Cannibal Holocaust

The main issue with the Cannibal Holocaust EP is that it really should have been a single. The title track is quite good and a natural progression from the material Phil Anselmo and Killjoy had written for the previous two releases. It's a dirty, aggressive and memorable song, which incorporates the main melody from the movie Cannibal Holocaust. To my knowledge, this is the only Necrophagia song which features Opal on keyboards and her part seems to be limited to the intro section. The song itself makes me want to listen to this EP, but that being said there's not a lot else to stir up interest.

The two demo versions seem pointless to me. They're not drastically different versions of those songs, just rougher recordings. It's difficult to get excited about hearing a couple of songs you already have on another release, just with worse sound quality. In fact, when I hear this version of "It Lives in the Woods", I find myself wishing I were listening to the proper version from the Black Blood Vomitorium EP. The same sample is used on this version, but it doesn't flow into the song as smoothly as the Black Blood version.

"Baphomet Rises" is a more ambient track, which people will either dig or hate. Opal might have played on this track as well, but I get the feeling this was just an older track that was lying around unreleased at the time. Personally, I enjoy this track because it's moody and a bit atmospheric. "Chainsaw Lust" is an old Necrophagia song that appears on the old demos which are available on a couple of compilations. This version, as others have pointed out, includes some of "Chainsaw Gutsfuck" at the beginning. It's kind of cool to hear, but then seems largely pointless.

Then there's the video. This is only on the CD version, naturally. It's pretty much the same as the "And You Will Live in Terror" video. It is a mixture of footage of the band playing and footage from the movie the song is based on. Although the "Cannibal Holocaust" video features a brief section at the beginning of the band sitting on a couch like a bunch burn-outs and Phil talking about the film Cannibal Holocaust. This part is really useless and feels like something that ends up getting released to the public against the artist's wishes, who then has to make some sort of public apology/explanation for what happened in the clip. Opal is fun to look at, but that is really all that's good about that part of the video. The rest is fine, but isn't really anything to write home about. Like I said, it is the band playing the song and footage from the movie. Nothing else. Regardless, I do find it fairly enjoyable to watch, but mostly because it is a good song, especially since the film footage looks really rough a lot of the time.

Essentially, this release should have been a single. There could have been the title track, "Baphomet Rises" and maybe another song and that's it, as long as it was cheap, and it would have been fine. It is likely made worse by the fact that this followed another, superior EP. This release isn't bad, but it just seems like a band releasing something just to release something. Take it for what it is. I could think of much worse stuff to listen to.

I actually found this album when I was searching information about Ruggero Deodato's cult classic "Cannibal Holocaust" (italian gore film of the eighties). 'Necrophagia - Cannibal Holocaust... Hum, I think I've heard about this band. And it's only 7 € or something like that, okay, I'll order it.' Well, if you want say it beautifully, 7 € is far too much for this album.

Album opens with "Cannibal Holocaust". It has intro with melody stolen from "Cannibal Holocaust Main Theme" (great soundtrack by Riz Ortolani!), but original major chords have changed to minor chords. Then the actual track starts. Hmm, this is not bad, lyrics are summary of the film story and it's filled with simple but brutal riffs. Then comes "Burning Moon Sickness". Newer version of this song is good, but this one is so shitty quality and with a terrible production. "It Lives in the Woods" is a tribute for one of the greatest horror films, and has intro with dialogue taken from "The Evil Dead" but actual song has same problem than "Burning Moon Sickness". "Baphomet Rises" is just boring, and "Chainsaw Lust", which starts as Mayhem's "Chainsaw Gutsfuck" cover, may be good but Necrophagia spoils it with stupid ending.

"Cannibal Holocaust" video is terrible, most parts of the video are taken from the film, and others show the band playing. If I want to see Cannibal Holocaust film, I watch that film. If I want to see Necrophagia playing, I buy live DVD. This is just stupid video.

This is so mediocre EP, don't buy it. Listen "Cannibal Holocaust" from Necrophagia MySpace and use your money for some good Necrophagia release, like "The Divine art of Torture".

Cannibal Holocaust is a release for the die-hard fans of the full length 'Holocausto De La Morte' and EP 'Black Blood Vomitorium.' Here, you get some rough versions of tracks that were on these last mentioned, a recording of an old song title, and a title track and a video to accompany it.

