Cannibal Corpse hardly need introduction. Since the late 1980s, the Buffalo band have embodied, in the eyes of the general public as of the initiated, death metal in its most emblematic form. Chaos Horrific, a sixteenth studio album, released hard on the heels of its predecessor, confirms a productivity and regularity few veterans can claim. The critics (an 80 average across nine reviews) hail a solid record, with no apparent flaw.
The recipe is known: angular, swift riffs, the cavernous voice of George Fisher, a rhythm section of surgical precision, and that gore imagery that made the band’s reputation — and at times its scandal. Cannibal Corpse change nothing of a tried formula, and execute it with the absolute mastery that experience confers.
The critics hail the intact vitality of a band who, after more than thirty years, still play with the conviction and energy of young men. The modern, cutting production showcases the technicality of an impeccable playing. The efficient tracks chain together with the methodical brutality that is the outfit’s hallmark.
Still, Chaos Horrific surprises no one: the record is excellent in its register, but it adds nothing to an already plethoric catalogue, and blends into a discography in which the albums end up merging. Constancy has its limits, and the listener struggles to distinguish this record from its immediate predecessors.
Verdict: 8/10. An impeccably executed record, worthy of an institution that never quite disappoints — but that hardly surprises any more either.
