Evisceration Plague

Not to be outdone by forbearers Napalm Death, Cannibal Corpse release what will probably hold as the best brutal death metal album of the year, Evisceration Plague.  Superficially, the album is everything one would expect – totally ripping and brutal, with great production by Erik Rutan.  If Scott Burns of Morrissound Studios was death metal’s early producer extraordinaire, Rutan should be considered the modern equivalent.  Rutan is able to capture clear sound out all instruments, even making the bass audible, in a genre that is not known for quality sound.  Better still is that he does it without sacrificing any of the music’s heaviness.  The only “noticeable” change from the band, other than pushing their musical heaviness further, is the seeming lack of gore-based lyrics, which may bother some long-time fans.  The songs are unrelenting, generally driving with a ferocious drum beat and riffs, only spiced up by the occasional sinewy, dissonant guitar solos.  It’s amazing that Cannibal Corpse is able to approach such a stoic and austere musical style with the same bravado and intensity after 20 years, but they remain unchallenged as the best at straight-ahead, pounding fast death metal.