Kill

With “Kill” we see more changes happening with Cannibal Corpse(CC). We see Rob Barrett returns to the band on guitars, and the band would have the legendary Erik Rutan to steping in to do the production. With Erik Rutan being Hate Eternal and previously in Morbid Angel, one would only expect the best to come from this guy. And man did he deliver an absolute monster of an album. I’m glad they stuck with him throughout the years and in the present times, because he works perfectly with CC. “Kill” is one of CC’s most iconic records, and contains some of their most iconic songs. It takes everything from the previous Corpsegrinder albums and amplifies it to the max.

Holy fucking shit is this album aggressive. As soon as the opening scream to “The Time to Kill is Now” comes through you’re beaten relentlessly with the fuzzy heavy guitar tone. For the entire album, it never lets up it’s aggressive. Filled with heavy fucking grooves, pounding blast beats, and everything to love about CC. As I stated above Erik Rutan does a perfect job with the production, it makes this album even more aggressive and heavy. Everything is crisp and transparent without once losing its edge. Corpsegrinder’s vocals are incredibly heavy, his vocal range and diversity from lows to highs is killer. I can’t help myself but bang my head to the groovy beats of “Make Them Suffer”, and the punchy breakdown to “Murder Worship”. 2 more iconic CC songs.

Every song on here is memorable and punchy. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel as per usual with CC, but goddamn is it written extremely well. Each song has a hook of some sort that draws you in. It’s just 42 minutes of straight old-school death metal mastery. The guitar work of Rob Barret and Pat O'Brien is amazing on here especially, their ear-candy riffage and rhythms are fantastic and are thrown in every song on here. “Death Walking Terror” is a great example of CC slowing it down to create a groovy mid-paced machine. “Five Nails Through the Neck” also has some slow chugs and mid-paced heaviness, also containing a great Corpsegrinder high scream. Pat O'Brien’s solos continue to be perfect and flawless, his techniques and approach to writing fucking heavy as hell songs is something I’ve always thought was special. Paul Mazurkiewicz's drums are also amped up in the aggressive department, I love the way his kick drums sound as he beats you to death with blast beats and double bass heaviness.

Everything and everyone sounds tight and precise in their execution and songwriting. With 13 tracks and a span of 42 minutes, I never got bored with anything on here. CC always seems to keep my attention and keeps my toes up. They always deliver meat and potatoes death metal, but it’s fucking perfect meat and potatoes death metal. Nothing is sloppy, everyone is smooth and on point here. I always have a great time jamming this record. It’s speedy but also groove-laden and mid-paced, it can go from blasting for one minute and shift into a breakdown or a groove of some sort. I also love Alex Webster's bass tone here. It’s heavy as are the other instruments and vocals, I have nothing but praise for each individual band member.

But as great as all the songs on here are. None of them compare to the final track “Infinite Misery”. It’s an instrumental track which is a perfect way to close out this album. It’s a very doomy and sludgy track as it begins with a very heavy chug riff and a slow drum beat. CC always delivers perfect instrumental tracks, it adds a sense of variety because they don’t sound like the other songs on the album. It utilizes the same riffs for the most part but this song has awesome riffs. And then we get to the solo, which is my favorite solo this band has ever written, period. And one of my favorite solos of all time. I’m a sucker for solos with a tinge of emotion and feeling in them, and this solo contains both of those things. Then the song fades out perfectly, a perfect way to end such an incredible album.

“Kill” is one of my favorite CC albums with Corpsegrinder on vocals. It has everything I love about this band and more. I can say the same thing for probably every CC record, the fact that all of them contain everything I love about this band. Proving why they’re my favorite band of all fucking time. This album is the exact definition of death metal. Jam this album until your speakers explode. An incredible album.

I have a friend who knows nothing about extreme metal. And he asked me, "What is death metal"? Sure, I could have played him one of the classics, or something mind-bendingly technical. But my first thought, without any doubt, was to stick this in my CD player and watch his reaction.

Cannibal Corpse have always been solid, enjoyable, but unspectacular. Except for this, an album now as far away from me at the time of writing as their first albums were from this at the time of release. Makes you feel old to think of it that way - but this album hasn't aged at all, and still sounds as face rippingly fresh as it did to my young ears on the day of release.

From the cold open of Corpsegrinder's first roar, you know you're in for something special. This is everything that makes the Corpse good, turned up to 11 (and then some). The simple verse-chorus structure, so often a hindrance, works perfectly on this album because every single riff is killer, and every chorus catchy as hell. You don't find yourself craving any technical sections or interludes, because the unrelenting metal assault is perfect. Most Corpse albums have a fair bit of filler, but not this one. Each groove, each thrashy riff, each solo is memorable, and never outstays its welcome.

The production is also insane, still up there with the very best. Everything is clear and full of bottom end - it sounds like the band is playing in your front room, and Corpsegrinder in particular feels like he's screaming three inches from your nose. It enhances the aggression of the songs and gives it the immediacy that suits the band's style.

In short, this is Cannibal Corpse celebrating what they are, and not trying to be anything they're not. It's also a celebration of the genre in its most violent, direct and simple essence. Although every subsequent release would do something similar, none gives me the same feeling of awe in the face of a pure metal bludgeoning (in part because the songs were never this direct again, in part because the production was never quite equalled in my mind). But we will always have 'Kill': an album that seemed to come from nowhere, and two decades in proved Cannibal Corpse really do deserve to be classed alongside their more technical and innovative peers as legitimate giants of death metal.

"Kill" - how eloquently Americans from Cannibal Corpse celebrated the release of their tenth album! There is, however, something even more important to this fact. Well, "Kill" is a return to playing "cannibalistic" death metal with full commitment and on a much higher level than on the previous two albums. In the so-called meanwhile, the band also had serious line-up changes, i.e. Jack Owen left the group, and Rob Barett reappeared in place of guitarist. I am not mentioning it, of course, in the case of accident or the extension of admission. Because I dare to advocate that with Rob's return to the band, the - not so old - fire returned to the band. And if you think about it, it wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration.

From start to finish, Americans only present what they are known for. There is nothing on "Kill" that goes beyond their style. So why is it an album that has only positive feelings as opposed to "The Wretched Spawn" and "Gore Obsessed"? Well, because after this album you can hear a huge joy in creating music (like a debutants) and common sense in creating this music in their own legacy - which in turn comes into a large number of "cannibalistic" hits referring to those from the 90s albums. Best examples here are: "Murder Worship", "Barbaric Bludgeonings", "Necrosadistic Warning", "The Time To Kill Is Now" or "Make Them Suffer". They have a lot of "grinding", massiveness (by a much "fleshier" sound), manic Corpsegrinder vocals, the aforementioned passion and "concert" simplicity - basically everything that is required from this band. Of course, there is no big breakthrough in these tracks, and again their number could be slightly reduced (which would make the material even more effective), although the whole "Kill" is listened to with the greatest pleasure and without the feeling of ticking off. Something like that was very difficult to say about the two previous albums.

From the times of "Kill", another resultful period began in Cannibal Corpse discography. With their tenth album, the Americans caught the wind in their sails and they started - almost in bulk - to create death metal music at a similarly very high level and which a great number of changes...that were not particularly needed! This can be heard very clearly on "Kill", but also on their next ones.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2022/03/cannibal-corpse-kill-2006.html

Ferocious and unrelenting this is a MONUMENT of death metal and a boon to Cannibal Corpse's discography. Even though this is 15+ years old, it's still popular among my death metal choices when feeling I need brutal. The guitars are chunky and thick, just what the meat holder's in their cast iron brains in belting out amazing/metamorphosis style metal. I was surprised it took a while before I noticed more/less of this. So here now is it's justice! It's hit-or-miss when it comes to Corpse but they've managed to put out some good LP's following this one. Pat O'brien is no longer with the band, but I still think they're making monstrous material.

Here, Corpsegrinder shows us again the diversity in his vocals from guttural to screaming. It was amazing his story in metal history. He was the guy who didn't want to do work in classes just sing in a band. Well, he found it and they found him a good replacement for Chris Barnes. Barnes should be edging retirement after some poor Six Feet Under releases while Corpsegrinder continues to belt it out! He does so quite unbelievably. And Corpse still has a long life left enter Eric Rutan on rhythm/lead guitars. Though the new one doesn't pack as much of a punch than this one does. Hard to surpass this release!

The production quality is quite good and that being said the music is justified in the guitars enter everything else. I must be a guitar player but it's not what I notice everything in a recording. The music on here is just devastating! They put together a lot of quality riffs that at times are hard to grasp probably because they're in B-flat tuning. I surmount that both guitarists Rob and Pat worked equally on designing sick riffs to this release. The good thing about this is that everything fit together nicely to some brutal death metal! Everything seemed to be great here and they as a band work well together plus I'm sure it's a big loss to lose Pat.

I bought this a while ago, just thought I'd write about it now since it's still getting air-time in my stereo. They don't seem to disappoint here, my favorite things about this one are the guitars and vocals. Their latest 'Violence Unimagined' is tight too but not as thick as the chunky guitar is here. Nor are the leads as good. This is one of my favorite Corpse releases aside from the early stuff ('Butchered At Birth' & 'Tomb of the Mutilated'). I'd have to say that 'Torture' and 'A Skeletal Domain' are my favorites as well. 'Kill' is among the many fine releases from and unrelenting and brutal group CANNIBAL CORPSE is! Check this out!

Firstly, I'll give full disclosure that I am not a big Cannibal Corpse fan. To me, the overly gore-centric genre lost its way in the 90's, and Cannibal has contributed to that unfortunate trend.

With that being said, I consider Kill to be one of the best death metal albums ever to have graced the Earth.

This work is in many ways, unlike their others. Even the album cover suggests a departure from standard Cannibal with its simplistic text display. In Kill we hear a return to the old-school, while simultaneously crafting riffs that can only be labelled as masterful. O'Brien's writing and playing skills come to the forefront here as some of the most satisfying guitar moments in the genre. Take the slow bridge-sections (or interludes, if you like) of tracks like Five Nails Through The Next, or Murder Worship. Speaking of the latter track - easily the best one on the album, despite my suggestion you play this album the whole way through, if you wanted to start there you wouldn't be disappointed.

Some of the snobbier types who agree with my assertion that true, atmospheric and awesome death metal died in the 90's may hear this record and throw it away off-hand without giving it another go. To them I would say - listen more closely. If you really hear what's going on there's a ton of thought put into these songs. They strike what I would call the perfect balance of sheer brutality with intricate and cerebral musicality. A cacophony of precision, the cutting edge of death metal.

Corpsegrinder's vocals are even more intense and powerful here. He makes use of the higher pitched screams at the correct moments and brings a real level of dynamism to the record - breaths insane and brutal life into it. The lyrics here are far more interesting, and aren't only verbatim descriptions of violent acts, but paint a more disturbingly poetic, dark and in fact - more frightening picture.

Webster's bass playing is no doubt a salient feature. If it weren't for his intricate passages during O'Brien's more simple and crushing moments, we'd lose a lot of what makes Cannibal Corpse so special. There's so much juxtaposition of speed in the guitar and bass passages that it makes the whole so immersive and fascinating.

Mazurkiewicz's drumming is seriously on point, and I still am in awe of how competently and smoothly they all execute the frequent and sudden tempo and time signature changes. I get the sense this wasn't recorded to a click track - so there's way more of that 'human' and natural element. At times they speed up and slow down slightly, a music teacher might complain but this imperfection is so beautifully effective it almost seems as if it were intentional and planned.

Erik Rutan's production skills are just right for this album. Such an upfront, loud and aggressively forceful sound. Thankfully, it's not at all 'computeristic' and overly modern. Full and rich toms drums, bass heavy blast beats and no 'clicky' kick drum... just enough compression to still allow for desired dynamic range. A THUNDERING experience.

The only disappointing aspect is that the rest of the band's discography fails to get me all that excited, but that's just a personal opinion. Wretched Spawn has some incredible hits as well, but I never felt like the work as a whole did justice to what they were capable of. With Kill, it's a different story. This is by far, the pinnacle of Corpsegrinder era Cannibal Corpse.

Despite my view on the majority of their work, this album alone combined with some of their older hits makes the band to me - one of the best in death metal history.

Give it a spin.

What can be said here except that, yes, this album is still basically the exact same Cannibal Corpse as the one from around 'Bloodthirst' stylistically and sonically speaking. If the reader would indulge in my video game analogy, these albums are like the same game with the same engine and physics and graphics and props and everything, only each new album is an expansion pack with brand new maps. But that game, for whatever reason, still is heaps of fun after all those years, so you just don't ask any further questions and keep downloading the new maps and play them extensively. C.Corpse knew that. They knew their albums were selling after every release and fans would show up in bunches at festivals to hear their stuff.

The album starts off with the signature short/stocky intro song and its straightforward burst of energy, followed by the usual formula of selecting some of the catchier songs to fill in that first 5 track stretch and immediately get the listener hooked on the record. Probably the best song on the record, at very least from the relentless riff fest variety, is 'Murder Worship' which basically sounds like a best-of medley from multiple songs assembled with the sole purpose of disintegrating the listener and I'm no scientist but I wouldn't be surprised if some people actually spontaneously combusted as they were listening to this thing. That breakdown around the middle/end with the herta gallop and the insane riffing going on. It's like death metal pastry, Cannibal Corpse chocolate eclair riffs. Utterly delectable. The starting 5 on the record ends with 'Five Nails Through the Neck' and its lovely array of riffing. It feels a bit crazy and overwhelming in parts with how it pulls in all directions and ends up sounding like it's about 2 songs but that's the fun of it.

Thought the album would calm down a bit now ? Wrong. Track 6 'Purification by Fire' is freakin' chaos. Savage tremolo picking, nice and sinister sounding, more heavy grooves, more fat blast beats... it's all there and the album isn't nearly done kicking your ass. One could call 'Death Walking Terror' commercial death metal, but you probably couldn't argue it isn't fun as hell to listen to. Everything about it, from its groovy riffs to its structure and management of pace and rhythm, is the hard earned fruit of decades of crafting death metal to make it sound as memorable and impactful as possible. This next one might be the best song on the album. No wait, I said that already about another song earlier. Anyways, 'Barbaric Bludgeonings' is basically the by-the-book marriage in perfection between old school thrashy groove and modern giant sounding death metal. And it comes as no surprise Rob Barrett wrote this one, as it's got that distinct thrashy dynamism behind it. Longing for a nice Alex Webster dominant bass solo section ? Look no further, and savor the deliciously insidious sounding intro to 'The Discipline of Revenge'. Among the remaining songs, it has to be mentioned 'Brain Removal Device' in particular has that one amazing riff around the start with a wild sweep thing going on in case someone's missed it so late on the album.

But wait, there's more: this album ends in a special way. It ends in a special way because it ends with an instrumental, and when Cannibal Corpse set their mind to write an instrumental you know things are going to get crazy dark, and go reaching deep. For any survivor of 'From Skin to Liquid' from a few albums back; and by my estimation there must be very few; the moment when one realizes 'Infinite Misery' is an instrumental might be a little bit hard on their heart. I'm not suggesting PTSD, but, you'll know what deep subterranean territory you've just stumbled into. It starts off almost nonchalantly, with a simple metal riff in harmonic minor. The second riff comes in with a more subversive edge to it, but it's still basic stuff. Back to the main riff. As we're getting familiar with the track, a sort of trance sets in. The riff rhythmically and melodically is so simple, and yet, it's got this drawing effect about it. Now the harmony octave chords make more sense. The second riff and its dizzying time signature variations, comes on again. The solo starts. Soon enough, all Hell breaks loose. The term "wailing leads" is often used but seriously, and not to sound overly dramatic, the solo sounds exactly like the musical depiction of a soul trapped in Hell uttering out a desperate cry for help. It's so damn haunting, and I get insane chills running through my back and whole body every time.

I'm scared now. So I'll stop writing this review.

Exquisitely technical and heavy as hell. Kill, the tenth studio album by American death metallers Cannibal Corpse, is a concentrate of energy and raw aggression.

This 42-minutes album includes all the ingredients that a proper death metal album should own: excellent songwriting (every track is well-written and extremely enjoyable to listen), song variety, skilled musicians (a duo of surgically-precise guitarists, a virtuous bassist, an excellent drummer), a fantastic vocalist (George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, who provides a stellar performance), clear production, even the artwork is totally badass. This is one of those albums you could listen again and again without getting tired of it.

Each member of the band has plenty of time to shine, but the duo of downtuned guitars are the element that stands out most, thanks to the relentless assault provided by Pat O'Brien and Rob Barret, whose sublime and technical riffing is a constant through the entire duration of the album. But let's talk about the songs: we have fast, aggressive and energetic tracks (such as "The Time to Kill Is Now" or "Make Them Suffer"), slower but heavier songs (such as "Death Walking Terror"), there's even an instrumental (the album's final track). The lyrics are focused on violence and death, but without the excesses typical of some of the band's previous works (there are no tracks about rape or necrophilia).

Cannibal Corpse's "Kill" is definitely one of the band's finest works, and a must-have if you're a fan of death metal. Don't miss It!

Some people have stated that this is just another boring Cannibal Corpse release, and to fans from the very beginning this might be very true but to newer fans this album will be a treat. I feel like this album is one of the more "groovy" Cannibal Corpse releases with songs like Death Walking Terror providing a very rolling feel to the riffs that are very easy to head-bang to. Cannibal Corpse still retain their unrelenting technical adeptness and brutality with ever changing tempos and they show no signs of backing off.

One of the stand out components of the album is definitely the lyrics, though they aren't very original, they are extremely catchy with an almost "sing along" feel to them. Songs like Barbaric Bludgeonings and Make Them Suffer have very catchy hooks and are delivered brutally by Corpsegrinder. The lyrics to me are able to invoke fear because of the way they are delivered, they are given a very raw and real feeling that makes you believe that the band has really put Five Nails Through The Neck of someone, and are tied beautifully to the music.

Younger fans of deathcore will definitely be able to get into to more old school death metal through this record due to it's great production and strong music, the only thing in their way might be Corpsegrinder's vocals, at times his singing feels very out of time and he has a unique and traditional growl that is far from most of the low gutturals and screams of deathcore vocalists.

The guitar solos are sadly very sloppy and just sound like meaningless death metal shredding, if the band had taken more time to create unique and creative solos then it may have made the album far more likeable to others. They could have used Infinite Misery as a long epic instrumental that showed each members prowess, it could also have been used as a track to have a great guitar solo maybe in the likes of the solo in Necrophagist's Ignominious and Pale.

The music is all tied together well and I feel like the drumming helps keep it all afloat, without Paul's drumming the bass and guitar riffs would have been very weak. I wish that Cannibal Corpse had taken a more adventurous approach to this album and involved some more elements that aren't seen in their music but it's hard to complain about a solid album like KILL.

Cannibal Corpse have always been utter legends of death metal. Throughout their 20 year plus career, they have always had fans of their music, more frequently than not, however, of only a certain portion of their discography (see the Barnes and Corpsegrinder era camps). Regardless of this fact, the stylistic and musical changes evident over the years have, in my opinion never ventured anywhere outside of the brutal brand of death metal they consistently put forth. Kill is a remarkable testament to the fact that the still rolling death plow that is Cannibal Corpse is still capable of producing ferociously talented and quality death metal music. Kill presents thirteen brilliant and individually unique tracks exhibiting schizophrenic songwriting and supreme musical talent delivered by some of the greatest musicians in death metal. Just as the band has managed to stay fresh for so long each song is fresh in its own manner.

The album begins with likely the most brutal song on the record, “The Time to Kill is Now”. From start to finish each member of the group perform with uncanny precision and rage filled passion. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher spews lightning fast growls and piercing high screams that embody the rabid brutality of the entire song. The guitars, as provided by Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett, are played at ludicrous speed, and by no means in a bad way. Rob puts forth an excellent rhythm while Pat shreds like a berserk beast from hell (the tone is exceptionally chunky and sharp like a nail-spiked bat that’s also doused in napalm). Paul Mazurkiewicz blasts on his drums with extreme endurance and viciousness, in his trademark fashion. The song never relents in its ever-mounting assault on the senses; it sets the mood (as well as the standard) for the aggressive and bestial ride to ensue.

“Make them Suffer” follows in the rabid fashion of the previous track, but decides to follow a more conventional song structure that is brutal and occasionally groovy, displaying varying tempos and appropriate melodies. This is another one of the great songs off of Kill, worthy of listening to many, many times. It becomes quickly evident, whilst listening through the album, the quality of the vocal patterns as performed by Corpsegrinder. Though George does not contribute to any of the writing or composing, he performs his vocal parts with extraordinary fluency, precision and control, further establishing himself as among the greatest of vocalists in death metal.

Some of their songs slow to a gratuitous and crushing breakdown, such as in “Murder Worship”, but many of the songs maintain a strong, breakneck speed pace. Cannibal Corpse never succumb into monotony, however, and as a result we see much variety in each song. For example, “Death Walking Terror” maintains a slow to mid paced tempo, though admittedly this is one of my least favourite of the tracks. Among my personal favourite of the songs on Kill include “Necrosadistic Warning”, “Five Nails Through the Neck”, “The Discipline of Revenge”, and “Maniacal”, not including the already mentioned first two tracks. It’s truly difficult to not find merit in any of the songs on this album. All are very well written, and have great riffs, vocals, and drumming.

Producer Erik Rutan (also of Hate Eternal and formally Morbid Angel) is really worthy of credit for the sheer brutality and greatness of Kill. It is clear that he has really pushed the band to new boundaries in songwriting and performance. The whole album demonstrates an appropriate level of technicality and prowess and a genuine sense of passion behind each of the member’s performances. Everything sounds absolutely perfect, well mixed and produced. The guitars are a perfect death metal tone, the drums sound awesome, the vocals are guttural and harmonious with the music (largely in a rhythmic manner), and the bass is fantastic. Cannibal Corpse have always been known for Alex Webster’s excellent bass work (listen to the intro to “The Discipline of Revenge” for a taste). They have consistently had easily audible and superiorly played bass, making the music well balanced and thus proving that no instrument dominates another, merely dominating in unison. Thus is the beauty of Kill’s production.

Kill is an excellent work of death metal. Laden with killer solos, monstrous riffing, and vicious blast beats, Kill proves that Cannibal Corpse is still a beast without relent or mercy. For those of you who say the band lost it after Vile are dead wrong. Kill shows the band is still full of savage energy and vigour, and that they can still make excellent death metal music in its purest form. Kill is pure chaos and vicious hatred – ‘nuff said.

Cannibal Corpse is a band that everyone likes/hates. They've had a shitty vocalist in Chris Barnes (insert Anal Cunt song title) who thankfully left to make an even shittier band, and in came George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher. I'm sure this was his 6th full length album, right? Anyways, this was, in my opinion, their most tolerable of Fisher's catalog...well, better than any of the Barnes albums, that's for sure. This "kills", but barely.

Let me get one thing straight, the production is *thumbs up*. It's clean and audible, which is stupendous. O'Brian is a fantastic guitarist and, with Barret, is able to conjure up some nice riffs. The bass? It's....tolerable. I was never keen on Webster's skills, but say what you will, he's average at best. Fisher is a nice addition with his vocals get the job done, nothing to shabby to write home about, and are run of the mill death vocals, but he does throw in a couple of screams. Right, it doesn't do much for me. The drumming skills of Mazurkiewicz are good, but his technique is off. I know this sounds weird, but let's compare him to...Flo Mounier. They both are fast drummers, but Flo is able to conjure up difficult beats and rolls while maintaining his speed. Mazurkiewicz? Well, he's fast, but nothing too special.

The songs are pretty average, your run of the mill Cannibal Corpse songs. "Make Them Suffer", which is the single, starts of with Fisher screaming SUUUFFFFEEEERR, then random garbled gibberish. A nice solo picks up after the choruses. This is a nice choice for a music video. The rest? Well, that's the thing, they all sound like the SAME EXACT THING. Consistency is good. Look at Bolt Thrower, but CC and gang are just boring. Granted, there are songs that I enjoy; the best of the cd would be "Submerged In Boiling Flesh." The stop and go moments of the song prepare you when Fisher begins his descent into madness...."The struggle is useless....the struggle is useless....the struggle is useless....the struggle is USSSLEEEEEEEESSS!". Nicely done, Fisheroo.

All in all, just another CC album that's put out. Yeah, it's aggressive, but once you listen to "Kill", the killing spree is over. Listen and move on.

Cannibal Corpse has recently been a pretty big disappointment. “Evisceration Plague” was just plain terrible. It was pretty much a remake of this album except for all the good stuff they did on here is not there on “Evisceration Plague”. This album doesn’t totally disappoint and has some pretty good moments. It seems like after Chris left, the song writing department took a huge step down, but I’m glad to see on this album they kind of got some of the good stuff back.

First the production is good, nothing more, nothing less. The guitars, I feel could be heavier but then again a lot of the riffs are crazy fast so I guess they sound ok. The drums sound really good. The bass is flawless once again. George’s vocals are probably the best he’s done with CC. He just sounds mean. His screams are very high and his lows are pretty good. He’s never been able to reach the guttural level of Chris but he still does a really good job on this album.

“The Discipline of Revenge” has an amazing bass solo in the beginning. “Five Nails through the Neck” is just an amazing song from start to finish. “The Time to Kill is Now” is just a great way to start an album, one of George’s trademarked high screams. “Make them Suffer” is probably my favorite song on here, kind of catchy. “Necrosadistic Warning” is one of my least favorite songs, the chorus is too drawn out and it just doesn’t go well. It is also very repetitive. “Death Walking Terror” is a song I would expect to hear off “Butchered at Birth”, the riffs are SO damn heavy. With all these good songs, of course, there are some, I wouldn’t say “terrible”, but they are just so so and I would call them fillers. “Murder Worship” is pretty much forgettable. Along with “Maniacal” “Barbaric Bludgeoning”, and “Infinite Misery”.

This album title is straight and to the point, however, I just wish the music would live up to the title. I still do think this is their best work since Chris’ departure.

Best tracks – “Make Them Suffer”, “Death Walking Terror”, and “Five Nails Through the Neck”

It goes without saying that Cannibal Corpse has been one of the most consistent metal bands of all time, releasing stellar albums that vary little from each other. However, the general public seems inclined to deride the band because of this, some of them never actually listening to Cannibal Corpse. In truth, every single CC album is different from each other, as any true fan would tell you. The subtle differences can be found from album to album, be it in the tendencies of the band to experiment post-Barnes by incorporating groove metal into the already apocalyptic sound of the band or to add a touch of Sabbath to the core sound (ala “Festering in the Crypt” from The Wretched Spawn). This, as well as their consistency, is want separates Cannibal Corpse from the majority of death metal bands.

Sometimes the change isn’t necessarily musical, but simply production values and attitude can change. That is what sets the tenth Cannibal Corpse album, simply entitled “Kill”, apart from the rest. With producer Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal/ex-Morbid Angel) at the helm, the band received its heaviest and most chaotic production up to that point. With beefier production, the band sounds more pissed off than it has been in years.

Starting out with the 2-minute madness that is “The Time to Kill is Now”, Cannibal Corpse immediately start upping the body kill with this short, hectic war massacre anthem. George “Corpsegrinder” Fischer sets the vocal tone for the rest of the album and it doesn’t take long to realize that the man really wants to kill something. The guitars, through incredible fury and well-placed artificial harmonics, inform the listener of the hell that awaits them.

