Cannibal Corpse – Torture

Flay The Damned With Steel

There’s a simple reason that Cannibal Corpse is the top-selling death metal band of all time: they’re fantastic at it. Despite being together in this incarnation for 17 years, the band has lost none of its steam, and, as they prove on Torture, none of its love for disgusting, violent, awesome imagery.

The CC formula is straightforward: the guitars grind away at high speed, the drums keep the song driving, Alex Webster plays a bass line that would break lesser men, and George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher spits rapid-fire gore and horror movie clichés into the microphone. Opener “Demented Aggression” follows this battle plan perfectly, an unrelenting storm of fury anchored by drummer’s Paul Mazurkiewicz steadfast thrash beats. “Scourge Of Iron” slows to a death march, and features one of Patrick O’Brien’s chaotic guitar solos, while “As Deep As The Knife Will Go” is Cannibal Corpse’s bread and butter, fast and ultra-violent. “Intestinal Crank” and its lopsided groove is a welcome change from the usual four-on-the-floor brutality, and serves to break up the record nicely. “The Strangulation Chair,” in addition to having an awesome title, also showcases Alex Webster’s highly proficient bass playing, and finally, “Torn Through” closes in classic form, counting down the victims until only one is left.

If you’re a fan of Cannibal Corpse, you’ll enjoy Torture. The band hasn’t changed its style much since the 90s, so fans of classic death metal will want to grab this as well. If you’re looking for innovation or subtlety, or want your organs to remain on the inside of your body, you’ve come to the wrong place.