Gore Obsessed (Metal Blade Records~2002)
With a familiar-looking album cover and a title that could easily headline the band’s autobiography, Cannibal Corpse returns to its rightful place atop the U.S. death metal scene. The opening burst of "Savage Butchery" grabs the listener in a firm hold which isn’t relinquished until well after the final notes of the closing, hidden track, an enjoyable cover of Metallica’s "No Remorse". Included in the carnage is an expected assortment of fast riffs, pummeling beats, intense vocals and horror-movie lyrics, all of which helped produce new Cannibal gems such as "Pit Of Zombies" and "Drowning In Viscera". The band saved its best for last, closing with three excellent tracks before the unlisted Metallica cover. "Mutation Of The Cadaver" is a great song with lively bass lines. The last of the 11 original tracks, "Grotesque", shows the band at its best. Cannibal Corpse songs don’t usually beat you over the head with introspective lyrics or groundbreaking musical ideas … they just beat you over the head. This time around, the band throws a curve in the form of the album’s most interesting and surprising song, "When Death Replaces Life". This isn’t a typical Cannibal Corpse offering by any means, but the change of pace (both musically and lyrically) adds something special to this album. In the midst of all the blood and guts they usually provide, the kings of U.S. death offer a bit of religious philosophy with a song that includes this memorable chorus: "How can humans play God when all they are are slaves?/Their lack of souls will lead them to an early grave/Condemned to live a life of unrelenting praise/Their rotted corpse remains when death replaces life". It’s too early to decide where this album ranks among Cannibal Corpse’s catalogue, but it no doubt holds its own with anything the band has ever produced.