The guitar tone on this album is simply awe-inspiring. Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett chug and shred their way all through the hellish madness of Kill. Both gentlemen are incredibly talented players and no one, fan or non-fan alike, can deny the incredible musicianship in this band. Bass god Alex Webster stays more or less behind the scenes on this one, but he is always clear and audible and his proficiency is easily recognized. The underrated Paul Mazurkiewicz steps up his game and his drumming on this release is easily up to par with the first five Cannibal Corpse releases. Erik Rutan obviously pushed the band to be as brutal and reckless as possible.

The overall blend of Cannibal styles on this album are remarkable, be it the aforementioned stomper “The Time to Kill is Now”, the catchy but pounding songs such as “Make Them Suffer” and “Death Walking Terror”, the horrific “Five Nails Through the Neck”, or the slower Pat O’Brien-penned instrumental closer, “Infinite Misery”. The songs that I enjoy the most on this album are the ones that pound the listener with speedy aggression and then suddenly slows down while sporting massive riffs, such as the awesome “Murder Worship”. That standalone riff that enters at the 1:40 just makes me wanna beat somebody down. Awesome stuff. "Brain Removal Device" and "Submerged In Boiling Flesh" keep the album rolling with harsh intensity as it reaches its conclusion. Every single song, from blistering speedsters to abrupt slowdowns to mid-paced affairs, is well-crafted and chaotic. The album seems to show everything Cannibal Corpse is about and flows remarkably well.

Kill is simply an awesome death metal album. It oozes anger and violence, diabolical vocals, and a killer guitar tone. For those who believe that is impossible for Cannibal to create an album that sounds different than the others then look no further. Kill is their best album in over 10 years.

The Wretched Spawn barely scraped by on 'good manners', but such would not be the fate of its followup KILL. The rather minimal title and cover art of the band's 10th album anniversary could not be further contradictory to the wealth of its contents, a savage and refreshing beating which features as many tracks as the predecessor, only this time...most of them are great. Yes, the writing may not stray far from the band's tried and true appetite for destruction, but it almost feels as if a fresh coat of blood has been spattered across their weary joints, a renewed haze of violent fervor applied to their sights. Perhaps it was the fact that Jack Owen had grown tired and decided to move onto other things, with the Corpse bringing back Rob Barrett to the fold to hack and thrash alongside their now resident axe guru Pat O'Brien. Perhaps they just went back to examine what made their previous works like Bloodthirst so eminent in a field of wannabes who
could score nothing but brutality.

Regardless, I'd like to give KILL an alternate title, Bloodthirst II: The Harder They Fall, because it possesses all the strength of that phenomenal effort and cranks up the biting crunch of the guitars to a thrashing guillotine level of force, I meant the level of abuse this album dishes out should certainly provoke a lawsuit from any sane listener, but then, we're probably not so sane after all. "The Time to Kill is Now" is like an injection of Razor's raw thrash (we know C. Corpse are fans after their "Behind Bars" cover) into the concrete sledgehammer of brutality we have come to expect, with action ready, frenetic riffs that define the word momentum. "Make Them Suffer" briefly grinds at a slower slog before the band once again erupts into death/thrash carnage, and "Murder Worship" weaves its grisly arching melodies over a pure classic Corpse pit annihilation, after which a forceful blast awaits to loop you back around over Webster's inflammatory fingering.

'Hate rips through flesh and bone
The dogma states that it must be done
We adhere to the holy text
More must die if we are to advance'

After this, "Necrosadistic Warning" scours the field, one of my personal favorites of the album, with the bustling bass lines and cavorting, winding muted guitar rhythms which tease at you in their unrest, too casually floating forward into momentous tanking riffs that flatten you into the pavement. "Five Nails Through the Neck" is another, similar tune which maintains the pace, building into a nice rise and fun chuggernaut. "Purification Through Fire" opens with a flailing, bleeding melody that transforms into one of the sickest, searing riffs in the entire Cannibal Corpse discography, leads crashing all over the morgue as the furnace is lit. "Death Walking Terror" is a short but sweet pit pummel glazed in old school trashing gooiness between the clinical rhythms and sadistic grooving. "Barbaric Bludgeonings" is just a band being honest, while they fist every orifice of your being simultaneously with meaty knuckles of brutality.

"The Discipline of Revenge" has a fantastic lead-in with Webster's spastic playing laden in more of the band's surgical melody, and the "Brain Removal Police" deserve credit for not only their killer song title, but the tech decimation contained within, a two-fisted thrashing dynamo that bristles to the brim with frenzied intent. By the time "Maniacal" rolls in, you almost feel a sense of redundancy in the consistent bludgeoning this album commits, and as a result this and "Submerged in Boiling Flesh" are probably the least impressive tracks, though they offer no end to the killing spree. Instead, it is the sluggish and creepy instrumental "Infinite Misery" which crowns off yet another string of murders for America's pride and glory predators, a nice outro in which you are given a few moments to gather your thoughts.

I hate to say it, but KILL is almost too much of a...killing, to sit through in one take. Of the 13 tracks, you really only need 10-11 to deliver the point across, and yet the additional takes don't diminish the value by any logical extent. This is really one of the very best of the Corpse albums, proving the band still has the chops nearly 20 years into their career. The punctual proficiency of the band is at an all time height, with Alex Webster everywhere and a rigid performance from the newly paired O'Brien and Barrett. Fisher sounds like he is enjoying himself, with a solid set of lyrics and vocal patterns, though nothing standing out too far from the musical delivery. This is not only a great Cannibal Corpse effort, it's a great death metal album worth owning, whether you are a long time fan or some silly skeptic who hates popular bands (that have lost none of their spunk), or some backwards moron who shies away from post-Barnes releases from this band, afraid to crawl forth from pitiful denial. Spend the money, and get your neck snapping.

Highlights: The Time to Kill is Now, Make Them Suffer, Necrosadistic Warning, Purification Through Fire, Brain Removal Police

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Cannibal Corpse has been accurately labeled as one of the most non-evolutionary existents within death metal, sticking pretty close to the Slayer roots that they spawned out of and avoiding anything that could be construed as melodic, groovy or otherwise pleasant to the ears. Their work tends to be through-composed, relying heavily on pummeling atonality and loosely symmetrical sequences of ideas that are held together by a consistent drumming delivery. Nuances between albums are usually accomplished through the different production practices of the time, and generally one album will be superior to another not so much because of a shift in character, but more in how well that savage persona of unthinking violence and gore is captured.

Though they’ve generally been hit or miss since their early days, “Kill” is definitely one of those instances where the band hits it quite well. It’s among the more coherent and consistent of their offerings from song to song, relying heavily on a measured combination of thrash sections and sporadic breakdowns that usually only slightly cut back on the straight line stream of pulverizing sounds. The short Kerry King inspired solos are on full display, cutting through the swampy puddles of hyper paced chromatic riffs and double bass rumbles and putting forth something akin to an opera singer screaming incoherently at some unnamed horror. Corpsegrinder dishes up a fairly consistent helping of throaty grunts, having a clearer sense of pronunciation than many do in the genre and being able to consistently shock the ears and remain fairly intelligible simultaneously.

Unlike many of the band’s past offerings, this one successfully walks a line between being old school in its approach yet still maintaining a modern character in the production quality. The down tuned tremolo riffs are muddy but not overtly enough to turn into mush during the thrash and blast beat sections, and the bass drum work doesn’t have a really offensive clicking quality to it. Likewise, it avoids becoming redundant and boring the way certain Deicide albums do after the first few songs have ended. Sometimes the songs thrash out in a blaze of dissonant glory like “Barbaric Bludgeonings”, “Murder Worship” and “The Time To Kill Is Now”, while on others such as “Death Walking Terror” and “Infinite Misery” take things a bit slower, almost to the point of sounding like death/doom but without the atmospheric quality. But in spite of a general sense of pacing, the underlying feeling of unfettered aggression endures.

Apart from the fact that many of these songs run together because of a straight line approach to aggression that consists of thrashing, blasting, breaking down, and then going through the same cycle in a somewhat modified fashion, this is basically a solid album. There aren’t really a whole lot of standout moments to be heard here, but definitely a lot of good ones and almost no bad ones. I wouldn’t quite go so far as to say that it measures up to the genius of “Eaten Back To Life” or the consistently brutal “The Bleeding”, but it is definitely among the better offerings by this band, and a good example of how a modern sound doesn’t necessarily lead to a bad one. There’s no tricks to this, no gimmicks, just a better version of the same straight shooting insanity that these guys have always been giving us.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on August 16, 2009.

Ah, the lovely and whimsical Cannibal Corpse. What do they offer us today? Well, a death metal record titled “Kill.” Effective, but not very original. Let start off by saying this is one of the cleanest death metal records I’ve ever heard. The production is perfect. That being said, many fanatics will hate this album because of it. I embrace it. This is also in my opinion Cannibal’s best line-up. Alex Webster is still one of the greatest metal bassist on the scene today. Rob Barret and Pat O’Brian are a great duo and can pull off riffs and solos with perfection, Paul Mazurkiewicz is a good drummer who knows how to play fast, very fast in fact. George Fisher is still better than Chris Barns, so I still don’t understand why people are arguing about it. Anyway, let’s get into the album.

