Cephalic Carnage

If there’s one thing you can count on Cephalic Carnage for it’s predictable unpredictability. Fifteen years in, one of metal’s leading extreme acts have returned for their fifth full-length, again shifting directions, but this time back towards their older material. Xenosapien is a considerable departure from the infectious and relatively easy listening Anomalies, taking the songwriting skills they developed on that album and combining them with their older technical grind approach and tendency towards pure rock fury. Though the album may seem initially disappointing in the wake of this surface regression, a few more listens will demonstrate progress, albeit lacking that whimsical and easy-going disposition. Unfortunately, the album does tend toward monotony at times, but this isn’t to undermine their value as one of few that distinguish themselves from the pack. Fans that were left disappointed with Anomalies will almost certainly appreciate their revived brutality, while those who wanted them to continue in this direction will need to sit and think about it before drawing any hasty conclusions.