Cannibal Corpse Discover Metronomes

02/02/09 5:21pm

by Keith Carman (CHARTattack)

Cannibal Corpse feel they've done well.

"I think we've really achieved something with this album," says guitarist Pat O'Brien.

Let's hope so. Evisceration Plague, which will be released on Tuesday, is Cannibal Corpse's 11th studio effort in just over 20 years. All jests aside, the guitarist is pleased the band's daring experiment resulted in what could be one of the death metal outfit's most enduring works.

While Cannibal Corpse — O'Brien, vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, guitarist Rob Barrett, bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz — have always prided themselves on offering something different with each release, Evisceration Plague truly finds them stepping it up a notch. They've embraced the metronome.

"We tried some different things on this album," O'Brien continues. "We wanted to make it tighter and more refined, so we tried using a click track.

"We even rehearsed using a click. I think it makes the album straighter and more solid."

Evisceration Plague was recorded by Hate Eternal guitarist/vocalist Erik Rutan at his Mana Recording Studios and features typically unforgettable titles like "To Decompose," "A Cauldron Of Hate" and "Beheading And Burning." But for once in the band's career, the actual tunes might be as memorable as the monikers. The 12 tracks (13 on the "special edition") on Evisceration Plague are cohesive, unrelenting and, surprisingly enough, tight. This album finds Cannibal Corpse more structured than ever.

"Precise is the word Alex was using a lot of the time to discuss what he'd hoped to achieve with the record," says O'Brien. "[Recording without a metronome] always felt fine to me before, but there are so many benefits to working the way we did with this record.

"Looking back, it was crazy to do things the way we did. Things could have been so much better if we'd done it a long time ago. The other albums are still good, but this is just another thing we can do to enhance performances. Oh well. Live and learn... It only took us 10 albums."

Cannibal Corpse have a gigantic tour planned in support of Evisceration Plague, including a spot on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival alongside the likes of Marilyn Manson and Slayer. You can see them here:

Feb. 2 Stuttgart, Germany @ LKA-Longhorn w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 3 Munich, Germany @ Backstage w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 4-5 Pratteln, Switzerland @ Z7 w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 7 Budapest, Hungary @ Syma Hall w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 8 Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 9 Innsbruck, Austria @ Hafen
Feb. 10 Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 11 Nuremberg, Germany @ Lowensaal w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 12 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 14 Glasgow, Scotland @ ABC w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 15 Norwich, England @ University Of East Anglia w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 16 Manchester, England @ Manchester Academy 2 w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 17 Nottingham, England @ Rock City w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 18 Portsmouth, England @ Wedgewood Rooms
Feb. 19 London, England @ Forum w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 20 Paris, France @ Elysee Montmartre w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 21-22 Antwerp, Belgium @ Hof Ter Loo w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 23 Hamburg, Germany @ Docks w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 24 Kolding, Denmark @ Godset
Feb. 26 Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene w/Children Of Bodom
Feb. 27 Stockholm, Sweden @ Tyrol w/Children Of Bodom
March 1 Helsinki, Finland @ Jaahalli w/Children Of Bodom
March 2 Seinjoki, Finland @ Rytmikorjaamo w/Children Of Bodom
April 2 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 3 Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 4 Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 6 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 7 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 8 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 10 Vancouver, BC @ Croatian Cultural Centre w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 12 Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 13 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall (University Of Calgary) w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 14 Regina, SK @ Riddell Centre w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 15 Winnipeg, MB @ The Garrick Centre w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 17 St. Paul, MN @ Station 4 w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 18 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 19 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 21 Montreal, QC @ The Medley w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 22 Ottawa, ON @ Babylon w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 23 Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Imperial w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 24 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 25 Richmond, VA @ Alley Katz w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 26 Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligan's Music Hall w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
April 27 Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live w/The Faceless, Neuraxis and Obscura
July 10 Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 11 San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 12 San Bernadino, CA @ Glen Helen Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 14 Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheatre (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 17 Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 18 Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 19 Denver, CO @ Coors Amphitheatre (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 21 Kansas City, KS @ Sandstone Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 22 St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 24 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 26 Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 28 Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 29 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
July 31 Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 1 Pittsburgh, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 2 Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 4 Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 6 Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 7 Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 8 Hartford, CT @ New England Dodge Music Center (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 9 Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 11 Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 12 West Palm Beach, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 14 Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 15 Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)
Aug. 16 San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival)