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Rating: The umpteenth masterpiece from the American cannibal quintet was announced as a work very different from its predecessors: after a mediocre “Vile,” there was an expectation for a grand comeback from the band, which seemed unable to recover from the blow of the great Chris Barnes’ departure. He left to form his group, “Six Feet Under," after having together with the other four individuals given birth to masterpieces and cornerstones of Brutal such as the extremely violent “Tomb Of The Mutilated” and the ingenious “The Bleeding,” which marked the last great performance of the group until this “Gallery Of Suicide” from 1998.
The intense anticipation, therefore, led to a series of acclaims and compliments when the notes of “I Will Kill You” first entered the ears of human flesh-craving anthropophagic listeners.
It is no coincidence that “Gallery Of Suicide” is placed among the best Brutal albums of 1998: Black Metal was retracing the path of success it had opened about three years earlier, Death Metal was feeling a crisis caused by the spread of Black, the Death of the late Chuck was heading towards disbandment, Morbid Angel had published just a year earlier the barely sufficient “Formulas Fatal to the Flesh,” and most importantly, the “cousins,” the biggest (musical) enemies of Cannibal Corpse, the equally (or even superior, in my opinion) valid Suffocation had disbanded the previous year, leaving behind only the memory of the wonderful EP “Despise The Sun” and the good old times.
It is no coincidence, then, that any new news about Cannibal Corpse was welcome. And “Gallery Of Suicide” is an album that, at the time, made deathsters exclaim: “Yes, damn, the Cannibals are back!”
They are back, and in better shape than ever: the sonic confirmation is the aforementioned opener “I Will Kill You,” which picks up Cannibal from where we left them: Pat O’Brien, already with Nevermore, brought to the band that extra handful of technique needed to reach unthought-of levels, as the past CDs were already a great demonstration of virtuosity. Meanwhile, George Fisher, the impressive ex-Monstrosity singer, elevates himself a cut above the excellent Chris: no longer a monotonous growl, always of the same gloominess, but a vocal range that goes from the darkest and most murderous growl to a screaming of almost Black nature, passing through a tone that unmistakably recalls Bret Hoffman of Malevolent Creation (listen to the Bret-like scream, still in the opener).
The technique is extremely high, mostly concentrated in the hands of the two phenomenal guitarists and the incredible bassist, while on drums we find an anyway outstanding Paul (I’m not sure how to spell it): the production, carried out by Jim Morris, is simply impeccable, offering clear and crisp sounds while maintaining a strong grind-all component. The ingenious riffs, highly technical and always in the service of the most extreme brutality, impeccably played by O’Brien and Owens, follow one another tirelessly, followed by Alex Webster (I’ve run out of adjectives for him…) who makes a kaleidoscope of colors behind the five strings, and a Paul Mazurkiewicz (I may have misspelled the last name) who delivers drumming often elementary, never too elaborate but still punctual and very precise.
Thus, after the progression of the opener, come thirteen more splendid gems of brutality, among which I highlight the extremely violent “Blood Drenched Execution,” the dreamlike title track, the phenomenal instrumental “From Skin To Liquid,” which initially recalls much of the melodic guitar parts heard on the masterpiece “Destroy Erase Improve” by Meshuggah only to have the Suffocation of “Pierced From Within” emerge among the riffs, and all the others, which should more be listened to than described.
