Bloodthirst

Released just a year after “Gallery of Suicide”. “Bloodthirst” is another bold statement of gore and mass carnage. This is the second album to feature Pat O’Brien on guitars, continuing to strengthen the band and contributing more to the songwriting/album creation. This was one of the albums I wasn’t as familiar with when it came to Cannibal Corpse’s (CC) catalog, I obviously knew the hit songs from this album but it wasn’t until I jammed this album more frequently that I appreciated it more. This album Is an absolute monster that will crush your skull.

One thing that I immediately noticed was the more powerful production on this album than its predecessor “Gallery of Suicide”. The guitars and bass have more punch and strength to them, and the drums sound absolutely hard-hitting and crisp. Corpsegrinder's vocals once again sound monstrous and brutal, continuing to sound more comfortable with CC as this would be his 3rd studio album with the band. His high screams and energetic performance are always satisfying to listen to. His vocal range is incredibly large and versatile, this is also probably the lowest his voice has gotten at this point.

“Boodthrist” is one of the most straightforward albums you’ll hear from CC. Right from the incredible album opener “Pounded into Dust” it doesn’t fuck around, for the whole 35 minutes this album runs it will split your spine apart. Filled with frantic riffage and tremolos, sinister grooves, and slower sections along with the barbaric squealy solos. It’s a short head-banging fest that will please any death metal fan. Once again proving that you can still sound and write fresh and energetic songs/albums without doing anything new or groundbreaking.

Jack Owen and Pat O’Brien sound tight as ever. They lay down that rhythm section perfectly and write excellent hooks and solos. There’s always a good hook to each song or something that instantly gets stuck in your head. The riffs on “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty” specifically are easily recognizable and some of the best on the album, “Pounded into Dust” and “Coffin Feeder” are also riff sandwiches. Paul Mazurkiewicz as always sounds great when it comes to his drum delivery, fast as fuck pounding drums that’ll beat your skull in repeatedly.

The lyrical content is the usual gore rampage that is to be expected with CC. With Paul and Alex’s lyrics being as gruesome and as depraved as ever. This record also displays CC’s continuation of adding technicality to their music, especially in the riffs and solos. But it’s not the flashy technical wankery a lot of technical death metal bands would utilize, they use it because it fits certain parts and sections. This album also trickles into more sinister territory, with the little intro to “Hacksaw Decapitation” being a great example. The riffage of the song also provides some evil flair that works effectively.

I want to go back to talk about the highlight of this album “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty”. Opening up with an evil-sounding riff before kicking into a groove that instantly gets your head banging. And then right after it goes into one of the best riffs this album has, it’s a slow bendy riff that sounds maniacal with Corpsegrinder’s screams on top of it. I always go back to this album specifically for this song, showcasing why this is one of CC’s best songs. Other highlights of the album I have yet to mention are “Ecstasy in Decay”, “Raped by the Beast” and “Blowtorch Slaughter”.

While this isn’t in the top 5 greatest CC albums for me “Bloodthirst” is still a great record. It contains everything I love about the band, the grim imagery and the crushing toons. In my eyes I feel as if this record doesn’t necessarily get talked about as much as other records by CC, I do agree that there are way better albums that this band would create later on. But this is still worth checking out. Another remarkable Corpsegrinder CC album. Good shit.

Bloodthirst is the album that would solidify Cannibal Corpse’s sound for…

*checks watch*

...about the next 24 years as it takes pummelling death metal, gives it a technical bent and dashes it with a hint of its thrashier old school counterpart, thus creating their own blend of death metal. It basically mixes it up between punishing and flat-out mania. A lot of the developments made throughout the 90s but especially during The Bleeding, Vile and Gallery of Suicide end up taking a more fleshed out form here, with overall tighter songwriting for maximum enjoyment. In short, Bloodthirst is the first album since Tomb of the Mutilated where you can’t really go wrong with any of the songs across the board. You’d be splitting the atom trying to find any major faults, at any rate.

Across the whole, there’s definitely been some tightening to the songwriting since Rob Barrett’s introduction in The Bleeding and especially since Pat O’Brien’s appearance in Gallery of Suicide. Pat’s fiery, manic riffs complement Jack Owen’s hard-hitting, more pugilistic sort of thrashy death metal style, even moreso than Barrett’s simply relatively technical approach to riffing. Also, gotta give it to Paul Mazurkiewicz – his stomping rhythms end up driving the riffs into a pummelling fury! Of course, there’s Corpsegrinder’s signature hoarse growls – still with a slightly wet inflection here and there that rolls right off the tongue. That, and the occasional sort of ghoulish highs, is the icing on top of the Cannibal Corpse sundae. The question from there is “how does it all tie together” and the answer is what I said above – creating a sound that is their own, which blends hard-hitting death metal with thrashy and technical overtones. Being able to do that and turn that towards tunes that make an overall positive impression (unless you’re a “Chris Barnes or bust” kind of Cannibal Corpse fan) definitely shows a strong sense of unity.

Usually, it would go on from there that Bloodthirst is some underrated classic in Cannibal Corpse’s discography and all that. I can dig that tune. It’s an album that does start off very strong. “Pounded into Dust” certainly lives up to its title as it especially hits hard and fast from the get-go with its pounding riffs and percussion. It starts the album off on exactly the right foot, much like songs such as “Devoured By Vermin”, “I Will Kill You” and the immortal “Hammer Smashed Face”. “Dead Human Collection” and “Ecstasy in Decay” maintain this in a thrashier manner, while “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty” shows the slower, heavier side of the band in a more... blunt force trauma kind of way than the more atmospheric “Gallery of Suicide”. “Raped by the Beast” has this particularly fiery riff that grabs your attention, only for its smashing riffs to finish you off. There are certainly some pretty good, if not outright fuckin’ great songs here. But that’s just it. The first three songs promise a truly great album and the rest deliver stuff that’s merely pretty good with some cool bits here and there. Like, it basically starts to trail off just that little bit to stop it from being a great album as less and less of the album stands tall beyond its overall sound.

