul Mazurkiewicz for knowing when to pull back and when to launch into a malicious blasting section. For that matter, everyone knows how to play their role. While I may not be overly enthused with Chaos Horrific, I can vouch for the new material in a live setting. That's just my way of bragging that I've seen Cannibal Corpse three times now. Touch me!
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