The Cannibal Corpse (and especially Alex Webster) are in better shape than ever, and this alone would justify its purchase! Excellent material played as well as it possibly can be: what are you waiting for?!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 I Will Kill You (02:47)
Bleed from my pain
Revenge on treacherous snakes
They will pay
Slicing my flesh
Sculptured wounds my catharsis
I will stain
Into the heart
Needle injects gasoline
Convulsions
The one that they betrayed
Has made them this way
Plagued by the bastards
I will kill you
Killed by my rage
Scream at my face
The grisly scars went un avenged
Until know
Deep in the hole
You are gagged and scream aloud
But unheard
Choke on your vomit
You watch your hands cut off
Then your legs
The one that you betrayed
Will kill you this way
Scarred by the bastards
I will kill you
Killed by my rage
I must kill you
Into the throat
The scalpel slices
Warm blood sprays out
The gushing entices
Pull out your heart
And let you watch
Shove in your mouth
Then stab your crotch
I watch your agony
I am released from years of pain
You death averted my becoming insane
You are dead, I have killed you
02 Disposal of the Body (01:54)
[music, lyrics: Webster]
[vocal patterns: Fisher, Webster]
The basement incinerator
Is where they'll put the head
Hose the floor and clean the room
Anywhere they bled
Into boxes go the bags
Fill the space with rocks
In the dark of night
He throws them off the docks
Rotting in the river
Never to be found
Under tons of concrete
Deep beneath the ground
From behind he grabs his mouth
The blade goes to his neck
Bulging veins pumping blood
He struggles to protect
If you don't cut open the stomach
The corpse will rise and float
The victim is discovered dead
Rotting organs bloat
The killer chops the body
With a scalpel and an axe
The parts are then drained
And put into the sacks
Grab the neck, Slit the throat, take the life
Hang the corpse - Prepare to drain the blood
Bone saw, meat cleaver, filleting knife
Carve the corpse - Dissect him in the tub
Smash the teeth, slice off scars, crush the bones
With a crowbar - scrape off all tattoos
If you don't cut open the stomach
The corpse will rise and float
The victim is discovered dead
Rotting organs bloat
The killer chops the body
With a scalpel and an axe
The parts are then drained
And put into the sacks
Chunks of a skull
Sawn in half bones
Body is found
Killer unknown
[Solo - Owen]
03 Sentenced to Burn (03:07)
[music, lyrics: Webster]
[vocal patterns: Fisher, Webster]
Follow the one
Evil masked in pride
Charisma to lead
Speeches laced with hate
Leading the dense
The bovine human herd
Inherently stupid
The fools deserve this fate
Warfare begins
Cities are ablaze
Tortured screams
Skin turning black
Carbonization
They will all burn
Mass execution
They will all die
Burning the world
And all of it's life
Throwing all the people
In a pit of fire
Watching the sheep
Gathering to die
Followers in life
Follow to the grave
Follow the one
Evil masked in pride
Charisma to lead
Speeches laced with hate
Leading the dense
The bovine human herd
Inherently stupid
The fools deserve this fate
Warfare begins
Cities are ablaze
Tortured screams
Skin turning black
Carbonization
They will all burn
Mass execution
They will all die
Pile the bodies
Set them aflame
The human race
Sentenced to burn
Burning flesh
Miasma of their death
Civilisation
It is destroyed
Pits of corpses
Unholy grave of war
Hanging victims
Guilty of free thought
Warfare begins
Cities are ablaze
Tortured screams
Skin turning black
Carbonization
They will all burn
Mass execution
They will all die
Pile the bodies
Set them aflame
The human race
Sentenced to burn
Pile the bodies
Set them aflame
The human race
Sentenced to burn
War of fire shred their souls
Burn in hell doomsday's toll
Failed to see the trap they laid
Demagogues lead them into the flames
[Solo - Owen]
Pile the bodies
Set them aflame
The human race
Sentenced to burn
Pile the bodies
Set them aflame
The human race
Sentenced to burn
05 Gallery of Suicide (03:56)
Into the abyss, perpetual and torturous
The gallery of suicide, internal torment
Archaic carcasses, displayed degeneracy
Once within these walls a life of death will be unleashed
Forever dying are the dead, countless bleeding heads