Still, Bloodthirst is an enjoyable album that showcases everything that they’ve built up to throughout the 90s. Given the continued success over the past near-two and a half decades, it’s clear that they carved out something pretty cool that they would further refine over time.

What a killer album that has so many highlights to it! Brutal death metal like they always deliver but the riffs are just fantastic. And the vocals. Everything seemed to fit in on this release. It's one of my favorites from them! This one is a step-up from 'Gallery of Suicide'. The riffs are better and so are the vocals! It seems like this album has a lot of balls to it. Uncompromising death metal the whole way through. It just doesn't seem to let up at all whatsoever! The only drawback is that it's a little over 34 minutes, but intense nevertheless. I find not many flaws with the playing at all and Corpsegrinder's vocals go well with the guitar.

The songs were key to get into the guitar mostly. That crunch tone with guitars that are in B-flat tuning. Totally brutal! The sound quality was top notch. No mistakes there! This album was released almost 25 years ago and still is a top Cannibal release. A few hit-or-miss with this band though just a few flops in their entire discography. I like the Corpsegrinder era of Cannibal though there were a couple of good releases with Barnes on vocals. I would say 'Butchered At Birth' and 'Tomb of the Mutilated' were the best in the Barnes' era. I just don't think he has the range that Corpsegrinder has.

The production quality was superb and every instrument was in sync hands down! There's really nothing to dislike here especially with death metal fans. Some of my favorites from Cannibal besides the 2 Barnes was on (previously mentioned) but with Corpsegrinder 'The Wretched Spawn', 'Gallery of Suicide', 'Torture', 'A Skeletal Doman', 'Red Before Black' and 'Violence Unimagined'. So it's fair to say that the most consistent they've been with Corpsegrinder. This one is top and 'Kill' is another killer release by them. But it sucks that Pat O'brien is no longer with the band. Meth addiction rendered him insane!

I bought this CD. I'm not saying that you should too if CD's aren't your "thing" at this point. Most people just stream music which doesn't really benefit the band much. Cannibal has come a long way from their origin up until now. They're still kicking ass and 'Bloodthirst' is a monument. Everything seemed to fit musically and vocal wise. I would check it out if you haven't yet. Everything just conquered! They just needed it to be longer but I didn't take points off for that. I think this is one of their top releases in the 90's Cannibal era. This is an album that's difficult to top! Check it out if you haven't already!

It turns out that the band of Webster and Mazurkiewicz were so dissatisfied with the results achieved on the "Gallery Of Suicide" that while the release of that album, the Americans started...recording another one. And so only a year later the seventh album of Cannibal Corpse was released, which was called "Bloodthirst" and which - as previously assumed - was supposed to be more raw and aggressive. However, as it soon turned out, the whole plan fell into ruin again, because..."Bloodthirst" has clearly different proportions.

First of all, "Bloodthirst" has little in common with a more rawness or aggression, and more in it - slightly referring to "The Bleeding" - technical bizarre and more selective sound. One thing has remained unchanged: it's another very good cd in the discography of Cannibal Corpse, which is not inferior to its predecessors (and even exceeds some of them)! Of course, it's also difficult to be somehow surprised when listening to it and find incredibly great advantages in a more technical approach - after all, it's a small novelty. But the music is constructed in such a way that it suits the fans of the group and conservatively continues the proven formula. However, on this album it makes sense, because - despite too many similar patents - "Bloodthirst" is really good to listen to. There can be like "rhythmic" and quite brutal "Blowtorch Slaughter", "Dead Human Collection", "Sickening Metamorphosis" or "Pounded Into Dust", but also the more confusing songs like "Hacksaw Decapitation", "Raped By The Beast" or "The Spine Splitter". In short, there is something to listen to, although "Bloodthirst" it's not a total revelation.

With their seventh album, the Americans from Cannibal Corpse proved that within a year they can also make a very good music. Not bringing too many changes on it, but still at a high level and audible for a few decent listenings. The advantage is the greater that usually, because commonly this approach does not convince me.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2022/03/cannibal-corpse-bloodthirst-1999.html

If someone suddenly said the words "Cannibal Corpse" out loud in a roomfull of metalheads, what would most people think of immediately ? What distinct sound has the band C.Corpse sculpted and refined over the course of their illustrious discography, that would become unmistakably their musical signature ? The sound of 'Bloodthirst' would certainly not be a wild choice. The previous effort 'Gallery of Suicide' had laid out the foundation for that music to be possible. George Fisher was now performing vocals for his third C.Corpse record, 'Vile' being the audition/transition album and 'Gallery' the official inaugural work of the band playing in their modern outfits, shedding their early/mid 90's classic death metal skins away.

'Gallery' was surely impressive sounding death metal, but 'Bloodthirst' just has fuller/deeper guitars yet. The guitars sound like they're stacked, plus they're very low tuned, and still come out surprisingly clear and articulate. It's like the producer found the perfect balance to get the best of both worlds, at the same time. The guitars are fat, thick and full to burst with gain, yet they don't sound like they're clogging up the mix and sit perfectly with the bass and drums. Bearing in mind this isn't basic metal with just power chords and simple licks, to have this sort of technical proficiency on every track, with guitars tuned to Standard T or X or whatever, with that kind of speed, and still sound sharp and dynamic is quite impressive. Especially for an album technically classified as part of the 90's.

It should be emphasized this album came out just one year after the previous 'Gallery', which speaks volumes about the work rate of the band as far as their ability to produce studio album worthy material quickly, as well as their capacity for fast and noticeable improvement. Song-writing wise this album as a whole, on average, I would say is easily better than its predecessor. As a matter of fact, at that time this was arguably their most accomplished record of the seven, on account that the production is more massive and 'Cannibal Corpse' like than ever, the song-writing of a high caliber throughout the record, the tone of the album generally darker and more gloomy than ever, and that it was simply such a polished work. It is certainly tidier than its predecessor, with a length of just 34 minutes versus 44 for 'Gallery', in a neat 11-track package versus Gallery's overkill 14 track format.