The best aspects here are the title track and related video. This time around we get an actual keyboardist who adds a neat little melody, to break into horror-inspired death metal territories. The next two tracks are demo versions, again seeing as these are on prior releases, it might not serve much purpose; besides the lower production, the only difference I can find is that keyboards are added simply and subtly in the background on 'Burning Moon Sickness' during a slower section. The fourth song is a full ambient track that was previously unreleased; it sounds like a lost take to a horror score, and a little bit out of place on its own surrounded by these other songs. The fifth is a rough track called 'Chainsaw Lust'; the song itself is terribly short, which takes too long to build up and is abruptly cut-off at the end. And the bonus is a video for the title track. There are spliced clips of the Italian film with the same name of 'Cannibal Holocaust.' The movie itself is sort of like a 'Blair Witch Project' of the early 80s, where something terrifying happens and footage is later found; in this case the plot has these people who go and explore primitive tribesmen that turn out to be human flesh eaters. Necrophagia takes various snippets of this movie, gore and all, while they play their music overtop, while switching back and forth between the band playing in a cramped rehearsal room. We get to see the new bassist at that point, Jared Faulk, and also keyboardist Opal Enthroned.

The song writing still has that sludgy death metal feel. With interlaced, fuzzy chords and mesmerizing single notes known to the past releases, enacting depraved horror-inspired regions. Playing at a thrash-like speed, a mid-pace and an abundance of slower depths to bend its own realities. The title track seems to use a few black metal-like chord progressions, which crosses the boundaries and doesn't sound like a typical death metal band. Killjoy's vocals encompass a wide range of versatilities: leading the songs with screams, growls, and undescribable mutations. The 'Chainsaw Lust' song is a little different and doesn't show the Necrophagia that I've known on the prior two releases. It is sort of an anti-climax, building itself up and then cutting itself short. There is a back and forth homage, with Chainsaw Gutsfuck and Chainsaw Lust, between the Norwegian Mayhem and Killjoy dedicating these songs to each other. This isn't the same as the 80's demo versions I've listened to from Necrophagia, and oddly sounds like the beginning of the Mayhem song from what I've heard of live recorded versions.

Cannibal Holocaust is a release for die-hard fans of Necrophagia. For me personally, it's one of those releases that adds room to the shelf but might not get pulled out as often as the meatier releases. I can see diving right into this release as being confusing, mainly because it isn't initially an accurate representation of the band compared to the last EP and second full length. But an output to show rare tracks for feverish fans at that point. As most of the line-up at that point would shortly leave after this.

"Cannibal Holocaust" was the very song that got me truly into Necrophagia, so I was curious to know what else would this EP include. And once I finally found it from a CD store with a low price, of course I bought it.

The first song, "Cannibal Holocaust" starts with a keyboard intro and just when you start to think this is going to be a slow laid back song, the guitars, bass & drums kick in with amazing headbanger feeling. Then the riffing changes and Killjoy's surprisingly awesome screaming kicks in. I never actually expected to hear this type of screaming vocals. They sound so natural and enjoyable, not like forced at all. And he has lots of diversity in his vocals. He can growl too and do many other cool vocals with his voice. Singer is probably what I like the most about Necrophagia. Guitar riffs and drumming in this song are also damn catchy and interesting, yet not like super technical at all. Necrophagia is very different to that, and I like it. I enjoy listening to some slower and more interesting death metal that isn't all about speed and extreme technicality, for example bands like Six Feet under and Necrophagia. They are a great proof that death metal is much more than blast beats. However, "Cannibal Holocaust" does not have a guitar solo, which would have probably made it even better. But anyway, it is one amazing song.

Now as for the rest of this EP, I noticed that the title track is the only "new" song on this EP and the 4 others are mainly demo songs with low sound quality. The second song of this EP happens to be a "rare demo version" of a previously released track, "Burning Moon Sickness". Other than the lower sound quality, this demo is different to the Holocausto De La Morte version by the vocal and drum sound as well. I personally find the vocals of this demo more enjoyable than on the album version, but I unfortunately can't say the same about the drums. This snare drum sounds like the drummer recorded with a goddamn practice kit! And there's the same problem with the other demo songs on this EP as well. The third track "It Lives In The Woods" starts with a creepy horror film audio intro, which I think fits well with the song. The song itself is pretty fast and sounds cool regardless of the low quality and stupid snare drum sound. Track number 4, "Baphomet Rises" is not actually a song but an interlude track with no guitars or drums. It includes some high, creepy horror film -esque sound, keyboards and mysterious whispering. And the EP ends with a short song "Chainsaw Lust" which was apparently made to tribute the deceased Mayhem guitarist Euronymous (R.I.P. Fuck Varg Vikernes for killing this man). The song starts off slowly but then goes fast with the screams and suddenly ends (I know that sounds ridiculous but I couldn't come up with any better way to describe it).

