UMUR "Gore Obsessed" is the 8th full-length studio album by US death metal act Cannibal Corpse. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in February 2002. "Gore Obsessed" features the exact same lineup who recorded both "Gallery of Suicide (1998)" and "Bloodthirst (1999)". This time the band have opted to record the album at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, Texas with producer Neil Kernon (Nile, Nevermore...etc).

I don´t know if it´s the change of producer (Colin Richardson produced "Bloodthirst (1999)") or if it´s something else, but "Gore Obsessed" is just a much, much better album than both "Gallery of Suicide (1998)" and "Bloodthirst (1999)". Maybe it´s because the band spend more time writing "Gore Obsessed", because the songwriting is much more inspired than were the case on the last couple of albums. So with a better and more powerful sound production, and more well written and memorable material, Cannibal Corpse have redeemed themselves after a couple of more mediocre releases.

They come out full throttle with the opening track "Savage Butchery", which is the kind of death metal track that´ll beat you to a bloody pulp. There is so much passion and conviction behind the delivery here, that it´s hard not to be affected. As always the band are technically very well playing and everything is delivered with precision and great conviction. Both the really fast-paced sections and the brutal mid-paced grooves work very well this time around. An example of the latter type rhythm style is found in "Pit of Zombies" which features an absolutely killer mid-paced groove/riff. Lead vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher also delivers one of his most inspired and powerful performances. His deep growls are ultra brutal yet intelligible, and his higher pitched screams (which there are quite a few of on this album) are very well performed too and provide nice variation to the vocal department.

So all in all "Gore Obsessed" is a high quality death metal album. I think most of the band´s albums are quality wise in the better half of what is released on the scene, and even when they release a less inspired effort, it´s still a quality release. But some of their albums do stand out as something special in their discography, and I count "Gore Obsessed" among those albums. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Vim Fuego You don't buy a Cannibal Corpse album expecting subtlety, innovation, and great musicianship. You buy Cannibal Corpse expecting bludgeoning death metal, bloodthirsty lyrics and great musicianship. And they still have the amusing zombie artwork!

‘Corpse's riffs have become ever more complex over the years, and have continued to do so here. Hey, they ain't Meshuggah or Atheist, but there's a huge difference between what's on offer here and their debut "Eaten Back To Life". There are unexpected flourishes thrown in here and there, but the listenability remains. The solos are frenetic, as would be expected, but are perhaps a shade cleaner than in previous albums. The drumming is less straightforward than the earlier blast–blast–blast style, with a few odd rhythms thrown in. Never fear though, there are still plenty of blast beats here.

Perhaps the best feature of this album is George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's vocals. They are actually clear enough for most of the lyrics to be understood without closely following the lyric sheet. Corpsegrinder is still bestial in his delivery, but the murderous lyrical creations are given a fuller horrific scope. Corpsegrinder's style suits the band far better than his long departed predecessor. He has developed a two tone style, both guttural, adding a touch more variation and venom to the overall sound.

"Hatchet To The Head" is a moshpit favourite, with a shout along chorus in the vein of "Skull Full Of Maggots" and blast beats aplenty. "Dormant Bodies Bursting" sees the band cut back the speed a fraction on the chorus, to great effect. It's downright menacing. There are no dud tracks here at all.

The final act of this album is a surprising, but extremely well executed cover of Metallica's "No Remorse". To describe it as heavy is an understatement. A nice solo has been added at the beginning, and the rhythm and bass absolutely thunder along. Corpsegrinder doesn't reach the falsetto screech James Hetfield achieved on the original; instead he drags the vocals down to a more deathly pitch. This is really what this song SHOULD sound like.

Cannibal Corpse don't so much get in your face with this album, as leave you "Sanded Faceless".