So the more appreciable aspects of this record mentioned so far are its concision and tighter/deeper production sound, but what about what really matters, the purely musical aspect ? Cannibal Corpse rather nailed the concept of incorporating the furious technical stuff into a cohesive frame of a song with an identity for each track, rather than letting the wildness run amok. This isn't new for them, and on older albums they were wary of the importance of a catchy theme, but the band made sure each song had a memorable moment to it and implemented that plan probably the best they'd done so far. Every track has a slower part, or a recurring familiar riff. There's always something to hang onto the whole way that the fan remembers from previous listens, a hook of some sort. Otherwise, with that same mindset of balance what the album does well is it spreads the faster parts between slower grooves in a way that it never sounds like it's just droning on. Some albums, particularly death metal, will sometimes act like a redundant metronome if one just loses focus for a moment. None of that here, 'Bloodthirst' knows how to keep the listener interested with its dazzling array of death metal variety and tricks.

Finally, the most interesting part of this album might be its ability to reach deep down, in the darker areas of death metal. Wild riffy fun and headbanging action are good, but Cannibal Corpse prides itself on being the musical equivalent for horror movies. So where's the dark sounding stuff ? Well, it's on 'Hacksaw Decapitation' with its eerie guitar feedback intro and insidious verse. It's on 'Sickening Metamorphosis' and its dirgy groove and flat-out bleak atmosphere during the whole track. It's on 'Ecstasy in Decay' and its epic horror theme, or on a number of minor riffs on various tracks, with at least a couple of particularly vicious ones on 'Dead human collection' for example.

Is 'Bloodthirst' a masterpiece ? I would say it isn't because despite its consistent high quality, it rarely or possibly never displays any actual genius. Ironically, this is perhaps their best effort of all time in how consistent/polished and neatly packaged it is, yet, the very best C.Corpse songs are arguably found elsewhere, scattered around over multiple albums. I could name a few examples of songs from other albums that none of the 'Bloodthirst' tracks can directly compete with (at least for me): 'From Skin to Liquid', 'Frantic Disembowelment', 'Murder Worship', all from three separate albums that are possibly below 'Bloodthirst' in terms of overall quality, but have higher peaks. It's difficult still however, to rank 'Bloodthirst' all that low in their discography as all the ingredients that make this band who they are, everything that this band is about can be found in abundant amounts on here. Clever, dark and clinical guitar riffs with a huge juicy metal distortion sound, intriguing death metal tracks, powerful dynamic vocals, classic and full-sounding drumming... what else do you want from them ?

Well I do love Cannibal Corpse, that's a fact. I've been listening to them since they formed in 1988 and I've only been let down a couple of times by "The Bleeding" and "Tomb of the Mutilated." Not so with this album, however. "Bloodthirst" in and out is a straightforward death metal album, or rather a special brand of death metal. A brand that incorporates melody with brutality very eloquently. From the striking cover art to the sharp music within, I've got a lot to like here.

George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. He's a singer with a far better range and depth than his predecessor Chris Barnes. I'm a fan of his highs and lows when singing, which are on on display quite well on "Dead Human Collection."

Guitarists Jack Owen and Pat O' Brien provide their money's worth on "Bloodthirst" with some fantastic solos and intuitive and inventive riffs, like on the album's opener "Pounded into Dust." I like the interplay between both guitarists on "Ecstacy in Decay;" I think it fits very well into the heavy and unique style this album has. Alex Webster provides the lyrics and the rumbling bass lines here, most notably on "Coffin Feeder," where Alex fits in between the beating drums and guitars. His lyrics however can leave you confused and perhaps a little bewildered because I don't feel he gets the message that he wants to fully get across on "Bloodthirst" with his lyrical content.

Paul Mazurkiewicz, drummer and co-lyricist is good (and I say good because he does one thing better than anyone else and that's blastbeats) and on point for this entire album and he doesn't falter once. He's a big inspiration for myself as a drummer because I like his approach and the overall way he goes about using his skills as a drummer.

And to close this review off, the reason "Bloodthirst" only gets a ninety and not a hundred percent score is because of the last track: "Condemned to Agony." I'm honest when I say this track shouldn't have made onto the record. It's through no fault of the musicians at hand, it's merely what they choose to do for this song, and that's seemingly nothing for 3 minutes and 44 seconds other than some stale riffing and drumming. Again, it's not the fault of the musicians, it's what they've chosen to create as a song.

"Bloodthirst" is an album I still listen to and I consider it a watershed moment for Cannibal Corpse back when it was released in 1999.

In 1994, Cannibal Corpse released Tomb Of The Mutilated, and despite a ton of controversy regarding the album cover and lyrical content, it was hailed as one of the best death metal albums of all time. Since then, the band hasn't seemed to ever put out a release that would ever receive such acclaim. It's a real shame, because I personally think that Bloodthirst is by far their greatest effort. While Tomb is a solid slice of death metal, Bloodthirst feels more varied and doesn't suffer from some songs sounding "same-y" to each other. Every song on this album is distinguishable and very memorable, and when you have 11 tracks, that's definitely an accomplishment.

One of the most notable things about Bloodthirst is the production. This is one of the best, if not best, sounding albums that the band has ever put out. Aside from the bass sounding a bit quiet compared to everything else in the mix, everything manages to come together and sound absolutely amazing. When the bass is there, it sounds great. This shouldn't really come as much of a surprise knowing that this is Alex Webster we're talking about. The guitars sound very polished as opposed to how muddy they sounded on Vile and Gallery Of Suicide. This might even be my favorite guitar sound out of all of Cannibal's releases. The drum sound has a great punch to it, and the amount of time that was spent on getting the sound right was definitely worth it in the end. As for the vocals by Corpsegrinder, I can't stress enough how good he sounds here. Where he sounded a bit muffled by comparison on the past 2 albums, the production of Bloodthirst makes him sound clearer than ever. When he's barking out 100 words per minute, it sounds fantastic. His screams are also the best that they have ever sounded, and that is an understatement as to how much I love them. Listen to the chorus in Pounded Into Dust and you'll know what I mean.

