Artist: Cannibal Corpse
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 2/24/04
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Title: The Wretched Spawn Artist: Cannibal Corpse Label: Metal Blade Records Release Date: 2/24/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
"The Wretched Spawn is nothing if not a solid album." In the unending battle against music piracy, Metal Blade records has given the media promo copies of Cannibal Corpse's latest opus that simply places an invasive beeping sound every twenty seconds or so. How effective of a deterrent to piracy this will be is yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure: it sure makes reviewing a CD difficult. I mean, just think about it for a secBEEEEEEP!ond, a lot of what music is about is groove and flow, and when thesBEEEEP!e are interrupted, even if only briefly, it makes it much harder to get an overall sense of the recoBEEEEEP!rd. I can't mention how many tiBEEEEP!mes I started getting into this record only to be jolted out of the mood by that annoying beep. UnfBEEEEEP!ortunately, no matter how good the album might be, oncBEEEEEP!e you turn it off, the only thing you really remember is how annoyed BEEEEEP!you are (see what I mean). I guess my biggest problem with this type of protection is that I can't really believe it's going to be effective. Once the album is released without the beeps, the same piracy issues will pertain. The people who will be copying or trading these songs won't care about waiting another few weeks. I understand these companies (as well as the major labels) have a bottom line to think about, but they're going about it the wrong way. Instead of trying to prevent piracy, which is impossible now that the technology is out there, they have to try to compete with it. They have to offer material people don't want to pirate - whether that is the addition of extra material, or more impressive packaging, or whatever. The bottom line is that the most adaptable companies with the highest quality will be the most likely to survive.
That little rant aside, let's see if we can't try to get into this record a bit. Unlike many critics and fans out there, I think this band has been putting out some of their strongest material in recent years. Both Bloodthirst and Gore Obsessed were great records that toed the line between the classic Corpse sound and bordered on subtle experimentation for the band. Of course, I like The Bleeding as much as the next guy, but in a metal underground where the only cool bands are the ones that no one else has heard of, Cannibal Corpse always seemed to be on the receiving end of (in many cases) unwarranted criticism. And I bet their new album will get a lot of the same, "AC/DC of death metal" reviews as their recent records, but that just isn't accurate.
"One word review: BEEEEP!" The Wretched Spawn is nothing if not a solid album. The band's sense of riff is well defined and the band pays close attention to arrangement and progression. Simply put, this band didn't write music like this ten years ago. They have definitely matured as musicians but maintain the speed, heft, and gore that their fans expect. They've flirted with mainstream success (well, at least as much as any death metal act can) and soldiered on, unfazed. That is something in and of itself.
Cannibal Corpse have another good record on their hands that loyal fans will enjoy and detractors will (erroneously) continue to degrade, because, let's face it, 90% of y'all have already made up your mind about this band. I really feel like I'm missing out though, because of all of the distractions associated with listening to this promo. This album might be a skull better than what I've given it here, but I won't know till I hear the final version. One word review: BEEEEP!
Death's Review:
"Overall, a noteworthy effort and a cool listen." Legendary death metal pioneers Cannibal Corpse return to the fold with their ninth full-length studio album, The Wretched Spawn. Result: killer. They actually have stepped it up a notch on this new effort, even after all of these years. The album is faster, tighter, more technical yet groove-oriented. Still, it is undeniably a Cannibal Corpse record, and the confidence of the performances is only heightened by the outstanding Neil Kernon production. It really is refreshing to hear a veteran act in a genre often accused of promoting musical stagnation step up to the plate and deliver a record that sounds honest and passionate and actually moves the genre forward. This is what long-time fans want and deserve from their long-term metal heroes, yet rarely is it what they actually get. Instead, most bands of this caliber in the genre simply ride the coattails of their former glory. Cannibal is still ripping your face off and blowing other bands away. Honestly, if you like sick, pit-inducing mildly-technical death metal, you’ll love this. Corpsegrinder Fischer gives a good performance here as well, articulating the brutal lyrics with renewed clarity. Overall, a noteworthy effort and a cool listen.
Hel's Review:
If I were running a contest for “Most Obnoxious Anti-Piracy Method,” Metal Blade would win hands down for what they have subjected us to here. For me, it’s not the fact that there is a periodic “BEEP” tone inserted multiple times throughout most of the songs. Oh no, that alone I think I could tune out. It’s the fact that this tone is TWICE AS LOUD as the music. So you have to listen to the record at a low volume, just to prevent yourself from going deaf. To make matters worse, the first song is one of the few that doesn’t have the beeps inserted – so you forget, crank it up nice and loud, and then the second song starts and BEEEP! That really happened to me – seriously, I thought my eardrums had been shattered – I literally clutched my head in pain.
"In the end, it is the improved quality of the songwriting that I feel really stands out about this album, even in such adverse conditions as the ones under which I listened to it." Somewhere underneath all this annoyance, I have a sense that there is a pretty good record; I would daresay the best they’ve put out in years, if only I weren’t constantly distracted by the most painful interruption ever. Worst of all is the placement of these beeps. I am fairly certain that the very end of “Festering in the Crypt” contains the best part of the entire record: when he screams, “Festering in the--” BEEEP! An awesome metal moment, fucking ruined. At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Oh, come on, there’s no way it can be that bad.” It is. And the effect gets worse each time I try to listen to the promo.
So really, what we have here is less piracy prevention and more enjoyment prevention. As a journalist, I’m obliged to try to absorb and comment on the music regardless of the inconvenience – but no one said I couldn’t complain bitterly all the while. And I imagine so will everyone else who reviews this promo version. I am all for protecting the rights of the artists and I support the labels in their efforts to combat piracy, but it saddens me to no end when honest people are the ones punished by efforts to circumvent those who would make music available illegally. The day Metal Blade decided on this methodology was a sad day indeed. In an ideal world, everyone would understand that illegal downloads rip off the artists who created the music more than anyone else, and people wouldn’t do it. Unfortunately, the world we live in is far less than ideal.
Ok, at this point, I will try to spare you any more of my ranting about my personal pain, caused by listening to this version of the album, and try to focus on describing the worth of this new Cannibal Corpse record. I know at this point you understand somewhat how difficult this is based on the source I must try to determine it from.
First of all, the songs on this album seem to be well written. There are lots of different sections in the songs and several have some really great breakdowns – the kind you know will cause the pit to get really hectic live – and there are even some blistering guitar solos. The sound overall, seems like it would be good, if I dared to try and turn up my stereo loud enough to tell. The musicianship is, of course, highly proficient, as you expect from legends like CC.
In the end, it is the improved quality of the songwriting that I feel really stands out about this album, even in such adverse conditions as the ones under which I listened to it. There may actually be a 5 skull album– but I just can’t clearly tell with all the distraction. As it is, my extreme level of frustration caused by these circumstances prevents me from being able to do so. I will have to wait until I hear this material live next week to find out for sure.
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