Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Label: Metal Blade
Format: Digital Promo (Earsplit PR)

I’ve listened to this album a couple times now in the past two or so weeks, and I’ve come to realize something vital about it: it’s awesome. It’s not going to break ground in the genre; it might not ever achieve classic status, and even past albums from Cannibal Corpse might overshadow it for some fans (Kill comes to mind first). But right now, at the beginning of 2012, Torture is exactly what I want to listen to, and the more I do hear it the more I love it.
The band claimed, and has backed up, that they were going to keep the sounds of the past few albums while going back to the more frenetic approach of the first two albums. Every single note is crystal clear, every chord struck is nuanced, but there is a little bit more of a chaotic feel to the structuring of the riffs and many of the solos are just off the registers for intensity. George’s trademark clarity of enunciation is perfect for this album, because he is able to achieve disgusting speed with his vocals while still being intelligible, which matches the insane speeds of some sections in these songs and their crisp production.
The album will appeal to most Cannibal Corpse fans, and it will be a good way for people who aren’t into death metal to get into the genre. It follows the path of CC’s evolution perfectly; it looks at the older albums for inspiration while keeping the more accessible sound of The Wretched Spawn, Kill, and Evisceration Plague. There are some seriously solid tracks on this album, including the lead-off single “Demented Aggression” (listen to it below) and its follower, “Scourge of Iron”, the mid-paced “Followed Home Then Killed” and the manic “Crucifier Avenged”.
8 out of 10.

Torture Tracklisting:
1. Demented Aggression
2. Sarcophagic Frenzy
3. Scourge of Iron
4. Encased in Concrete
5. As Deep as the Knife Will Go
6. Intestinal Crank
7. Followed Home Then Killed
8. The Strangulation Chair
9. Caged… Contorted
10. Crucifier Avenged
11. Rabid
12. Torn Through

Torture Personnel:
Alex Webster: Bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz: Drums
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher: Vocals
Rob Barrett: Guitar
Pat O’Brian: Guitar

Artwork, Track Listing And First Single Unveiled

America’s reigning kings of brutality, Cannibal Corpse, will unleash their twelfth studio offering this March via Metal Blade Records. Aptly titled Torture, the follow-up to 2009′s Evisceration Plague offers up 12 tracks of maniacally precise, soul-searing death metal. Torture was again produced by Hate Eternal‘s Erik Rutan at his own Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida as well as Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, and features the maniacal cover art by longtime Cannibal Corpse artist, Vincent Locke.

While Torture marks the latest progression in the band’s sound, it also witnesses a return to what drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz accurately terms “the frenzied attack of Butchered At Birth (1991) or Tomb Of The Mutilated (1992),” infusing the band’s advanced musicianship with the raw savagery that haunted their earlier releases, and in the process conceiving the definitive Cannibal Corpse record. Adds bassist Alex Webster on the outcome of the record: “We’re extremely happy with how Torture turned out. Erik Rutan did an amazing job with the production, and the songwriting and performances may be our strongest yet. We can’t wait until our fans get to hear the whole thing!”

Witness the gutting sounds of “Demented Aggression,” the band’s first single, as well as studio footage, at the official Cannibal Corpse landing page, at THIS LOCATION.

Torture Tracklisting:
01. Demented Aggression
02. Sarcophagic Frenzy
03. Scourge of Iron
04. Encased in Concrete
05. As Deep As the Knife Will Go
06. Intestinal Crank
07. Followed Home Then Killed
08. The Strangulation Chair
09. Caged…Contorted
10. Crucifier Avenged
11. Rabid
12. Torn Through

As a precursor to the release, Cannibal Corpse will perform a special one-off show at the Culture Room in West Palm Beach, Florida on January 22nd then head to the seas to take part in this year’s edition of the 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise. The band will get a short break before a near month-long march through Europe on the Full Of Hate 2012 tour with labelmates Behemoth.

Torture will be released in North America on March 13, 2012.

Cannibal Corpse:
Alex Webster – Bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – Drums
Rob Barrett – Guitar
Patrick O’Brien – Guitar
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – Vocals

