Customer Reviews

Anomalies

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This Denver-based five piece blend jazz influence with death metal and grindcore, making them one of the most unique extreme music bands of the Nineties. While some of the songs (i.e. "Sleeprace" and "Kill For Weed") echo Deicide, most of the songs on "Anomalies" sound like Hatebreed or Slayer meets Cradle of Filth. The riffs are dark and ultra-heavy, Lenzig's vocals alternate from shrill, high pitched yells to low, death metal bellows, and the drummer (John Merryman) is excellent. As is the case with many death metal bands nowadays, John can bring the noise; he plays insanely fast and precise drum patterns (as highlighted by the fourth track, "The Will Or The Way").

The album opens with a scorcher, "Scientific Remote Viewing," but the second track, "Wraith," which features buzzsaw guitars and an insane, propulsive blast beat, is my personal favorite song on here. Other highlights include "Counting The Days" which is slower, but it features a few Dillinger Escape Plan-style tempo changes; the wailing, clean backing vocals and two careening guitar solos on "Dying Will Be The Death Of Me"; and "Inside Is Out" and "Litany Of Failure" are monstrous, with thunderous, pounding riffs and walloping, machine gun double bass drumming. Lastly, "Ontogeny Of Behavior" begins slowly, but it gains speed and density and it gradually becomes almost blindingly fast.

Even though I don't really see how anyone can call it "experimental" (because I don't hear the jazz influence), this is still a pretty ingenious record! Cephalic Carnage are very fast, deft, nimble, and versatile, and they are more than deserving of being checked out by you if you're into hard or grindcore. They sure got my attention!

I've only got 2 Cephalic Carnage albums. I thought 'Lucid Interval' was pretty good, but too random and jokey overall. 'Anomalies' is definitely better, still very unique and often unpredictable but it's got a more solid core sound and just stronger riff and songwriting overall. Anyway, 'Anomalies' was one of the best albums of 2005.

About half of this album is almost sorta slightly normal, just the trademark Cephalic Carnage mix of jazzy tech-death-grind with some doom or stoner riffs thrown in at intervals. Its all got fantastic, pristine production and utterly precision muscianship. Very good stuff, particularly the freaky, very techy 'Wraith' and the ominous, wild 'Inside if Out' with its piercing, jazzy licks. All the relatively (emphasis on relatively) straight forward stuff is very good but the stranger, material stands out more. 'Piecemaker' is the first major deviation on the album, and magnificently heavy southern metal stomper with some great vox. 'Dying Will Be the Dead of Me' is a very funny melo-deathified metalcore parody, with amusing, intentionally overwrought lyrics. It rocks pretty hard to, though I don't even know if we're supposed to enjoy it on a musical level. But I do, so whatever. 'Sleeprace' is another particularly stonery song though it's still got a lotta grind stuff thrown. 'Kill for Weed' is another particularly jokey track, but it comes together musically nicely enough, with amusing lyrics and vox. 'Ontogeny of Behavior' is probably the most unexpected thing here, very slow and moody with distorted spoken word vox. Unusual, but it's got more great vocals and some very memorable riffs when it really gets going.

Yeah, I'm done. Cephalic Carnage aren't gonna be to everyone's taste, but they're definitely one of the more unusual tech-death type bands out there. Check it out.

Cephalic Carnage do many things well. They craft great, sometimes catchy songs. They have a strong fanbase and great musicianship as well. But for me, the thing that stands out the most with this group is it's sense of humor. Humor is something I don't see enough of in metal, and Cephalic Carnage is a welcomed breath of fresh air in that department. It's not overly cheesey, or campy (a la Gwar - who I love, of course) and it's often not even looked at because of the serious tone the music gives.

This CD in particulary is why Cephalic Carnage are some of the best in the metal scene right now. From Electric Wizard influenced southern style sludge metal ("Piecemaker"), all the way to technical death metal ("Dying Will Be the Death of Me"), with the usual grindcore and a plathora of vocal ranges thrown in, this CD is solid; track-to-track. There's only two on the album I don't listen to regularly, and even they're not bad by the standards some of the bands associated with Cephalic Carnage have set.

I've listened to this band for a few years, and of all their albums I feel this is the strongest. Not to mention they have fun, and don't take themselves seriously. Tie that in with their sometimes (but not always) subtle sense of humor and great musicianship (their drummer is a machine, and their vocalist sounds inhuman) and you've got an album that keeps on giving.

