Sol on metalinjection said If there is something new to talk about A Skeletal Domain, it’s the production. Fans have already taken to notice a huge improvement in production in comparison to previous albums. After working with producer Erik Rutan on the past three albums, the band decided to try something new with Mark Lewis from Audiohammer Studios. And no offense to Mr. Rutan, but Cannibal Corpse have never sounded this good on a record. It’s super polished, which is Audiohammer’s style, and is mixed to perfection. Corpsegrinder’s vocals are perfectly placed, Paul Mazurkiewicz’s drums are crispier than saltines, and you can even hear Webster’s bass without much effort on your ears. Everything about it is just absolutely topnotch and is exactly where it needs to be in the overall mix.
A Skeletal Domain is yet another strong release for the Cannibal Corpse catalog. Honestly, have these guys ever put out a bad album? If any death metal fan exists who isn’t into Cannibal Corpse, (unbloody likely, but they could exist), this could definitely be that album that would turn them on. This is an absolute must have for any lover of anything brutal and Cannibal Corpse.
Leading track "High Velocity Impact Spatter" is classic grisly horror that one would expect from the group who recorded "Hammer-Smashed Face" two decades past. "Icepick Lobotomy" wonderfully describes the process of "cranial penetration." "Kill or Become" tells the story of a viral pandemic that forces humanity to compete violently for scavenged resources; remember the advice "fire up the chainsaw / cut their fucking heads off." On a couple of tracks, A Skeletal Domain utilizes psychological horror: "The Murderer's Pact" describes the cognitive dissonance of a man blackmailed into killing; and "Funeral Cremation" follows a murderer's descent into madness from the tormenting guilt of having killed a family member, where the only way to ease the conscience is to kill the rest of the family so there is no one left who can mourn.
Successful modern death metal bands who seek to elicit fear would do well to remember terror should not be forgotten in the pursuit of horror. Those who just want to smash faces with hammers should remember that the novelty of shock value and atonality has long since worn off; that does not mean death metal cannot be exciting, but reliance on old tropes sans innovation will assure otherwise. A Skeletal Domain cuts that corner a bit too close.
When we speak of the overall recording quality, its mastery is apparent. It exists here that the music is palatable, but in Cannibal Corpse's history I can't with full honesty say that this is their best work to date. I say it is solid no doubt -- their songs here flow rampant and the music is what makes the album admirable minus those leaks in weak lead guitar aspects. In ingenuity, O'brien and Barrett come up with some interesting thickness, chunky, heavy, and explosive manifestations. To say this is a solid release is still the question -- would I be fair to say that this is deserving of a "greatness" or unfathomed ingenuity, I would say that it's a "B", a solid one if that.
We being listeners of metal know that this band have and will never depart from their concepts in lyrical domination, but I would be unfair to say that this one is unworthy of mention. The music does own the realm in it's uncompromising heaviness as well as hefty drum episodes. A still same lineup as in past releases, just not really really older releases therefore mentioned and covered. In proximity, this one musically is remaining to be heavy, dominant and ear deafening malevolence. It hits home with me, the riffs i.e. musical orchestration are summoning heaviness and would be prominent if as the leads technicality were more brightening or wholly omitted then the band would have a greater rating than what was given to it. A high "B" is still without a doubt, but Cannibal Corpse should focus more so on just the rhythms.
At the end of the day it surprised me how much I was able to enjoy this in spite of my imperfect history with the Corpse and death metal in general. Certainly recommended for those who enjoy the group's method of musical flesh-eating, but even those who give fleeting glances at death/extreme metal just may nod their heads to this. Imperfect, yet still impressive...
Tracklist
- High Velocity Impact Splatter
- Sadistic Embodiment
- Kill or Become
- A Skeletal Domain
- Headlong into Carnage
- The Murderer's Pact
- Funeral Cremation
- Icepick Lobotomy
- Vector of Cruelty
- Bloodstained Cement
- Asphyxiate to Resuscitate
- Hollowed Bodies
If you like it, please buy it on their official website/merchandise.
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