The musicianship is just as impressive as the production. It's not the most technical playing you'll ever hear, but it's still pretty great. When the band is playing fast in songs like the first track, it's hard to not want to just let loose and headbang for the song's brief 2 minute length. When the band is playing grooves in songs like The Spine Splitter, trying to get those riffs out of your head is damn near impossible. The execution of it all is great, to say the least. Each song feels different and unique, and not just for the album, but for all of Cannibal's discography. Have you ever looked through a band's albums and noticed a song or two that you remember liking but you can't remember anything specific about them? That's not the case with Bloodthirst. Every song is so well executed and so memorable that it begs to be replayed. With a length of 34 and a half minutes, listening to it in it's entirety is a piece of cake and you'll be surprised by how fast it moves by because you're enjoying the music so much. With that being said, I think this is Cannibal Corpse's Reign In Blood as far as production, length, and replay value are concerned.

It's a real shame that this album doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. There's not a single complaint that I have with it other than it ends. Finding a perfect album is a rare occasion for me, but I really do think that Bloodthirst is one of those albums. Amazing production, 11 consistently strong tracks, and endless replay value makes it not only my favorite Cannibal Corpse album, but also one of my favorite albums of all time.

This is a notable Cannibal Corpse album because it's the only one where the censored cover is actually better than the original. I mean, which would you really prefer: another bit of standard Locke gore or the much more haunting and weirdly harrowing depiction of the album's symbolic creature on the censored version? There's no contest in my mind.

Above and beyond that, this is perhaps the most archetypal Corpsegrinder album out there. It pretty accurately sums up the latter part of Cannibal Corpse's career: fairly technical, pummeling death metal that doesn't completely excise its oldschool thrash influences and is in many ways more rocklike than your usual death metal band owing to its verse/chorus song structures. In a lot of ways, Corpsegrinder himself appears to be the leading instrument, his vocal rhythms clashing brutally with the guitars and drums, like he's singing a completely different song than the instrumental track he's over. This isn't a particularly unusual convention in Cannibal Corpse but it's more pronounced here; that's really the only thing that distinguishes this album from the others of the same era, apart from the fact that when you think of Corpsegrinder-era Cannibal Corpse, this is the music you hear in your head.

There's nothing really wrong with this album; the production is good, the songs are very listenable and accessible, it's not a slog like 'Vile' was. At the same time, 'Pounded Into Dust' is about the only song I can really remember after the CD is off, being a traditional pummeling Cannibal Corpse opener on par with most others. It's really as conventional as Cannibal Corpse gets; not really a problem, but certainly this is no match to the follow-up album, 'Gore Obsessed', possibly the band's most underrated release. A lot of dedicated Cannibal Corpse fans suggest that this is a fantastic, underrated album, but I don't really see it: it's as middle-of-the-road as the band gets and doesn't really offer a lot in repeated listens.

Still, if you like Cannibal Corpse's traditional style, there's no reason not to get this. The songs are solid if not particularly memorable and there's a thousand more known album which are worth much less than whatever you'll pay for this.

Bloodthirst is more than just the apex of one band's career, it is also one of the finest death metal recordings yet offered via the human race, or certainly one of the finest I am proud to have heard and own. Since acquiring George Corpsegrinder Fisher for the rather average Vile, they have been making leaps and bounds with each release. First, Gallery of Suicide showed their inevitable promise, a technical and bloodsoaked splatter of great songwriting and atmosphere which straddles both the local morgue and the necropoli of the ancient. What Bloodthirst does is chip away every flake of excess fat from the compositions, leaving behind only a bared skeleton of flawless and brutal execution, which simultaneously honors all the great death metal of yesterday (from the Floridian sect of Death and Morbid Angel to the European greats like Pestilence), and shows that the band can run with just about any of the modern day, come lately jazz trained spastic youth who have invaded death metal with virtuoso intentions and left behind little but unmemorable, arrogant tripe thus far.

Bloodthirst is fast and it is pissed, but most importantly, it's the kind of album you can totally bang your head out to. Now, I'm an older guy, looking forward to such end of life triumphs as Viagra, checkers, more tea than I drink now, and finding my social security depleted thanks to bailouts and government entitlement programs; the kind of guy who might find it a little awkward to just break out headbanging his already strained neck. But even in writing this review, I have probably slipped at least three vertebrae from gyrating my spinal cord and planting my forehead against the nearest solid object (computer desk). The energy here is among the most the Corpse have ever ventured, and it is the listener who reaps the gain. The album features what many will one day come to know as the 'best', if not the 'classic' lineup of the band, with Fisher on vocals, Jack Owen and shredder Pat O'Brien on the guitars, Alex Webster ruling the bottom end, and the veteran skinner Paul Mazurkiewics, and each is at the very top of his career. But this is not some over-indulgent display of axe wankery, it is a force against nature which clearly has designs on the life of every human being breathing our atmosphere.

"Pounded Into Dust" is essentially the best way to describe me upon completion of a Bloodthirst listening, and yet it is presented up front as a dire warning to any who may continue into its curving, hammering depths. As usual, Cannibal Corpse are not ashamed to wear their thrashing influence on their bloodstained sleeves; now I know, yeah, all death metal comes from thrash, but Corpse show a huge love for both the brutal and technical European elements of the Germanic bands to the aggression of US/Bay Area/Canadian speed/thrash ala Slayer, Possessed or Razor. You can hear this in nearly every rhythm in this song, but my favorite would have to be the escalating, bludgeoning guitar passage around :40 that then breaks into a trot. "Dead Human Collection" arrives like the sense of paranoid confusion one might evoke upon the discovery of some hideout or backroom full of bodies piled high, having been massacred in all manner of brutal means. It's a wall of chugging force that constantly evolves into an even more concrete affirmation that your end is due in short order. But even this deathgasm would not prepare me for "Unleashing the Bloodthirsty", which is a likely candidate for my favorite Cannibal Corpse track ever...from the winding, unforgettable pattern of grooving mutes that comprises the verse, to the psychotic bridge which recalls the atmosphere of the classic Consuming Impulse from Pestilence, only a little more busy.

'Vengeance taking form
Endless hatred for the living
Plundering the world
Paroxysm of the damned
Rapture of their rage
Euphoria from butchery
A dark world will eclipse all life'

One would think you could just pen this tune and call it a day, for it is really that good, and yet there are still eight fantastic compositions to come, beginning with the roving, cerebral sledgehammer riffing of "The Spine Splitter", with it's maniacal collapse into blanketing bass and tapping madness. "Ecstasy in Decay" features a riff so fucking menacing that you can't help but feel you have left the world of the living, and suddenly see everything with necrotic humours pumping into your eyes from the entropy of a rotting brain. Acrobatic, tumbling rhythms entertain you like an undead circus act while you wait for that inevitable, domain crushing intro riff to return...and thankfully it does, albeit mutated, progressing into even more grisly gymnastics. "Raped by the Beast" is fun and thrashing hard, with razor rhythms strung as tightly as a garotte around the next victim's neck, while "Coffinfeeder" transforms from a brickhouse bludgeoning bass to a dark, choppy rhythm that could probably put most lumber companies out of business. The frenzy of clinical sounding, operating table mayhem that later erupts is some of the best you've heard post-Carcass.

"Hacksaw Decapitation" opens in distorted feedback, slowly swelling to inglorious capacities before the tunneling rhythm guitar erupts after about 70 seconds, straight into another hack and slash rhythm that almost teases you into thinking it will be boring before the band trades off into a creepy riff that covers you in arterial spray. "Blowtorch Slaughter" is a flippant, ferocious thrash off which grinds more pavement than a fleet of 18-wheelers piloted by zombie truckers. The rhythms transmit a very simple aesthetic: die, and when they get to the four on the floor thrash breakdown and then the seceding chug-a-long, you are in fact, dead. "Sicking Metamorphosis" crawls forward with another of the band's sluggish, mad scientist rhythms, you can simply close your eyes to picture the horrific experimentation the band was dreaming up with the narrative of these riffs, and the later melody builds a brutal and complex pace to the guitars which later morphs into even more vulgar lab results. The final track, "Condemned to Agony", is another island in a see of flawless, painful, violent joy, with freakish melodies that play to the thrashing verse guitar as Fisher's throat opens up, and then waves of psychosis that strike at you like a leeching abomination before Cannibal Corpse decide, for the last time, to pummel your fucking world down about you with an instant pit mayhem type of riff at around 1:30.

More than 10 years may have passed since the arrival of Bloodthirst, but it remains, in my opinion, the crowning achievement of this band, holding all the right cards for the perfect balance of their styles both old and new. It's complex, it's forceful and it is a seriously kick ass way to acclimate yourself to the world about you for 34 minutes. There are hundreds, if not thousands of death metal albums I have enjoyed in my time since the genre was birthed, but few that I will immediately grasp off the shelf for a fast and reliable fix sure to sate my dementia for a crushing, heavy sound that satisfies both in attitude and quality. Bloodthirst is one of them. I don't know what stars aligned in the sick world of the Corpse crew to compose this, but I hope that anomaly happens some time again in my lifetime. Later albums like Kill and Evisceration Plague actually come quite close to this one in terms of their quality, and have arguably more energy and production standards, but this is the true turning point at which a band that had been hyped through the ceiling (and granted, they had some great albums already like Tomb of the Mutilated, The Bleeding or Gallery of Suicide) suddenly was in full control of deserving such praise.

Cannibal Corpse has often been a target of death metal's detractors, because of their willingness to embrace the fantastical gore and murder of their creations as an art form. Ignorami will always single them out because of their higher visibility, and their popularity and success has even forced a segment of the underground who once worshiped them into a bunch of thumbsucking curmudgeons. Guess what? They are all wrong. Here is your lucky number #7, your living...err...undying (?) proof that they are one of the best death metal has to offer. Now bang that fucking head until you go all sleepytime.

Highlights: modern science has advanced enough medical technology that you will probably survive this. That is, if you want to.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I pulled this album out for the first time in eons after seeing the video for “Make Them Suffer” (a newer Cannibal Corpse song) on YouTube. It was really the comments that inspired me: folks with handles like BluesRocker1967 confidently asserting Cannibal Corpse have no talent at all, can't play their instruments, etc.; stuff that seems ludicrous when coming from an individual who has the music right in front of them. What are they hearing coming out their speakers, anyway?

It makes you stop and think about the whole notion of accessibility in music. This is about as accessible as straightforward death metal is going to get. The production is good and the riffs are simple enough to be clearly articulated and understood, and the songs are typically centered around choruses. In spite of not having heard the album in years, I could probably identify half the songs on the album by name after a few seconds of listening. I can't keep the names of Deeds of Flesh songs straight, and I like them. It's neither a good thing nor a bad thing, in and of itself.

I am a little like the opposite of BluesRocker1967. Dissonant, warbling guitars and growling vocals and fast drums and all that sound just peachy to me, prima facie. Your typical death metal fan, immunized and desensitized against death metal's harsh aesthetic, will not have much trouble getting what's going on here, perhaps aside from some complaints with Corpsegrinder's distinctive vocals. Supposedly all Corpsegrinder-era Cannibal Corpse sounds pretty similar, which I can't confirm from firsthand experience with any reliability, but as an isolated example of death metal, this does not sound like the product of a group of guys who wanted to rock the boat too much (if they did, their fans would revolt). I can't say anything overly negative about it, and I don't mind listening to it. It's not even really boring: there are just enough little time signature and tempo changes to maintain interest, and it's pretty catchy at points. Still, if I had my money back, I'd spend it on something other than a Cannibal Corpse album.

(Try not to mind BluesRocker1967's attitude much. He also thinks anyone can make electronic music because you don't have to play an instrument, and classical music is “really relaxing.”)

Cannibal Corpse have been experiencing a career revival of sorts recently with their last album "Kill" and rightfully so as that album is clearly the best thing released by a classic death metal act in quite sometime. But I read an interview with bassist Alex Webster recently where he was asked which of the Cannibal Corpse albums had been the most overlooked, his answer was "Bloodthirst". He also said it was a low point in sales for the band as well. I couldn't believe it because as much as I like "Kill", I feel this album is the peak of the albums they've put out with George Fisher.

Lets take a trip back to 1999. Megadeth releases "Risk", Machine Head releases "The Burning Red", and acts like KoRn and Limp Bizkit become the 1st names people think of when they hear the words heavy metal. Not a good time for any real metal releases let alone a Cannibal Corpse album, especially one as brutal as this one.