Genres: Death Metal, Thrash
Label: Independent

This CD arrived in my mailbox rather unexpected, but I was somewhat excited to check it out. Mexican death metal is usually pretty good, and when mixed with thrash, it’s even better. Hellsing prove this theory, and have become my second favorite band from Mexico.
The overall sound is a very clean thrash, in the vein of newer Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, or Bullet For My Valentine, but don’t let that discourage you. I know some metalheads would cringe at those comparisons, but when faced with the excellent growls of Jose Luis your idea should change. These guys are the real deal, holding up a ‘true’ metal (whatever that means) flag for the world to unite under.
Opening track “The Rival” opens up with a simple, thrashy intro but quickly turns into a very fistpumping death metal track that strongly reminds me of Canadian thrashers Titans Eve and Trivium, with a bit of 3 Inches of Blood and Cannibal Corpse. Some really awesome solos are in this song, so get your air guitar ready.
The second track, the title track to the EP, is a short song, not even a full minute long. It’s a nice quiet instrumental that leads you into “The Dark Side of the Moon”, a NWOBHM/thrash riff infested slow piece. Iron Maiden meets Entombed? Something like that. Again, solos. These guys know how to do them right; little mini songs that help the main song out. Great stuff.
Bonus track “Razor” is a faster, more evil-sounding vocal track with a fucking killer solo section at 1:28 that doesn’t let up until 2:48, where it goes into the main riff. This thing gallops along like Maiden but just slays with it’s shredding thrashtastic guitar work. Definitely my favorite song on the EP.
The second bonus track, and last song, “The Final Hour” starts off HUGE, reminding me of thrash infected gothic metal. Don’t let that trick you though, as Jose comes in and throws down a vocal that turns this song into a totally melodic Swedeath homage to bands like Dark Tranquillity, In Flames, and Soilwork. Second favorite track on the EP for sure.
If you’re into deaththrash, check out Hellsing MX. These guys are really good at what they are doing, and deserve at least a look at.
7.5 out of 10.

Hellsing MX on Facebook.

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Relapse Records

Where was I back in 1990? Well, truthfully, I was five. Now, if I could, I would take this release to my five-year-old self and tell myself flat out that this was my future. I’d say “Little Blaspheme, Morta Skuld are going to rip a new asshole in the death metal world, and with this little disc you will witness it happening.” I’d then have to provide a Discman to myself.

But, unfortunately, I can’t go back in time literally. Instead, I’ll use this digital promo to do that work for me, and take me to a time, mentally, when death metal was fucking brutal, uncompromising, and lacking bullshit. Before autotune and ProTools. And before ‘core ruined a generation of metal fans.

Morta Skuld are seriously that kind of band. And to think that this was recorded in April of ’90, just a few days after my fifth birthday!
The songs are not that long, two-and-a-half, three-and-a-half minutes long, but in those brief times Morta Skuld are putting together some genuinely great riffs that have equally great solos layered over top. Vocally, Dave Gregor reminds me a bit of a Tardy/Benton/Schuldiner/Barnes combo, which could be somewhat attributed to the fact that Grief, Death’s manager, was involved with the band pretty much right form the start. Drumming is top-notch, fast and tight as hell, but with the right amount of looseness to make it come alive.

My favorite tracks are “Gory Departure”, “Through the Eyes of Death” (no wonder why they chose it as the disc’s title), and “Feast From Within”.

8 out of 10.

Morta Skuld on Facebook.

Genre: Deathcore
Label: Earache Records

Right from the start of Maniacal Miscreation a drill begins to quickly enter my brain, taking the route through my ears. But rather than being completely sharp, there are sections that are blunted, adding a punching force to the fast spinning, oversized bit that is turning my headmeats into mush.

This must be where the band takes their name from.

“Epileptic Strobe Entrapment”, the opening track, doesn’t let up once, and it isn’t until the second song, “The Bald Cadaver” that we’re afforded a small breather, right at the start. For three seconds. Then the carnage begins again, the blood flowing from my skull rather nicely now. Thankfully, “The Bald Cadaver” has a couple spots where one can take a breath, but “Open Casket Priapism” starts up and the real pummeling begins. There are sections of the track that remind me a bit of newer Cannibal Corpse, with some pig squealing sections tossed in for fun, and there aren’t much slower spots until after the four minute mark. Definitely some moshing sections though, if that’s your thing.

“Entombed in Butchered Bodies” begins with a slaughterfest, filled with Cookie Monster and Miss Piggy in a bear trap vocals, and surprisingly their singer is pretty understandable throughout. Any death metal fan can generally attest to needing a few listens or a lyric sheet to get what’s being said, but for much of this song it wasn’t needed. The track middles and ends with a slaughterfest, followed by more slaughterfest in “Mangled Post-Burial”, which has a more groove-based section, a welcome respite from the pure speed displayed in the first four songs. It’s also the shortest song on the album, not even three minutes long.

“Flesh Reflects the Madness” has some furiously fast riffing and blasts that for whatever reason give a feeling of horror that makes you want to run. In a good way. Think good horror movies, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre or House of 1000 Corpses, when victims are getting chased by the psychopath and you, the viewer, don’t want them caught. But in this song, you’re the victim. Cerebral Bore are the psychopath. But, like the movies, you get caught. And you die.

The title track “Maniacal Miscreation” starts off with a more classic death metal sounding riff and growl, stripping away the ‘core for pretty much the entire track. There are still elements with a pig squeal delivery of some vocals and a slow ass breakdown that is far too short for my liking, but for the most part it’s straight up DM.

The final song, “24 Year Party Dungeon” starts fast and stays fast, keeping more of the classic death metal delivery from“Maniacal Miscreation” but adding more deathcore to it, which makes for a really good track. A suitable closer for a pretty fucking good album.

In the end, my cerebrum has been well destroyed, as have my ears, but not once did I get bored. Cerebral Bore, despite being a genre that I normally don’t like at all, have created a disc that I do like, and will probably return to for listening pleasure.

7 out of 10.

Cerebral Bore on Facebook.