Imagine waking up in a puddle of blood, intestines gnawed away, and the distant sound of harrowing screams; do you think it’s a nightmare or a simple illusion of your depraved mind? Better yet, each time things change, there are pits of zombies, cannibalistic rituals, vital organs missing, face smashed by hammer and hundreds of violent acts which can only be imagined yet never truly conceived in the light of day. Now imagine, that you can actually find a soothing, euphoric grim feeling once these images cross your mind accompanied by violent cannons, shrieking guitar notes and mind-blowing bass notes. Oh, did I mention the growling of demonic voices which you mimic but miserably fail to replicate? Well for 32 years, the minds of five “depraved” man have written those images and brutalize the many young lives that follow them, and the grace of their bludgeoning sounds; Cannibal Corpse will kill again and again musically. They have skillfully executed and mangled their latest slaughter with their 15th, full length studio album titled “Violence Unimagined”
There are transformations and evolution conveying a message, both lyrically and musically in this new record; Violence Unimagined by death metal purveyors Cannibal Corpse. A new addition to the line-up was announced not long before the release of their first single “Inhumane Harvest”, a gruesome and real issue taking place worldwide. Erik Rutan proudly joined the band and produced this opus. The track “Inhumane Harvest” was written by Robert Barrett the veteran guitarist, and he credits his style of playing influenced and shaped by the new member Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal). This track depicts a thievery of vital organs, sold in the black market and victims vanishing from this world. The guitar work by Robert Barrett is both aggressive and melodic, Rob Barrett broke out of his shell and delivered this magnificent track. The Cannibal Corpse sound is not affected by Erik Rutan’s playing, instead it re-enforces what the band has been doing for over three decades with a cherry on top. Erik Rutan wrote “Condemnation Contagion”, blending his own style and converting it to the death metal sounds known as a trademark of Cannibal Corpse- slow, heavy, and ghastly imagery. The sounds pervading your ears with each track playing through are cohesive, complex and eloquently written making this album by far the easiest record to listen to, while delivering that skull smashing death metal Cannibal Corpse is known for. The imagery is also conveyed in the artwork done by Vince Locke, returning to the gruesome and violent content.
Death metal has to be the most aggressive form of metal out there, both musically and lyrically and for three decades Cannibal Corpse has mastered their violent sound and composed neck breakers, “Violence Unimagined” is a testament of their ingenuity and ability to reshape without compromising their sound. Vocally, this record has amazing work done by George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. His most demanding work was performed in this studio album, with melodic gores and demonic screams. His versatility has led him to manipulate his vocals in a fast tempo deliverance as well as deep growls. Alex Webster on bass delivers a masterful sound, the low bass notes are prominent and add depth to each track. On track like “Follow the Blood” you can hear each bass note despite the melodic solo by both Barrett and Rutan, a sensational execution. All tracks are ravaged by the hammering of Sr. Alex Mazurkiewicz, bone crunching, and relentless drum work will leave you in awe on track “Bound and Burned”. Rhythmically, this track is aggressive and the tempo on the drums change from smooth to infuriating explosions. The delivery of both veteran guitarists Robert Barrett and Erik Rutan will compel each listener to ravage and mosh. From melodic solos to incinerating riffs each track will elicit your brain as adrenaline is pumped into your heart, the track “Overtorture” has a menacing introduction. You can feel the sounds, of guitars, drums, bass and growls in your veins, that is what is being pumped into your body as you listen to each track of this ritualistic composition titled “Violence Unimagined”. Cannibal Corpse has fed the masses once again a dose of depraved, horrific imagery carried by the waves of their music, eliciting the need to destroy, rage and headbang. The album is now available to stream online and purchase via Metal Blade Records. This gory record was mixed, produced and engineered by Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios.
By: Jose Barrientos
rockbrary.com 