“The Time To Kill Is Now” is a sweet opener with an intricate riff. The vocal chorus is catchy yet brutal. The single “Make Them Suffer” is also catchy with a satisfying solo. Every track on here has something to enjoy. Cannibal Corpse can still write some good material. I know most death metal fans shun then for being successful. An idiotic reason to hate a band, but nevertheless people do. I find this album to be their best. Yes, their best. The main reason being the crisp production job. It’s much easier to listen to than any of their records. The lyric content is vintage Corpse. Killing, blood, mutilation, anything a death metal fan is looking for. Unoriginal? Yes, but once again effective.

“Submerged in Boling Flesh” is one of the coolest songs on here. The vocals by Fisher are nice and the verses are catchy. This song will hook you. Plus, the title is cool. “Purification By Fire” has an awesome drum job from Paul, and the rapid-fire vocal job just makes this song great.

Overall, this is a great album. Get it if you’re a Cannibal Corpse fan. Of course, there will be haters for this record, but their easily ignored. Check it out.

This is a modern Cannibal Corpse album (which means it's very slightly different from an older Cannibal Corpse album), so you pretty much know what to expect: lots of classic death metal riffs, wild solos, blasting, and mid-paced breaks. It's occasionally mildly technical, but overall, it's not modern at all. The lyrics are still about death, but now they're much less about gore and more about war and violence with a greater sense of purpose, and expressed in a somewhat more erudite way. That's probably the biggest change though. The rest is the same as always.

'Kill' marks the first album that Erik Rutan has actually produced well, which is an accomplishment, because he frequently makes everything sound like Hate Eternal (that's a bad thing). In this case, everything is full and clear, if a bit excessively loud, with a good guitar tone and an even better bass tone, and capable representation of vocals and drums as well. The songs are all well written and played; 'The Time To Kill Is Now' is the traditional hyperspeed opener that's very catchy and filled with brutal riffs and vocal patterns, 'Necrosadistic Warning' has some excellent breaks in the chorus, and 'The Discipline Of Revenge' stands out with its opening bass soloing and particularly malevolent riffset. 'Infinite Misery' is a great closer also; sludgy, dark death metal like Autopsy. No songs are weak, though. All the playing is fantastic. Corpsegrinder's vocals are as nimble and barbaric as ever, and the instrumentalists never fail to impress with speed, precision, and adherence to the band's unique style.

As always, it's a Cannibal Corpse album, and as always, it's a fine and worthwhile one. Cannibal Corpse is the essential sound of death metal (though no one has been able to replicate them stylistically), so if you don't like death metal, you probably won't like this, and if you do like death metal, you probably will. It is an essential for people who like death metal and totally meaningless to those who don't.

The legendary masters of death metal are at it again. Their 2006 full lenth album, Kill, continues their blasphemous reign atop the mountain that is death metal.

Kill kicks off with shrieks in The Time To Kill Is Now and keeps on coming for more. The first single, Make Them Suffer, is an ok song. I just have gotten tired of it, and skip it after listening to the first song.

All of the tracks are easily recognizable as Cannibal Corpse songs. All of them have themes and lyrics of torture, killing, hideous acts, and just plain disgusting things. So, any fan of CC will definitely enjoy the album. The themes range from mass murder, Nailing people in the necks, and brain devices. The lyrics will definitely bring sadistic smiles to fans.


George's vocals are as brutal as ever. His shrieks and growls are menacingly pleasing. "Corpsegrinder's" fans won't be disappointed. The bass is there to complement the drums and it does a good job. The drums are amazing as well. The fills are very nice. The riffs of the guitars are very good death metal riffs. They are supposed to give you a headbanging feel, and that's what you'll do. All the instruments work together in unison and flow in the songs to bind the structure of these great songs.

The only downside is the repetitivness of some songs. A few tracks can really get old and you might not listen to them as often such as Make Them Suffer, and Death Walking Terror, which were the singles. Despite these two songs, the rest of the album is incredible. The album flows from one song to the next and there doesn't seem to be any filler tracks. Even the last track, an instrumental is very well done and not meant as a cheesy closer.

If you are a fan of any of CC's work, then I would recommend picking up Kill. It will surely satisfy your inner urges to destroy and mutilate.

The best songs in my opinion are The Time to Kill Is Now, Necrosadistic Warnings, and Maniacal.

Death metal is true metal. This is not open for debate. Death Metal represents everything metal is supposed to in this day and age; a combination of technicality and brutality. If you like death metal, you will get respect from everyone else on the metal scene, without the accusations of being a poser if you're a young Slayer or Emperor Fan, or of being a scenester if you're partial to Slipknot or Trivium (both labels have been applied to me!). Even bands like Bring Me The Horizon avoid the usual heckling simply by wearing an Aborted t-shirt. A good death metal band is instantly an underground standard, and there are more highlight albums than there are in most genres. The band at the forefront of this thriving scene is of course...

Ah, Cannibal Corpse. The closest music has to Marmite. Not because you either love them or hate them. That's just a cliché, and clichés are bad. No, like Marmite, Cannibal Corpse are dark, sticky, and you'll feel weird afterwards, especially when you read what was in it, but the experience is intense, intricate and great if they appeal to you tastes. Their albums "The Bleeding" "Vile" and "Tomb of the Mutilated" are all highlights of their genre. These men also have the unusual advantage of being the most controversial band on the planet, and thanks to this, as well as having some influential friends such as Jim Carey (They performed their legendary opus "Hammer Smashed Face" in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), and amazing live performances at Wacken, they've gotten almost as popular as their notoriety would suggest. A new album is a big event.

"The Time To Kill Is Now" smashes the album straight at you, with the traditional down tuned guitars and a bloodcurdling extended scream from the legendary George "Corpsegrinder" Fischer. Fischer's terrifying vocals are brought to the fore by superb production, The lyrical themes are surprisingly restrained so far though; the tales of beating people to death with a hammer that gained them such notoriety are noticeably absent. This particular song for example, is literally about an army outflanking another. That's it. The sound is suitably brutal, and the musicianship is great as ever, but many may be disappointed by this.

This trend, however, doesn't last, with songs like "Maniacal" "Brain Removal Device" and "Necrosadistic Warning" being just as brilliantly sick as family sing-alongs like "Hammer Smashed Face" or "Meat Hook Sodomy". Their signature incredi-bassist Alex Webster is on even better form than normal, particularly on the song "The Discipline of Revenge". Each song has it's own discernable, well-developed sound which makes the overall sound much more varied than normal, and "Death Walking Terror" is destined to become a mainstay of their live repertoire.

However, they make no attempt to further their genre, or even their own sound, and at the end of the day this sounds just like a (albeit better produced) newer version of Eaten Back to Life. No matter how great the songs are, if they can't evolve with their genre this will limit their potential to become even better, and they deserve it.

I, unlike most, feel that Cannibal Corpse have become an extremly good band only after the 'loss' of Chris Barnes. Sure, Barnes had great (terrible, awful and downright obscene) lyrics, but he also sounded like a bunch of indecernable grunts, with no relation ot the music, variation, or talent. Rendering said lyrics to be pointless. Since then, the band has gotten clearer, picked up one of the best vocalists in the business, and began to write songs which could be fairly described as music. For the cost of some lyrics, I think that's a pretty good deal.

The bands newest effort, simply titled "Kill" is to my ears a pretty clean and modern death metal album at the highest quality. It has a meaty sound, shitloads of speed, some form of melody in there, the songs, while all having the same general idea, all sound pretty varied, and slows down with some of the most crushing passages of brutality you'll have the honor of hearing.

I picked this up the same time as I got Deicide's "Stench of Redemption", and there are similarities to the production of both, the instruments are mixed together well, and the sound is thick, yet clear and pretty clean. This clarity is sure to piss off some of the older fans, as early Corpse was a dirty murder scene, while this is borderline surgical. I have no problems with this, and personally prefer being able to hear everything clearly, but this does result in a loss of ugliness, and does lose some of the old school grit of death metal.

From the opening few songs, it's not hard to see how the whole album will pan out. "The Time To Kill Is Now" is nothing but highspeed aggression, the highspeed riffing style of the band is established. It's not exactly straightforwared, and for that reason gets a lot of people to throw around cheers of how technical the band is, however it's just a little more up and down in it's notes, as the main riff launches from low notes to higher ones. It is a technical technique, but it's not mind blowing. For good measure a few solos are thrown around, which are pretty standard death metal fare. You know, those ones which are there to sound evil and ugly, not... good.

"Make Them Suffer" demonstrates some of the slower riffs, which are less jumpy, and for that reason give off infectious grooves. These differing styles meld together well, and can take the songs from catchy moshing beasts to rapid attacks which easily catch you off guard.

There, that's both of Cannibal Corpses sounds on this album. So there's not a huge collection of genres here, this is straight up death metal, not overly brutal, but constantly changing, good quality death metal. Most of the songs take the "Make them Suffer" approach, of mixing the fast sound with the crunchy, groove heavy sound. Maniacal is closer to "The Time to Kill is Now". And there are a few songs, such as "Five Nails Through The Neck", "Death Walking Terror" and "Barbaric Bludgeonings" which stick closer to the headbang inspiring crushing stuff.

