THE BEAST

Red Before Black - Cannibal Corpse.

So, it's album number 14 from the hard-hitting death metal pioneers Cannibal Corpse and once again it's what you see, is what you get, gory album covers, brutal lyrics about bloodshed, murder and full on in your face death metal.
It's hard to believe it's been 3 years since the brilliant 'A Skeletal Domain', things kick off with a pummeling start on 'Only One Will Die' Paul Mazurkiewicz with that beat blast drumming, Rob Barrett and Pat O'Brian spewing the living shit from their guitars, Alex Webster laying down that bass groove and Mr. 'Corpse grinder' Fisher growling as though his life depended on it, all coming together in that classic CC formula we've come to love over the years!
Straight into the title track a very cool guitar riff is laid down and some seriously relentless speed guitar! (Check out the video)

For me there's always been something about CC when they slow it down, a sort of death metal with a groove. Obituary are very similar when they do this too, and this shows on the mid pace of 'Firestorm Vengeance' and ' Shedding My Human Skin' both heavily groove laden before smashing you with some frantic solos.
With CC they never stray from that 90's death metal vibe they helped create, 'Heads Shoveled Off' and ' Destroyed Without Trace' take you back to the Butchered at Birth days, but the then they bring it back to present day with 'In the Midst of Ruin' and 'Scavenger Consuming Death'. With founder member Webster laying down some meaty hooks (excuse the pun) on the latter.
So, although I did get a bit of a 'best of' feel to it, it's still a good, solid CC album but it's no 'Kill' or 'Torture'.
7.5/10

Band :
Vocals... George'Corpsegrinder' Fisher,
Guitar... Pat O'Brian,
Guitar... Rob Barrett,
Bass... Alex Webster,
Drums... Paul Mazurkiewicz.
Track listing :
1... Only One Will Die,
2... Red Before Black,
3... Code Of The Slashers,
4... Shedding My Human Skin,
5... Remained,
6... Firestorm Vengeance,
7... Heads Shovelled Off,
8... Corpus Delicti,
9... Scavenger Consuming Death,
10... In The Midst Of Ruin,
11... Destroyed Without Trace,
12... Hideous Ichor.

Cliff Scowen