I think one of the reasons this album sounds so brutal is Colin Richardsons's clear but still heavy production. Most fans were put off by the muddy sound on "Gallery of Suicide" but the band rectify this on "Bloodthirst". Also the album clocks in at under 35 minutes so Cannibal Corpse wastes no time with experimentation here, they just keep it a brutal high paced listen the whole way through.

Finally theres the songwriting, which on this album is top notch. Tracks like "Pounded into Dust","Coffinfeeder","Ecstacy In Decay",and "The Spine Splitter" all will make you want to destroy everything around you, not to mention pound the face of anyone in range.Death metal can get repetitive and stagnant but Cannibal Corpse make sure to hold your attention the whole way through this album.

1999 may have been a dark year for real metal but this release and Testament's "The Gathering" showed there big name acts still making real heavy metal and saying fuck you to the trends at the time.So if your looking for a great death metal album and you really don't want some bullshit like Job For A Cowboy check this one out, I guarantee you'll be satisfied.

In the year 1999, Cannibal Corpse peaked. Some will claim it was in ’92 with the banal, gore-soaked Butchered at Birth; others that it was in ’96 upon the addition of George Fisher to the microphone. But it was with Bloodthirst in ’99 that they truly went above and beyond their capabilities. The only full album that sounded as good as this was Eaten Back to Life way back in ’90, and that was a very different Corpse than what would develop by the end of the decade. Finally utilizing Fisher to his full potential and cutting the fluff to allow only the tightest, nastiest ideas to survive, Bloodthirst is not only the apex of Corpsegrinder-era CC, but of their entire discography.

Now this statement might seem a bit presumptuous, as Cannibal Corpse are still alive and kicking (plus I haven’t heard the new album yet to judge it), but I can rest easily at night knowing I’ll never have to expect the band to put out an album better than this one. And who knows, they might just surprise me with a brand new classic, just as they surprised me with Bloodthirst, an album that had no right being as destructive as it is when taking in consideration the albums before and after it. No one expected a triumphant comeback after the half-hearted Gallery of Suicide. And after listening to Gore Obsessed or The Wretched Spawn, who would have thought that such marginally interesting albums could have been devised by the same band that unleashed THIS just a few years before. Perhaps these observations are all in hindsight, but let them stand as testament to an album that delivers unbelievably well in spite of a legacy of disappointment.

The first aspect of Bloodthirst that forcibly grabs the listener is the production. Never before has Cannibal Corpse sounded so devastating. Alex Webster’s bass is neither drowned out nor over-highlighted, allowing his basslines to slither between the guitars effortlessly, often creating harmonies that are otherworldly (see: “The Spine-Splitter” at 1:38 or “Ecstasy in Decay” at 2:08, among others). You won’t find riffs like that on a Deicide or Suffocation album, no offense to either of them. Paul Mazurkiewicz also performs at his very best, bludgeoning the listener with his most intense (not to mention best-recorded) drumming to date, but showing even more finesse in the highly variable tempo changes and technical time signature modulations. And Corpsegrinder finally gives a performance worthy of his nickname: his roars on here could indeed grind corpses. Additionally, it is worth noting that since the addition of the talented Pat O’Brien (ex-Nevermore) on second lead guitar, lineup staple Jack Owen has improved his leadwork to match his bandmate’s. Expect lots of crazy solos from both of them. I’d love to give them more credit for riff-writing, but most of the choice cuts on here were penned by Webster. O’Brien and Owen make up for it with flawless performances and a very brutal, but very, very discernable tone, never allowing a single riff to sound muddy or sloppy. Commendable job, gentlemen.

But speaking of songwriting, that’s the other significant difference between this album and the rest of the band’s work. Your average CC album consists of a few standout tracks, but scattered amidst a few too many by-the-book death metal anthems that neither impress nor displease. Not so on here, where every track is guaranteed to deliver at least one moment of exceptional creativity. Sometimes it’s the riffs, sometimes it’s the drums, and often it’s the lyrics. Opener “Pounded Into Dust” would be meritorious enough just from being so damn skull-crushing, but then there’s that chorus. “Blood soaks the ground…in their own….they will DROWN!” A Cannibal Corpse chorus that isn’t just brutal, but catchy? But yeah, lots of memorable riffs for once. From the dizzying verse segment and impossibly heavy chorus of “Dead Human Collection,” to the deceptively down-tempo riffs of Unleash the Bloothirsty” that explode into all-out fury by the bridge, to the crazy harmony riffs, solo exchanges, and all-around badassery that manifest in various other tracks throughout the album, Bloodthirst delivers quality death metal intensity track after track after track. Take special notice of the band’s uncharacteristic subtlety as well. There’s none of the awkward progressions that plagued previous albums; this album is tight and concise. The innovative atmosphere that was botched on Gallery of Suicide returns here, but rather than long tracks designed to showcase it, it’s integrated a little bit at a time, such as in that “Ecstasy in Decay” intro riff or that “Blowtorch Slaughter” interlude breakdown. But the thing I most admire about Cannibal Corpse’s songwriting here occurs during the song “Coffinfeeder.” Listen carefully to that half-time stomp riff immediately after the chorus ends. It is arguably one of the coolest riffs on the entire album and it is played exactly once. They play it again the next two times the chorus rolls back around, but only once at a time. They could’ve used it as a bridge breakdown or a chorus riff itself, expending it ad nauseam as a lesser band would, but instead they chose to play it only once, and not even long enough to mosh to at that. This sort of restraint is nearly unheard of in death metal (outside of say Atheist) and adds an air of mystery to that song that has not yet dispersed for me, even after repeated listening. There’s lesser moments like this in other songs, but they’re valid nonetheless. Don’t expect this degree of subtlety on future albums, but feel free to enjoy it as you listen to this one.

Barring a miraculous return to glory, I will continue to insist that this is Cannibal Corpse’s finest hour. I know I’ve said it before about their pre-Eaten Back to Life demo, but this is truly their definitive work. Top-notch performances, riffs from hell, respectable lyrics, dexterous arrangements, and a wicked ass cover; it’s about all you could ever want from this band. And even as I shit on their other albums I haven’t reviewed yet, for releasing this monstrosity of metal, CC will always be okay in my book.