Corpsegrinder as usual sends most of his time growling in a very aggressive, low voice, of the highest quality of course, but overall that's kind of standard. He also lets out some higher screams, while they do sound good, he tends to do them at strange times, such as the last word of a sentence, when every other word has been pure low growls.

The guitar work is adept, but over-rated by many, as it's more or less technical in the way the two guitarists interact, with the harmonies being anything but standard, rather than the riffs actual being incredibly hard to play. Instead, songs will have very cool sounding, technical sections put in, almost as a replacement to solo's, as these weird compositions are just as much fun to listen to. So there is some very hard to play stuff, but it's generally isolated from standard song structure, so to bring more attention to these parts.

The bass sound is as usual pretty loud, and is very good, I wouldn't go around saying that it's any better than what's been thrown around by Alex Webster earlier in his career, but it's still pretty damn good. Completing the low end is notoriously average drummer Paul Mazurkiewwicz, and as usual, is pretty much average. Sure he's not fast, nor is he really technical or inventive in his drumming, but his basic, not overly powerful, basically blast free way, he offers up a lot of enjoyment. In short, he's a nice novelty to have a drummer who still sticks to basic old school drumming most of the time, while I love my tech drumming, it's still always nice to have an average drummer play simple stuff, rather than have an average drummer just try to blast his lack of skill away. In a way, he adds to the rhythmic sense that this album has.

I haven't heard too much CC (Old stuff was too ugly, pointless and unmusical for me, almost purely becaause of Barnes), but since getting George Fisher things seem to have been improving, and from the few songs I've heard from other albums with him, it is true that this album still sounds pretty similar. Maybe to a more intensive listener, all these songs may sound tired, but to me right now, most of the songs sound fresh. I'll recommended it with no thought, but I'm just going by other reviewers here, that it may be a little standard for the band. CC don't really sound annoying similar to any other bands, but they may sound too similar to themselves.

Gawd, this album is overrated. Cannibal Corpse are overrated. In my mind, they're fun occasionally, but to be taken seriously. In the end, they're one big joke. Chris Barnes knew that, and so did Corpsegrinder when he joined the band. It seems with their new lyrical fodder, (i.e. not funny) that he started with Bloodthirst, George is takin' himself too seriously.

Now, we're left to rely on the music. Which is a bad idea for Cannibal corspe, because the music here is... boring. Sure, it's heavy and can qualify for crushing, but hasn't that been done before? By countless bands? With a lot more class? To explain what I'm talking about, a death metal band I enjoy a lot, Deteriorot, manages to have a guitar sound either as heavy or even heavier, yet is AEONS more innovative and original than Cannibal Corpse. There are countless faster death metal bands that are more experimental, too. Sure, this album can claim to be CC's fast and heavy, but really, doesn't that describe countless other death metal bands? Doesn't that describe death metal in general?

Sure, there are also countless people who will (and have) lauded this album as being heavy, fast, and more serious than CC's other albums. But that was never why CC was good. They were good because they were funny. However, this release isn't funny. Now that CC are taking themselves seriously, they open up a WIDE range of new expectations that are heaved upon them all of a sudden, and Cannibal Corpse really can't measure up to those standards. Hell, Goratory are more heavy and much faster, yet I still won't give that band anything higher than an 80. What makes this any different?

Technicality isn't everything. This may be Cannibal Corpse's most technical album, but it's a hollow achievement; technicality is nothing without songwriting to go along with it. Which is why, on its own, even without being ruthlessly compared to other albums, this album really blows. It's really nothing compared to other unsung greats of the death metal genre, like Demilich and Deteriorot, along with hailed favorites like Athiest and Death. What makes them different than CC? They're great songwriters and are original also. CC are neither.

So why is this album rated so highly? Aside from CC fanboys that will automatically praise everything CC puts out, there are many who are blinded by technique. "OMFG DIS CD IS TEH TECHNICAL!" they will scream, and automatically hail it as great, since everything technical *must* be good! Unfortunately that's not how it works. It might qualify as fast and technical, but as music it fails. And isn't that the point of being a band? To make actual MUSIC? That doesn't mean it has to have endless layers of symphony or even be melodic; it just has to have SOME sort of melody.

To give Cannibal Corpse some credit, it's hard to do something new after so many years in existence. However, sometime or another, they're going to have to crawl away from the nurturing comfort of their old sound, grow some balls, and experiment. They've got the fame to do it; they're in a comfortable position right now.

About the album, not the band, if you couldn't tell, it's basically like every other CC album since Gallery Of Suicide and Vile, but more so. More heavy, more technical, and faster. It's just not nearly as funny as Vile or even Gallery of Suicide. Other bands that were around when they formed have experimented by now. They've either moved on or have released albums that are somewhat experimental. Most have either split up or moved on, though. CC can't say the same though. It's been pretty much the same tripe, minus a few production changes. The overall song/riff writing has been the same, and don't expect any surprises here. What was extreme or new in 1990 is definitely not new now. And considering CC weren't that original to begin with, you can imagine how unoriginal and trite they are now. So, yes, this album is trite as hell. It's trite, predictable, and ultimately boring. Sure, it'll sell like ass glue, but since when was that the measure of an album's quality?

I have been a fan of cannibal corpse for a few years now, and i've always enjoyed their releases. Cannibal Corpse's material is always very brutal, very defining death metal. Fast pounding riffs that are hard not to headbang along with, very solid death metal, and unlike many bands, Cannibal Corpse has remained consistant for many years with their material. Even their current stuff sounds like mid-era cannibal corpse from back during the days of "Vile" and "Bloodthirst" raw aggression, brutal vocals, though this album doesn't capture that as perfectly as I'd like to imagine it does.

Generally everything about this album is generic. It's all been done before say the members of cannibal corpse. There comes a time when a band can't progress and further without killing the entire sound that defined the band themselves, and this is no different. Everything about this album is extremely generic and uninspired. It sounds just like Gore Obsessed, the Wretched Spawn, and its other recent predecessors. You can basically call it playing the same album in three different ways. Granted it's blatantly obvious these songs aren't new, but they follow the same direction, even the production value and general atmosphere of the record is no different from their previous efforts. It's the same thing over and over again with little change. The biggest change is the constant start-stop riffing. They'll play a song, then stop, then play a different riff for a couple verses, stop, play a solo, stop, then go into a sort of bridge, or third verse, stop, song ends. The whole start-stop thing isn't brutal, it's not interesting, it's generally annoying when bands stop for a second instead of letting the music and riffs just flow together like a normal composition.

The solos aren't much interesting. Nothing you haven't heard a million times. The vocals are generally the usual you'd expect from corpsegrinder. While he has more range than some vocalists in death metal, it does get quite generic after a few songs, and you start to wonder if this is more a 50 minute song than a complete album. I wouldn't call this is a terrible recording, as a matter of fact for the seasoned cannibal corpse fan this can be thouroughly enjoyed throughout, especially by fans of the last few years of material, but as far as i'm concerned it's just unoriginal, uninspired, and generic, nothing I haven't heard from them a million times.

The album is good to download and give a few listens as a fan of cannibal corpse, but apart from that, it's very similar to their last few efforts, not anything new or interesting if that's what you're looking for. I'm personally a bit unimpressed by the lack of originality or even diversity on this record, but for the sake of disbanding any argument, I'm by no means demeaning it as a terrible recording, as for every death metal record I hear that's good, or even decent, I hear about 100 others that are much more intolerable to listen to than this ever would be, I just would like to hear more interesting things coming from an already well established band instead of "Gore Obsessed version 3.0"

The new Cannibal Corpse record. "The Wretched Spawn" already showed some signs of major technical improvement, but "Kill" is the album where nothing seems to stop them anymore.

"Kill" is a record full of insanely technical riffing, brutal arrangements and something that many people claimed to be impossible in Cannibal Corpse's case: VARIETY.

One of the most noticeable improvements in the variation department is the drumming. Paul Mazurkiewicz really got his act together this time. His playing ranges from standard thrash beats to fast blastbeats and slow, technical drumming with wicked time changes. His range of styles is fantastic this time around. To be brutally honest, I've never thought that Paul was a very skilled drummer. But "Kill" proved me wrong.

Rob Barrett's return is also noticeable. Some of his least-technical riffs on "Kill" remind of their most technical ones on their 1996 album "Vile". Just an example of the technical prowess showcased on "Kill".

The album opens with "The Time To Kill" is now, and by the first seconds you can already hear the changes they made. Corpsegrinder's vocals are as good as ever, but sound even a bit rawer, which fits very well to the albums style. Great leads are also appearing throughout the song.

I wasn't able to count all the riffs contained in these songs, but there sure as hell are a lot of them. Same with the solos and lead guitars. They are scattered all over the technical riffage, but always fit the song. The most "oldschool" sounding song on here is "Five Nails Through the Neck" (one of my favourites). It sounds like a slightly more technical left-over from "Bloodthirst". The average speed of the album is very high, the rhythm changes are absolutely unpredictable which gives the album a very high replay value. You'll explore more details with every single listen.

It's very difficult to find any flaws on this album, but if I had to point out one, I'd be it's technical character. Yes, I said I think the technical riffage is great, so is the drumming and Alex Webster's great bass-lines, but sometimes (not very often though) the technicality is so high and complex, that all catchiness is lost, even if it's just for a moment, it can detract from the song a bit. Not a major complaint, though.