Now to end this review, if you can't stand low sound quality in your metal at all, just download the song "Cannibal Holocaust" and possibly "Baphomet Rises" if you want. But incase you do like some low quality stuff as well (ex. majority of black metal and the early death metal albums etc.) then ignore the reviewer below and get this EP! You will like it. Now I already said this, but Necrophagia is far more interesting than most of modern death metal because Necrophagia is much more than just the speed and technicality. It doesn't have to be super technical to be interesting, in fact the super technical stuff can actually be boring. Necrophagist is a good example of this. They are very monotonous, repetitive and boring though they are technical. Necrophagia is far above that!

I’ll tell you a story: I walk into Virgin Mega Stores, (CD shop) a fresh £15 note clenched in my fist, happy in the knowledge that I would walk out with a great new slab of metal to enjoy. Whilst browsing the metal section, I see this, Necrophagia: Cannibal Holocaust. The shop workers, obviously knowing my type as soon as I had walked in had cunningly put the sticker on, half concealing the band name.
I look down, and I see (Or I thought I had saw, ha-ha) a shiny new Necrophagia EP, never seen before by my eyes. I rush to the counter with my new purchase, eyes glazed over at the thought of the wonderful technical death metal time I’ll have when I get home, so I don’t even realize that this is a shitty death metal EP with Phil Anselmo on guitar and a bunch of no-marks providing the other musical positions-with the ever vomitable Killjoy ‘million band man’ on vocals.
Anyway, when I got home I realized my error, but was, yet again, ‘safe in the knowledge’ that I could take it back if it was crap. I had lost my receipt. Distraught, praying that this would be good (I’d slaved long and hard for my cash, and I didn’t want to have blown my last bit of money on a worthless EP) I put it into the CD player… And I was pleasantly surprised, the first track isn’t all that shabby, albeit a bit primitive and lacking a solo. Synths open up and then some simple power-chord strumming introduces the song, which breaks into a simple, yet suitably distorted riff. Killjoy’s vocals are actually quite nice and the song is fairly enjoyable.
I’m dedicating a whole album to the next 4 songs of the EP, because…Well, because they suck. Save for the intro to It Lives in the Woods (that scene from Evil Dead “What happened to her eyes?!?!”) which is suitably creepy it’s absolutely horrible, crappy lifeless noise with nothing interesting to go on.
Please, don’t make the same mistake I did, please God no-LEAVE THIS ALONE!!!! Download the track Cannibal Holocaust and then forget you ever saw that review giving this a 75%, forget all about it, and go listen to some Necrophagist.

I purchased this EP in a two pack along with Viking Crown's "Banished Rhythmic Hate". I was mainly curious because I had heard good things about the band, but also that the guitarist is none other than Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo(he also plays guitar in Viking Crown).

The material on hand is pretty good. What we get is five songs, one of them being a new song, two demo versions, an uneleased track, and a tribute to the late Euronymous of Mayhem. The cd also has a video for the title track, which is pretty gross.

The title track is fairly impressive and fun to listen to. It relies heavily on simple, old school thrash style riffing with some death metal touches such as the creepy slow paced midsection and deathy vocals. Killjoy's vocals are a kind of vomitous shrieking with a few growls here and there which seems a little more suited for black metal, but it is definetley appropriate for this type of music.

The two demo songs are in the same vein style wise but with a worse production. The fourth track is an eerie keyboard piece(played by Anselmo's wife), which is cool but doesn't really fit well with the other songs. Last is "Chainsaw Lust", an interesting song which borrows riffs from Mayhem's "Chainsaw Gutsfuck".

All in all this is a pretty cool release. My only only real problem with it is that it is too short. It is worth picking up but there are probably better places to start in the bands discography.