Misled By Certainty
Cephalic Carnage
Relapse Records
Avail August, 31 2010
Genres: Deathmetal, Grindcore, Progressive
Reviewed by Joshua T. Cohen
Cephalic Carnage have been building and streamlining their unique blend of grind, death-metal, and progressive jazz since the early 90’s. They are nothing short of an authority in the extreme metal world. Cephalic Carnage continue to create music for musicians that challenges as much as it excites. The band members have been some persistent grinders this past year, working in a new guitarist, while at the same time, writing and composing a monstrous new album, Misled by Certainty, which hits streets August 31 via Relapse Records.
18 years deep in the shred game, the music is still exciting, challenging, and most importantly, fun. “Why?” “How?” You ask? It’s obvious that their music is a labor of love. And although it would seem to be a given that all records are labors of love, they simply are not. Love is caring about something enough to dedicate your soul (or blackened heart as it were) to its perpetuation and advancement. And really, how many bands can you say “love their music?”
Extreme music, like most other art forms, is plagued by artists that fail to push boundaries by taking what came before and forging ahead. Some bands strike it big on a given release and then just stick to formula for the rest of their careers to keep the mortgage payments on time. Thankfully there are still bands like Cephalic Carnage – flat broke and hungry!
Just kidding. I have no clue what their financial situation looks like, but what I do know is that Cephalic Carnage do their homework and then take time in the lab concocting a thoughtful and precisely-edited contribution to the music world.
Misled By Certainly again sees Cephalic Carnage joining long-time producer Dave Otero in their Colorado-based, home studio, following the critically acclaimed 2007 release of Xenosapien. One could create an entire archeological record to document the musicianship on this L.P., but let’s skip the thesis and get down with the need-to-know.
Misled By Certainty definitely puts the vast majority of their death-metal and grindcore peers to shame. The level of musicianship displayed on every Cephalic Carnage record is nothing to sneeze at, but this forthcoming release sees the band take it to another level. With almost two decades in the extreme metal game, Cephalic Carnage are hitting a musical maturity and organic flow that simply cannot be duplicated by the latest wave of so-called “grindcore” bands.
Cephalic Carnage delve into layer upon layer of musical annihilation that starts with opening track “The Incorrigible Flame” and doesn’t let up until the epic behemoth, that is closing track “Repangaea.” The band seamlessly shifts gears from from melodic, progressive jazz overtures, into 300mph blast beats and ultra-dense guitar work that comes full-circle in the blink of an eye.
With six weeks until the release of Misled by Certainty…What do you need to know?
a. You can now stream track 3 “Abraxas of Filth” via Cephalic Carnage’s Myspace. Bass Players! Take out your notebooks on this one. You’re getting some of the best bass licks Colorado has yet to offer. If the Rockies had horns with red skies and decided to shred at the bass..this is what those mountains might sound like. Epic. Is it jazz? Is it deathmetal or even grindcore? Grazz-Metal! Whatever you want to call it, it’s fucking smoking. There’s enough ear candy in this track to open Satan’s Favorite Lollipop Shop. And one lick is never enough. This track will having you coming back for more and more. You’ve been warned.
b. Track 7 “P.G.A.D.” is 34 seconds of grind and power-violence perfection. They reached the promise land on this one. Feel free to tell us “You guys were so right on that!” in six weeks when album drops. We know.
c. Track 9 “Ohrworm” is probably my favorite Cephalic Carnage song to date. Yeah I said it. Where to begin on this one…sheesh. Well, the bass sounds like Victor Wooten woke up and said “You know what? Fuck all this mellow shit, it’s time to RAGE.” Need we say more about the bass? The vocals compliment this track perfectly with a hearty mix of mid-range and low-end that is just devastatingly tasty. The guitars run the gambit. Everything from dense grind to master-melodic-shredding. And drums sound other-worldly. “Intense.” – is an understatement.
Bottom line: If you are musician, fan of extreme music, or a metal nerd that likes to be challenged by a record in more ways than one, Misled By Certainty is one your top jams of 2010.
Cephalic Carnage are about to embark on the Summer Slaughter Tour 2010. This extreme metal fest is sure to see the band sampling these new tracks on the road with several of their shredding friends. For more on Summer Slaughter check out our Spotlight Feature I and II.
For More on Cephalic Carnage visit their Official Myspace
Pre-Order Misled By Certainty at Relapse Records.
Click and Do not miss our EXCLUSIVE CEPHALIC CARNAGE INTERVIEW from Aug 27, 2010!
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