Cadavers splattered red from the self-slicing of necks
Stenching maggot filled bodies, skulls and bones rot away
The slaughtered souls that chose to die, enveloped in death
Darkness is the only light, suicide the way
Hideous forms of human death, mounds of flesh slowly decay
Embrace the horrid nature, carnage on display
Pain never felt
Enslaved inside this massive grave
Life, evil fate
Only slaves to death can survive this place
Die, perdition
Penance in putrid decadence
Dead miscreants
Enter the decrepit necropolis
Lurid interment in the hellish abattoir
Impetuosity and horror, after-life is tortured
Entrails, guts, and blood is this museums decor
Blood, impiety
Chastened are the sanguinary
Purge, radical
They perish, the victims of vagary
Vile tragedy
With great vehemence the hapless died
Kill, suicide
Serrated blades assist in destiny
Death opened the gallery
Sarcophagus
Ecstasy in suffering
Imprecation
[Solo - Owen]
Blood, impiety
Chastened are the sanguinary
Purge, radical
They perish, the victims of vagary
06 Dismembered and Molested (01:54)
[music: Webster, Owen]
[lyrics: Webster]
[vocal patterns: Fisher]
Sever the limbs
Decapitate
Yank out the teeth
Then masturbate
Pounding the face
Ejaculate
My darkest needs
I satiate
Bathe in blood
Wallow in bile
Tear out the heart
Victim defiled
Sever the limbs
Decapitate
Yank out the teeth
Then masturbate
Pounding the face
Ejaculate
Entrails slip through my fingers
As I sift through her innards
My body rigid with goose bumps
My erection growing stronger
I put my cock into the carcass
My climax can wait no longer
Expectorate my seed of hate
Onto her mutilated corpse
Sever the limbs
Decapitate
Yank out the teeth
Then masturbate
Pounding the face
Ejaculate
My darkest needs
I satiate
Bathe in blood
Wallow in bile
Tear out the heart
Victim defiled
11 Headless (02:22)
[music: Webster]
[lyrics: Mazurkiewicz]
[vocal patters: Fisher, Mazurkiewicz]
Drawn to an act of complete domination
Violent urges of decapitation
Premeditated murder, invidious
Soon she will be vanquished, insidious
Headless
Headless
Headless
Abscission of her head is what I'm craving
I will become her homicidal savior
Headless
Headless
Headless
Headless
Tainting of the mind, need to obliterate
Inhumanity, desire to decolate
Utmost frustration or totally insane
Either way, in my hands, I will crush her brain
Tainting of the mind, need to obliterate
Inhumanity, desire to decolate
Utmost frustration or totally insane
Either way, in my hands, I will crush her brain
Preparing for medieval demise
A make-shift guillotine out of burcher knives
I'll watch her body quiver from the chaos
Peel off her face and frantically chew her eyes
She finally enters my dwelling of sin
It'll be done in a matter of minutes
As I embrace her for one last single time
In horror I realize, death is mine
I feel the cold blade pierce the back of my neck
The blood spews incessantly, flooding my face
Convulsions and spasms as life fades away
Ironically, I'm the one with no head
Headless
Headless
13 Centuries of Torment (04:05)
[music, lyrics: Webster]
[vocal patterns: Webster, Fisher]
Generations
Denying penance
Eternal life reborn
Time and time again
Deny
Salvation
I refuse it
I will not be saved
Return to human form
Murder
Heartless
Bestial
I kill
Without
Pity for victims with untrue gods
My instinct will push beyond
Feelings like guilt, remorse or mercy
My flesh holds a soul of
Generations
Denying virtue
Eternal hate reborn
Time and time again
Defy
Redemption
Spit upon it
My soul they cannot claim
Return to kill again
Butcher
Unclean
Spirit
Searching
Hunting
Another life to maim and kill
A beast with brutal will
Lifetimes spent on a quest for blood
And with my death it does not end
Evil reborn for eternity
Centuries of torment
I will not be saved
[Solo - O'Brien]
When I die
They beg me to repent
I refuse
I return
The past forgotten but evil innate
They have lost
They will not be saved
They will die
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Other reviews
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
"A masterpiece. With this word, I define 'Gallery of Suicide.'"
"The mayhem begins with 'I Will Kill You,' an aggressive track, after all, like the entire CD, without solos but with a sound similar to Suffocation and Nile."