Overall, "Kill" is my second favourite Cannibal Corpse album ("Bloodthirst being my favourite) and it's definitely a high-point in their career.

Yes, Cannibal Corpse still have it after all those years. I recommend "Kill" to any CC fan and any Death Metal fan in general.

Highlights: "Make them Suffer", "Necrosadistic Warning", "Five Nails Through the Neck"

The new Cannibal Corpse album has arrived, and you'll be pleased to know it ranks up there with some of the best death metal albums in recent years. Razor-sharp, cleanly produced, and succinctly titled, "Kill" is the quintessential death metal album.

The album starts off with a bang as The Time To Kill Is Now thunders out of your puny speaker system. Classic DM riffage complements George's bloodcurdling battle cry of "KILL!" The perfectly recorded drums top everything off with some nice midtempo blast beats. George takes no time in spewing out the lyrics at lightning-fast speeds and with perfect enunciation. The song soon gives way to an atonal, Reign-In-Blood style solo and goes back into the verse. It continues this way for a while, breaking into a thundering chorus section topped off by wailing pinch harmonics with George's double-tracked vocals wailing "TIME TO KILL IS NOW!" in a hypnotic, crazed chant. The song ends abruptly with "The time to kill is motherf***ing NOW." After this track, you can see where CC is headed with the new record.

Make Them Suffer is a brief, catchy song that, no surprise, had a video made for it. Great riffs, thundering drums, a growl-along chorus, and some more ripping solos make for a classic CC track. Things slow down a bit with Murder Worship, shifting between slower verses complemented with more intricate drum work and a triplet-chugging chorus. A pretty average track.

Necrosadistic Warning speeds up again, but is almost too reminiscent of Murder Worship. It follows the same slow-verse, fast-chorus formula. This is the only place where the album gets bogged down. It's still a very good song, though, and another catchy chorus brings things up a bit.

With Five Nails Through The Neck, the brilliance of "Kill" just hits the listener like a freight train. Intricate, winding guitar riffs with trem-picking aplenty fit the lyrics, and the synchronization of the music and lyrics make it one of the best tracks on "Kill." Simply put, a great song.

On Purification By Fire, more great riff/lyric moments make for a superb track. Plus, at 1:01, you can hear somebody (probably George) making popping noises in the background with his mouth. A technical solo early in the song prepares you for a more tech-death-oriented second half of the album and fewer Slayer-style moments.

Death Walking Terror chugs along at a steady, catchy pace. Sure to be a growl-along favorite, and cetainly one of the stand-out tracks on the album. Barbaric Bludgeonings is probably my favorite track off the album, relentless in its auditory beating and harmonized guitar riffs.

The Discipline of Revenge is a slower-paced track with some impressive bass work in the beginning that works well with twisted lyrics. Another great track. Brain Removal Device is alright, nothing special. Maniacal, probably the fastest song on the album, sports some nasty lyrics and surprisingly melodic riffs with great blast beat work on the drums.

Submerged In Boiling Flesh, the last "real" track on the album, is an effective penultimate closer. It rolls along with great double bass drum usage and perfect guitar work, moving through a fairly standard time signature but twisting and turning briefly in a section with George bellowing, "The struggle is useless..." achieving the desired creepy effect. The track closes with one of the greatest riffs I've ever heard in a jazzy, Cryptopsy-esque, disturbingly-upbeat track reminiscent of the final moments of Orgiastic Disembowelment.

The final track, Infinite Misery, is an instrumental. Some atonal riffs in the beginning are eventually overtaken by the main riff that works the low strings of the Cannibals' guitars accompained by pounding double bass drums at a steadily slow pace. This uniquely technical-but-minimalistic approach to songwriting makes the song a perfect closer. After a few run-throughs of the riffs, another astounding proficient bass run leads into a delightfully evil-sounding guitar solo. The whole thing collapses on itself with the double bass drums rolling, and that's all, folks.

The production could do with a little cleaning up. Overall it's fantastic, but the vocals are placed a bit too high in the mix and the guitars can be muddled sometimes. Overall, though, it's far better than the overproduced The Wretched Spawn. All the instrumentation is astounding and ranks up there with tech-death acts like Decapitated and Cryptopsy, while still retaining the trademark gorey lyrics of their earlier albums and the thrashy anger of early Slayer and Exodus. Cannibal Corpse haven't reinvented the CC wheel, or even the death metal wheel, but it's a masterful production from a band that knows what they're doing. Pick it up.

It's very hard to like such a mindless debacle of an offering. Virtually no effort was put into any of the songs, many of whom I struggled to endure until the end. Vocally, they struggle almost painfully to add diversity, and fail pathetically at sounding baleful. From what I heard of Cannibal Corpse, I expected to hear a powerful and passionate ballad of powerful and energetic riffs. As it turned out, I got no such thing.

The songs themselves have desperately controversial and crude, in an egregious attempt to sound nihilistic. In essence, the hollow lyrical content establishes only that they are unable to tackle such issues coherently. The lyrics, at best, are compatible with zombies and angst-filled teens. Worse still, however, is that despite the apparently savage vocals, it fails even to get a twitch of in terms of head-banging material, or even a subtle sing-along. It just flies through one ear and out of the other, with no effect.

The problem is that Death metal can be so much better. If you want Extreme Death, try Deicide or Prostitute Disfigurement, or Melodeath bands like Hypocrisy or Norther. The music on this album, and all other songs I seem to catch by Cannibal Corpse, is that I could imagine standing at a mic and blurting out similar garbage with similar results. The difference is that they could afford to do so when such endeavour denied convention, and sounded somewhat original. Right now, it sounds nothing more than pathetic.

As I quite stunned stared at the title of this album, I didn’t know what to think. The simple title said so little to me, but somehow I knew this was going to be one of Cannibal Corpse’s best releases in quite a while. It’s been six years since the last really interesting material was released in the form of “Bloodthirst”. A couple of releases has been put out on the market in between these, but didn’t truly grasp its listener. After the long wait I can only conclude that they’re back on the right track.

I got pleasure from Bloodthirst’s overall feeling mainly because of the vicious riffs and the solid production. Therefore it made me quite sad hearing a couple releases where the atmosphere went way downwards. Now that feeling has returned. “Kill” is full of the cruelty, malice and hatred that all Cannibal Corpse fans has learned to love. A small change happened in the line-up before the release of “Kill”. They’ve switched one guitarist. Yes, Rob Barrett’s back after 9 years of absence. If this had a major influence on the songwriting I don’t know, as I don’t keep track of who’s writing what, but it sure seems so. All the brutality this album delivers makes me crave for a full-day headbanging from dusk ‘til dawn. Opener “The Time to Kill is now” offer a new type of malevolence not heard before. Just listen to the ferociously spit-out style vocals on that one. This only points at the fact that Cannibal Corpse mean serious business!

What about the actual music, then? Let’s see, first off, the riffs. There seems to be no stopping these guys when it comes to writing technical and interesting guitar-patterns, and here’s the main factor this album deserves its score. It’s all grown to be so apparent, so clear what they’re playing and it’s very compelling, yet disturbing at the same time knowing that they’re playing their fingers off. It’s so smooth there’s no words for it. The drumming has variation to it with a capital V. This is what I’ve craved from them all along. Both the tempo and schematics of the drums change very rapidly, yet not so that it would disturb the actual flow of the music. I also hear variations in the way Paul hits each drum every time. Not only does this make the tracks fly by in a softer sense, but opens up a fresh way of gazing at (or listening to) their grand work of art. It’s as if they’ve used complete logic when writing the song-material. Corpsegrinder has always delivered a good vocal performance, but here it seems as if he exceeds the icing on the cake. Violent growls and almost unnatural shrieks bring a whole new breadth to the connection in his singing approach. He never strains his voice (which has gone undamaged over the years), and never exaggerate in any way. It sounds plain natural.

As a concluding remark I can just say this album kicks severe ass. It’s one of the headliners of it’s own field and should be owned by any type of “honest” metalhead. Buy this, you will not be dissatisfied. Especially recommended for fans who liked “Bloodthirst”.
Standout tracks : The Time to Kill is Now, Necrosadistic Warning, Five nails through the neck, Brain Removal Device & Maniacal

So here it is, finally, after what seems like waiting without water for the past two years. The boys from Florida have return with their 10th full length album, entitled, simply enough, "Kill", and this album does just that.

There has been a few changes since the last album, "The Wretched Spawn", and the most notable of these has been the departure of Jack Owen, one of the original band members. Replacing him is Rob Barrett, noted for his work with Malevolent Creation, as well as "Vile" from Cannibal Corpse. Pat O'Brien replaced Rob after he parted ways with the band, so it's now interesting because Rob is playing with his replacement.

In my opinion, this is simply the best line-up Cannibal Corpse have ever had, or ever will have. I don't really see it changing after this point, and sure hope it doesn't. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a big fan of Pat's work, and I also love pretty much everything Rob has done with his mighty Les Paul. The current guitar duo in Cannibal Corpse is the deadliest ever, and that's saying something.

To finish up the line-up we have the irreplaceable Alex Webster on bass guitar, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher on vocals, and Paul Mazurkiewicz on drums. How can you go wrong with this line-up? Quite simply, you can't.

