''Chaos Horrific'' is the sixteenth studio album by American

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

band

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1988, now based in Tampa, Florida. The band has released sixteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radio ...

, released on September 22, 2023, by

Metal Blade Metal Blade Records (often shortened to Metal Blade) is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982 based in the U.S. state of California. The label primarily focuses on heavy metal. History Metal Blade Records was ...

Background

Material for the album was written shortly after the completion of their previous studio album ''

Violence Unimagined ''Violence Unimagined'' is the fifteenth studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse, released on April 16, 2021. It is the band's first album in nearly four years since ''Red Before Black'' (2017), the longest gap between two rec ...

'' in 2021. Recording sessions took place in Rutan's Mana Studio in Florida and were described as "smoother than ever". The album was named by drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, who felt it was an appropriate representation of the band. To bassist

Alex Webster Alex Webster (born October 25, 1969) is an American musician who is the bassist and a co-founder of the death metal band Cannibal Corpse. He is one of two original remaining members, alongside drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. He is also the bassist ...

, the record feels like a "continuation of ''Violence Unimagined''". Guitarist

Rob Barrett Robert Joseph Barrett III (born January 29, 1970) is an American death metal musician, best known as the current guitarist for Cannibal Corpse. He played with the band from 1993 to 1997 and rejoined in 2005. He has cited Gary Moore, Malcolm You ...

opined that their songwriting skills had evolved in a way that every song "paves its own path", whether it is "straightforward", "technical" or a "mix of both". Webster added that there was no "conscious effort" to create a technical record, but if it ended up being that, it would have just been a "natural result". Erik Rutan, producing his sixth album for the band, tried to "push the envelope" and "explore new territory" this time around.

Critical reception

Chaos Horrific was met with universal acclaim by music critics. Bree Halmstad at ''

MetalSucks MetalSucks is an American heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock ...

'' claimed the album was further proof that the band was on "top of the death metal food chain after 35 years," with an album that encapsulates a "sort of variety that keeps the listener engaged". Omne Metallum at ''

Metal Storm Metal Storm Limited was a research and development company based in Brisbane, Australia, that specialized in electronically initiated superposed load weapons technology and owned the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technology ...

'' thought that ''Chaos Horrific'' "breathes life into the corpse once more" and "merits any inclusion" on year-end lists and a high ranking within the band's discography alike. '' Metal.de''s Oliver Di Iorio opined that the record was yet another "standard work" where no song really "stands out".

Track listing

Personnel

Cannibal Corpse

The members of Cannibal Corpse are as follows:(2021), Sharma Amit, https://www.guitarworld.com/features/erik-rutan-on-joining-death-metal-titans-cannibal-corpse-its-still-kinda-surreal-i-never-foresaw-this-happening, access date March 18, 2021 *

George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher George Fisher (born July 8, 1970), better known by his stage name Corpsegrinder, is an American death metal vocalist who is the lead singer of Cannibal Corpse, Paths of Possession and the supergroup Serpentine Dominion. ''Loudwire'' placed Fi ...

– lead vocals * Erik Rutan – guitar, backing vocals *

– guitar *

– bass * Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

Additional personnel

Vince Locke Vincent Locke () is an American comic book artist known for his work on '' Deadworld'' and ''A History of Violence'' and for his ultraviolent album covers for death metal band Cannibal Corpse. Biography Locke began work in 1986 illustrating '' ...

– artwork

Charts

References

{{Cannibal Corpse 2023 albums Albums produced by Erik Rutan Cannibal Corpse albums Metal Blade Records albums