Paths of Possession

Paths of Possession show Cannibal Corpse belcher George "Corpsegrinder” Fisher tackling a more melodic metal, with predictable results. Good lord is it ever predictable: sure, there are some slow parts and some fast parts, some melodies and some downright, down-tuned death metal bottom-feeding, but it’s hard to not feel like this has all been done before. I guess (if I try hard enough) that it’s interesting to hear Fisher do his growling against something with a bit more variety than his day job, but man, who am I fooling? No one, nothing, as this is so rote it becomes mind-numbing, then (in an odd twist) becomes comforting in a way. Like, this is the sound of a lot of metal we’ve been gnawing on for the past decade, and like it or not, when it’s done adequately, like this, it’s kind of soothing. But is metal supposed to be soothing? What’s going on here? Anyway, despite solid playing from all players, this one lacks in the originality department in a monumental way.