Cannibal Corpse

After two decades, Cannibal Corpse have still got it. With their eleventh studio album, Evisceration Plague, the Florida-based death metal masters have proven they can still push themselves to their limits, and beyond. The Erik Rutan-produced release is as brutal as any in the Cannibal Corpse catalogue and the band stay true to their classic gore-death sound. But in terms of technicality and style, Cannibal Corpse surpass expectations. With insanely fast drumming and some of the most threatening blast-beats imaginable, drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz delivers his finest performance yet. Guitarists Rob Barrett and Pat O'Brien shred through heavy riffs with supersonic speed, while bassist Alex Webster uses sporadic tempos, giving tracks like "A Cauldron Of Hate" a menacing atmosphere. Evisceration Plague is a constant attack, starting with "Priests of Sodom," followed by "Scalding Hail," which is the album's shortest, yet fastest, song. And George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's vocals are as merciless as ever. Cannibal Corpse have remained consistent with their standard themes of death and mutilation, and the imagery of disembowelment continues with "Beheading And Burning," "Shatter Their Bones" and the severely gruesome "Skewered From Ear To Eye." But Cannibal Corpse seem to have toned it down a bit, in terms of artwork. The imagery isn't as grotesque as pervious releases - merely zombies ripping out their insides - but it provides the perfect visual accompaniment. Evisceration Plague includes a bonus DVD on the making of the album with over an hour of studio footage.