Another thing worth noting is that Hate Eternal mastermind Erik Rutan has taken over producer duties with this album. The band, being impressed by Rutan's work on Hate Eternals "I, Monarch" album, liked his work enough to give him the chance to work with the mighty Cannibal Corpse; and the results are not disappointing.

There was a lot of hype and speculation for this album. Some people didn't like the title "Kill" as they found it to be too simple. Others didn't like the cover artwork, which is not really artwork, but just the Cannibal Corpse logo and the word KILL on the cover. Old and new fans alike thought that this would somehow, in some stupid way unknown to me, take away from the music on the album. Hahah.

Enough with the introduction, lets get to the music. For as we all know, that's the only thing that really matters. Cannibal Corpse could put a bottle filled with urine on their cover for all I care.

I spent the entire weekend listening to this album, and listened to it over 15 times, back to back on my extremely sinister home stereo system. Boasting over 400 watts of pure bone-crunching power, you want to listen to this album LOUD. Here we go.

Track one, "The Time to Kill is Now" Straight off the bat, you've taken a sledgehammer to the head. Corpsegrinder is literally pouring his malice all over you, and the guitars are ripping at your flesh like millions of little insects. Atonal guitar leads are swarming over you. The song has a great vocal groove and the whole band sounds tighter, meaner, faster and heavier. The riff at 1:33 is simply amazing, very heavy with good use of artificial harmonics.

Track two, "Make Them Suffer" was one of the samples released by the band, so most of us already know the song. A great riff kicks everything off, followed by a trademark Corpsegrinder scream. The interlude at 0:28 tells you that Pat O'Brien has been involved in the making of this song for sure, as it's technically brilliant yet melodic at the same time. The rest of the song roars out of your speakers with ease. Another great riff at 1:16, followed by a classic mosh riff, Cannibal Corpse style right after it. Fucking awesome stuff.

Track three, "Murder Worship" bursts ouf of your speakers without granting you a moment of breathing space. The song kicks in with a nice riff, which then paves the way to an even nicer riff for the verse. Alex can be heard in all of his glory, something that was sadly missing on the last two albums. Here, the bass is rattling the fucking calcium off of your teeth. Corpsegrinder sounds unstoppable, very powerful and menacing. Another classic Cannibal Corpse song, almost instantly.

Track four, "Necrosadistic Warning" is a fucking monster. Quite possibly the best song on the entire album, it kicks in with a fantastic riff, then paves the way for no nonsense, headbanging Death Metal. The riff just before the verse is short yet awesome, and the verse itself is also different and interesting. The guitar work throughout is top-notch, with Pat and his new partner in crime Rob Barrett spewing out lethal riff after riff like there's no tomorrow. The song is sure to be a live favorite with the line "Necrosadistic warning, you will not rest in peace!!" Brilliant from start to finish, and the song concludes with some nice guitar solos similar to early Slayer.

Track five, "Five Nails Through the Neck" is another unstoppable track. The album seems to be full of them. The boys have literally cut all of the fat off of this record, it just keeps kicking and kicking with no let up at all. The song in question is another worthy Cannibal Corpse track, another one I can see becoming popular live. The section at 1:33 is fucking awesome. You expect the band to go into full blown speed mode, yet even I was surprised when they held back and went into another crunch section. Unpredictability in it's finest form.

Track six, "Purification By Fire", makes you wonder what Pat's mother fed him while he was a child. Energy drinks mixed with vodka and battery acid, it seems. The moment the song comes on, it's instantly recognizable as Pat's style. Extremely fast, dissonant riffing, technical enough to make so called "technical" Death Metal bands seem like babies. We are graced with two guitar solos before the actual verses kick in, and the band sounds air-lock tight. Corpsegrinder sounds amazing, following the complex guitar and bass lines with ease, proving once more to idiot doubters that he is the man, and the most perfect vocalist for Cannibal Corpse. I'd go over the riffs in this song but there really is no need, as you have to hear it to believe it. Lets just say that Pat has outdone himself again. Also, tip of the hat to Paul, who simply destroys his drum kit all throughout the song. Favorite section in this gem is at 1:57. Though it only lasts for about 6 seconds, it's probably the most deadly passage on the entire album. I can see Pat's strings melting all the way from here. Top notch.

Track seven, "Death Walking Terror" is another one of my favorites from the album. Kicking in with an excellent riff, it's Alex's bass that catches my attention each and every time. It's such a relief and a treat to be able to hear him again so clearly, not to mention loudly. This song is infamous in my house because it managed to rattle every DVD I own clean off the shelves. I didn't even bother picking them up as I knew there were still 6 tracks left on the album. This song is sure to be another live favorite.

Track eight, "Barbaric Bludegeonings", written by the one and only Rob Barrett. This is fucking old-school, fellas. You just gotta love the riffs Rob comes up with. It reminds me of "Vile" and also some of the Malevolent Creation stuff. Rob's style is very different from Pat's, so it's easy to distinguish their parts, which is a relief. A great guitar solo kicks in at 2:25, and you can all be thankful that Rob is back in the band. A solid mosher from start to finish, the song doesn't let up for a second, and once again, Corpsegrinder sounds amazing.

Track nine, "The Discipline of Revenge", starts off with an extremely impressive bass intro, with the guitars following closely behind, eerily creeping up until they finally take over. This track reminds me more of the "Bloodthirst" days, but that could just be me. Whatever it reminds you of, you can be assured that it's another ass kicker from the Masters of Death Metal. The song is generally mid-paced, that is until the CD reader hits you at 1:44 into the song. Another one of the best sections off of the entire album. What follows next is classic Cannibal Corpse, heads down, riffing.

Track ten, "Brain Removal Device", kicks in with a very interesting riff. Still no let up, still no moments of air. The song starts off slow, then kicks into full speed soon enough. The entire band is locked into target, grinding their instruments like the pros they are. They seemed to be tuned to torture and mutilate, and it does not disappoint at all.

Track eleven, "Maniacal", bursts out of your speakers frantically, like there's some sort of rush. It's begging to be heard, it's begging to drive you face first into the ground. The song starts out with a fast, melodic and heavy-as-fuck riff, then when it finally kicks into 0:43, you better fucking duck for cover. There's no messing around. None at all. The section of 1:19 delivers some more choppy riffs, followed by some more early Slayer type guitar solo work. The song is short, clocking in at 2:12, but that's more than enough to cave your face in.

Track twelve, "Submerged in Boiling Flesh" is another song I can see as being a classic and fan favorite. The riffing is once again top notch, with God knows how much distortion on the guitars. Corpsegrinder sounds pretty loud in the mix, and for good reason. The man is unstoppable, bellowing enough air of of his lungs to freeze half of Africa. The section at 0:50 is fucking kick ass. "The struggle is useless!!"

Track thirteen, "Infinite Misery" is an instrumental track penned by Pat O'Brien. Starting off slow and haunting, it slowly builds up speed and paves the way for what is one of Cannibal Corpse's most haunting songs to date. The perfect way to end an almost perfect album.

So, that pretty much sums up my review. If you're one of the people who doubted Cannibal Corpse for even a second, then you're an idiot. They are perhaps the only band in all of Metal existence that have always stuck to their guns, played what they wanted to play, and remained loyal to their fans, while still improving and polishing their sound and technique. They never let themselves down, and never let their fans down, which is the most important thing, and a lot of bands would love to make such a claim. After 10 full length albums, I assume that's a very tough thing to do. But the boys pulled it off anyway.

"Kill" has the brutality of Vile, the atmosphere of Gallery of Suicide, and the dark features of Bloodthirst. So many elements are all combined at the same time, and this album will stand out as one of the most perfect Cannibal Corpse albums, ever.

.4 points deducted because the vocals are a bit too dominant in the mix. Other than that, everything sounds fantastic.

Okay, so it's Cannibal Corpse. So as you may already now, this album is 40 minutes of pure gore. It may be stupid in the eyes of some (or many), but this band of Gore Obsessed lunatics has had an enormous impact on the death metal scene. They have never really excelled in the field of originality, albums like The Bleeding and Bloodthirst were enjoyable death metal records. At this point, they've been going on for so long that one wonders how much longer they can up this up.

Kill is quite a wakeup call. I was very impressed right from the get-go with the brutality and technicality of The Time to Kill is Now. Just like Corpsegrinder foretold, this album really takes the band's style up a notch. The music is heavier, faster, more tech, and much more unique than usual. Every song sounds quite different and has a certain catchiness to it. It's like a smorgasborde of slashtastic butchery, laced with a crushing miasmic sauce. Cannibal Corpse really impressed me this time around, putting out an album that arguably beats out anything they've released in well over a decade. Essentially everything their old, repetitive albums suffered has been remedied and improved without branching far from their traditionally gorey, reminiscently old school sound.

The guitars at times sound spastic while Corpsegrinder's voice is significantly higher. These are the two biggest changes I've noticed. They don't exactly go Necrophagist here, but the instrumental aspects of the band have taken an upward turn. Fisher retains a forcceful grunt, but it sounds somewhat less brutal with the higher pitch. Overall, Kill was a very successful outing by America's pride and gore. Should you decide to purchase any recent Cannibal Corpse albums, I highly recommend Kill.

Recommended tracks:
The Time to Kill is Now
Barbaric Bludgeonings
The Discipline of Revenge
Maniacal