Album Review: Cannibal Corpse - Red Before Black

Knocking on the door of 50 these musicians may be, and now onto their 14th full-length, but age hasn't mellowed the American death metal veterans at all.

There aren't any left-field manoeuvres or shocking songwriting twists, but this is a band that knows its audience, and knows it well. Erik Rutan's lethal production on 2006's jaw-dropping Kill helped reinvigorate the band's then somewhat stagnant recorded career. His return here after a brief absence is welcomed because Red Before Black is sonically punishing while retaining a raw quality. Among the standout cuts are the ferocious title track and Firestorm Vengeance's thrashy passages and abrasive guitars.

Meanwhile, the band members are locked down tighter than the lid of the Ark Of The Covenant, that trademark "Cannibal groove" in full effect. George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's concrete-like larynx is impenetrable. The riffs are tougher than a two-dollar steak and axemen Pat O'Brien and Rob Barrett shred with precision. The subject matter remains as gruesome as ever, as bluntly indicated by song titles like Heads Shoveled Off and bruising Shedding My Human Skin.

This record is unlikely to reel in too many newbies, but will certainly satiate long-timers who proudly sport their tattered Eaten Back To Life shirt.