Being released only one year after the hideously underrated „Gallery of Suicide“ many people thought that „Bloodthirst“ might not be able to match their expectations. Furthermore, many fans were still sceptical about Pat O’ Brien’s influence on CCs sound (probably due to the hatred against the rather atypical previous album).

Thankfully, most of the doubters were absolutely crushed by the sheer power of this release. Even I, being a fan of “Gallery of Suicide”, was pleasantly surprised of the might that is “Bloodthirst”. Never has any Cannibal Corpse production job been as great as on this record. Actually, it might be one of the best jobs in all of Death Metal. It’s better than the new Suffocation or Deicide, for example, which is not exactly easy to accomplish - especially when being 7 years older than those two.

The technical aspect in the instrumental work has risen tremendously. While “Gallery of Suicide” has decreased the speed and technicality compared to older post-Barnes work, “Bloodthirst” takes off where “Vile” left and improves the skillful playing in about every aspect of this already impressive album.

Corpsegrinder managed to improve his vocal work as well; some of the various vocal lines on “Gallery…” seemed a bit forced (mainly the slightly overused variation of guttural growls and high-pitched shrieks), but all these minor faults have been successfully eliminated. Fisher does still use various vocal techniques, but damn, are they placed well – not predictable at all, yet perfectly suitable in appearance.

Still, Owen and O’Brien are what make this record what it is. The riffcraft is the best I have heard in ALL of death metal. The combination of technical prowess and extremely catchy songwriting is unparalleled. The frenzy lead work is as potent as the crushing rhythm. Tracks like “Pounded Into Dust”, “Hacksaw Decapitation” and “Raped by the Beast” shove riff after riff down your throat, leaving nothing but sheer excitement behind. The songs are complex and non-formulaic without falling into the “wall of sound” trap – they are memorable and easily distinguishable.

Alex Webster’s bass playing doesn’t differ much from other CC works – it’s still fantastic; so is Paul’s drumming, which simply annihilates everything in its path; both definitely benefit of the amazing production values.

All songs are amazing, so it would be hard to pick distinctive highlights, but “Ecstasy in Decay” sticks out due to it being a bit less excellent than the other tracks.

Conclusion: If you want to call yourself a self-respectable death metal fan, you must check out “Bloodthirst” – one of the best extreme metal albums ever.

How is it possible that one band changes so vividly over the period of one year? After the hideous release “Gallery of suicide”, Cannibal Corpse unleashed their absolute highpoint of their career, “Bloodthirst”. The most apparent changes from the previous outletting is the production and the overall brutality they’re known to deliver. This is 10 times more vicious than “Gallery…” and twice as fine as “Vile”. How could they go wrong?

There isn’t a single “bad” song on this album. It’s all filled with unrestrained imagery from all aspects which describes good old death metal. Take for instance track nr. 6, “Raped by the Beast”. From the start, it delivers a headbanging frenzy, and succeeds to do so until the last second. “The Spine Splitter” starts off as if you’re thrown into the middle part of a fast Cannibal Corpse song. It’s a brilliant idea, and they pulled it off flawlessly. “Dead Human Collection” features some odd tempo changes and brutal riffs that send shivers down your spine. Opener “Pounded into dust” features very complex guitar- and drum-work which is quite new (at that point of their career) to them. “Sickening Metamorphosis” slows the whole scenario down for a few seconds before blasting into full speed again. The list goes on and on… This album was just bound to receive good feedback.

The whole sonic performance succeeds their previous releases. The production here is really good and suits the overall experience. The mixing is most impressive. The drums even out with the guitars, and the vocals are really pressed forward so none of the lyrics could be misinterpreted. Even the bass (often a major problem with this type of music) is presented grandly, and every technical detail can be heard.
This band never need to release a “best off” album, they’ve already created it with “Bloodthirst”. It’s an absolutely essential album if you’re into brutal death metal.

After hestitantly picking up this cd, with bad memories of "gallery of suicide" still etched in my mind, I was pleased upon hearing this.
Everything about this album is different in a better way.This is so unlike any other cannibal corpse album.
Its not like the blaring buzzsaw like brutality of the barnes albums and its not too technical either.This one strikes the right balance.With heaviness, speed, technicality and clarity.
The production is crisp. The guitars sounds blazing as opposed to the wet sound of "gallery" and "gore obsessed".
The drum sound has been finally fixed up right. The rich "thump" is heard in every beat.
The musicmanship is tight, making each song headbang-able to. Just think of this as "gallery of suicide" in fast forward with better vocals,drums and guitar sound.
Even the cd art is different,the artist making it look rather sci-fi rather than the usual gory romps of their other albums.
In every song you can make out the riffs, the bass lines and the vocals clearly.
The blast beats are a tad faster than the other post-bleeding cannibal corpse albums.
Each song is just about 3 minutes long. Cannibal corpse have payed more attention to speed and heaviness rather than just ponder over expendable things like "complexity" or "technicality" of the riffs.
Fisher still screams on this album ,but its more of growls and he times all the high pitched screams right, so I really felt like throating along to the songs.

The highlights of the album in no particular order are :
1.Pounded into dust: Everybodys favourite! Starts off with a very innovative kinda riff. Fisher growls fast spewing out the lyrics. Just 2 minutes in length, its guarenteed to leave you with a sore neck.

2.Blowtorch slaughter: This song is all riffs and shouts/screams/growls. The chorus is really sick and Fishers vocal patterns are really brutal. The mid part of the song with the chorus is total mosh pit material!

3.Spinesplitter: Somewhat remniscent of "sentenced to burn", but only several times faster. Great riffage and guitarwork.Has one of the best drum patterns Ive heard. Though very monotonous with little change in pace, its one of the best songs on the cd and one of my personal favourites. Watch out for a really wicked solo.

4.Hacksaw decapitation: This fucker has the sickest intro since "meat hook sodomy".And some really psychotic guitar work bringing out accurately the gruesome lyrical content of the song. The part where Fisher goes "I cant remember my name, or when the blood of the dead flowed so relentlessly" is the best. Definetely one of their sickest songs.

