So, the brutal fellows from the USA have decided to treat us to a new album. Lately they've established a pattern of releasing an album every two years, and this one is no exception. The release was slated for March 8 (heh, a gift for female fans), although it could already be found online as early as January. So, what do we have here? The Cannibals have stayed true to form — the same furious pace, the same George Fisher growl, the same blistering solos. It's just a shame that the vocals and drums are mixed too loud, slightly drowning out everything else. And for guitarist Jack Owen, this album turned out to be his last — he recently left the band. The lyrical themes remain unchanged: we're treated to various perversions, dismemberments, and so forth, committed in graveyards, morgues, and other suitably equipped venues. Well, everything is business as usual, but the music has changed somewhat — in particular, what I'd call "slow jams" have appeared, if you can call them that. It sounds quite distinctive and original, for instance the title track The Wretched Spawn. Overall, the album makes a fairly positive impression, but it's just missing a little something extra. My verdict: a must-listen, especially for fans — after all, CANNIBAL CORPSE are CANNIBAL CORPSE no matter where you find them.
Track Listing
- Severed Head Stoning
- Psychotic Precision
- Decency Defied
- Frantic Disembowelment
- Rotted Body Landslide
- Cyanide Assassin
- Festering In The Crypt
- Nothing Left To Mutilate
- Blunt Force Castration
- The Wretched Spawn
- Slain
- Bent Backwards And Broken
- They Deserve To Die