5.The beast: This song actually feels very black metal when you consider the riffs at the beginning.I thought it was similar to a song by emperor(In a lighter vein, the opening lines are "black forest of evil, a demons possesion"hehe) The riffs and the rhythm in the middle of the song is just downright brutal.Fishers vocals have never been better. Times all his screams well and growls most of the song. One of my all time cannibal favourites. Though somewhat similar to "blowtorch slaughter" in terms of structure.

6.Unleashing the bloodthirsty: This could have been named "the bleeding pt 2" taking into consideration the similarity of the tone of this song. Great vocals and a neat chorus. And some of the best guitar work cannibal have shown us since the bleeding. The song picks up pace in the middle and becomes a flurry of raging guitar work and drums.

7.Dead human collection : This ones got a bad ass bass line and some great shredding riffs. Demonstrating that the band can play technical and make it sound brutal too. Faintly remniscent of "staring through the eyes of the dead".

The other songs are good too but rather unmemorable."Coffinfeeder" and "condemned to agony" are fun to listen to but pales in comarison with "blowtorch slaughter" or "pounded into dust".
"Sickening metamorphosis" could have been a song from "gallery of suicide".Its slow and wet. With some random screaming and ok drums. I just skip this track.

In the end, bloodthirst was well worth my money and I was 100% satisfied. I think these are the standards cannibal corpse should maintain. Would recommend this album to any fan of heavy metal.

Alot of the Cannibal Corpse fans that I have talked to were worried that this album was gonna be a rushed slab of shit because it was released only one year after Gallery of Suicide. This album put all those worries to rest. Released in 1999 I believe that this is Cannibal Corpse's best album ever for so many reasons. First and most important is that they grew as a band using not only their ability to use their trade mark brutality but also the ability to mix melody and brutality to create a very special album. Second is the technicallity on this album. Both Jack Owen and Pat O'brien create some of the best riffage ever heard in the world of death metal, Pat is the perfect partner for Jack Owen in my opinion. Third is the lenghth of the songs, most of them are under 3 minutes which is great, no messin around get right to the point death metal. Fave song on this one, Pounded into Dust. Another great point on this album is the production handled by Colin Richardson of Carcass and Napalm Death fame. Every Cannibal Corpse fan own this album. A short straight to the point review for an album that gets right to the point with every song. Thank you.

There's so much improvement on this Cannibal release. It's their best. the production is clear, the music is varied (even the drums) and it just scorches. They even experiment with groove a little. I've heard most all C.C. and bloodthirst is the total package. Let's break into the tracks, shall we??

1. Pounded Into Dust - This a complete riff-fest of a song. Love the war-laden lyrics. Opens up with a quick four sixteenth-notes alternating with a couple quarter notes, in a very chromatic fashion. Then it just goes into blast mode, very complimentary to the war-inspired lyrics. The riffs here are actually fairly thrashy, descendent from the blueprint that Slayer laid down.

2. Dead Human Collection - My favorite Cannibal Track period. I don't see how this song couldn't grab someone's attention, opening in a very catchy manner by just using minor thirds with varying roots, something Cannibal is well-known for. But here they don't trill them, it's the infamous faux-triplet pattern, with the minor third picked twice, and then the root once. After that it goes into a riff that's parts make some sense, but altogether don't make a lot of sense from a musical standpoint. Still quality though, and the use of a couple different root->sixth not successsions, which you generally don't see, and if you do it's not nearly as effective as this. Then there's the open minor (Bb in this case) semi-chromatic groove part that instead of giving you a break from the frenetic nature of the rest of the song, is even heavier and drives you towards mania even more. All the while this song is incredibly catchy, and I can generally remember the whole tune at any given moment, even without having heard it for months.

3. Unleashing The Bloodthirsty - Essentially the title track. Definite groove domination here, and Fisher's screams are bone-chilling. Great employment of pinch harmonics as well. Don't like the way it ends but that's very minor.

4. The Spine Splitter - Not bad i guess. Good melody, but this song is a little monotonous, especially in comparison to the first three songs. Not filler, but not a hilight. Just sounds a bit uninspired.

5. Ecstacy In Decay - much better than the last track. Back and forth between killer epileptic riffs and equally killer groove. They do this so well.

6. Raped By The Beast - Decent. Sounds alot like The Spine Splitter. Riff that starts at approx 1:40 is Slayer worship.

7. Coffinfeeder - Bass Feature!! A definite must for C.C. Pretty good track. Keeps up the drive and intensity well.

8. Hacksaw Decapitation - I ponder sometimes where they get the names for songs, cuz when I write death lyrics the titles just come to me as do the lyrics. I dunno. Anyways this HD has a feedback laden intro (!!) of sorts, and then it just explodes violently. Lyrics?? i dunno they tell a story of sorts, but enjoyable when you read them. Interesting.

9. Blowtorch Slaughter - I seriously urge not listening to this song while driving, especially if there are cliffs in your area. This song BURNS (no pun intended). I want to learn how to play this dammit, as soon as I get a 7-stringer. Perfection

10. Sickening Metamorphosis - Stomach churning groove once again, followed by more audial insanity. It's almost commendable alone that they use the word "Metamorphosis" whilst maintaining a certain rythm. One of the best solos on the album can be found here.

11. Condemned To Agony - THIS is the last track?? well it works but couldn't Jack and Pat have figured out a way to go out with a bang? you damn right, but instead they do a song that just blends in with the album. C'est le Corpse, n'est-ce pas?? i do like that chromatic riff, very nice. The very end manages to satisfy, though.

Well this is a really neck snapping album with some thought behind it. This ain't nothin pretty, and that's nothing new. Bloodthirst leaves nothing to be desired in my mind. Gets spun alot in my player. If you get one Cannibal Corpse album, forget TOTM and get this instead.

Choice Cuts: Pounded Into Dust, Dead Human Collection, Title track, and Blowtorch Slaughter, and to a lesser extent, Ecstacy In Decay

Worst point : Artwork could be so much better. Meh...