Not everyone can "get" death metal (hell, some of this bands fans don't even understand the message here), but this album is so well-rounded that I recommend it to anyone into hard rock. I see nothing but good things for this band in the future (as long as they don't replace too many more members).

Crowpath's new album aside, this is the best of the genre(s) for 2005.

These 5 nutjobs have hit their pinnacle here. Everything they showcased on Lucid Interval has been multiplied by ten, and there's no filler which is always a good thing. They've really expanded their boundaries, adding some stoner-rock flavour in the epic Piecemaker, and also segments reminiscent of Isis in Ontogeny of Behaviour. A fkin amazin guitar solo appears on Sleeprace too.

I get the feeling this will be one of the most underrated metal albums when people look back on it a few years down the line.

This is a slap in the face for purists.

What an emaculate listen! Cephalic Carnage was wwwaaaayyy off the "deep end" with Lucid Interval and have now managed to delve further into the abyss with this one (i.e. guest appearance from C.D. of Macabre). These Colorado Grind-Toker's are SERIOUS about every crazed schizo-rhythm they pound out! This is their BEST EFFORT to date, they never cease to IMPRESS and AMAZE! When it comes to Relapse bands, C.C. is the best, the most innovative since Brutal Truth (no comparison by any means, both just simply genius). I advise that EVERYONE, no just every FAN buy this album right now! The world would be a much heavier place!

I originally bought this album a while back, and couldn't really get into it. While mostly enjoyable, I got tired of it. But I came back to it later, like I do all of my albums, and it definitely destroyed my world. The sound levels are absolutely amazing, The guitars are technically amazing, and totally hilarious soloing makes them even better. This band is has a really strange sense of humor, but if you pick up on it, they are abolutely awesome. You can really pick up on the humor in track titles like "Dying Will Be the Death of Me" and "Litany of Failure."

This band is a blend of grindcore, death, and tech metal, and they accomplish it extremely well. The only thing this album really lacks is dynamic contrast, but when it slows down and softens up, it really creates a huge contrast and adds tons of interest. The production, as stated is awesome, especially compared to other albums from Relapse. After about ten minutes, the guitar work and drum pummeling, complimented with the singers voice, gives you a feeling reminiscent of getting hit in the face with a brick. Although I've never been hit with a brick, this is probably the most pleasurable brick you could be smashed with. This is a technically amazing album with great sound levels and tons of sophisticated humor. Definitely not a waste of money. I suggest buying this album. It may take one or two listens, but once it hits you, your jaw will be broken. Mogollon.

Cephalic Carnage is the band that likes to blend every style of music together (mostly tech death and grindcore) and shock the listener. With "Anomalies", they don't fail as well.

"Wraith" is a very technical track, and if you're into mathcore style of music, you'll love that. "Piecemaker" has more of a sludge feel to it, as well as "Sleeprace". Basically, if you like your metal technical, sludgy, and brutal at the same time, you must pick up "Anomalies" today!

Also, be sure to check out the band's earlier works. Also well executed albums. And check out "Conforming To Abnormality" if you can find it. Amazon doesn't carry it, but who knows, maybe it will be re-released.

I've been waiting for this album for a while, and I'm not the least bit dissapointed.The first song is exactly what you expect... insane grind.The second song is nuts, and the third track really surpised my lyrically. The lyrics are about life on the road, and the band thanks all of there fans. Other songs surprised me with the lyrics as well, there are many songs about the supernatural. Musically, this is unlike there other releases in a lot of ways, the production is more polished, so is the music, they also eliminated there jazz moments. There's still a lot of stoner parts though, but for the most part the music feels angry, just listen to "kill for weed", the lyrics are very violent. The biggest surpise to me on this album though is the song "dying will be the death of me". It is a metalcore song, and while I'm unsure of the motives for this song, it's really good, the breakdown puts even The Red Chord and Unearth to shame.
I don't see anyone being let down by this album, it's nothing like Lucid Interval or Exploiting Dysfuntion, but it's great. You must by this if you like Pig Destroyer, Crytopsy, Origin, the Red Chord, Between the Buried and Me or Circle of Dead Childen.

Now-- I could tell you I'm a seasoned veteran of this band's career, and have their entire discography; But that would be a lie. This is my first disc from Cephalic Carnage, and the review will be based on my perceptions of this album alone. (As opposed to comparing it to past releases and whatnot.) Cephalic Carnage is a grindcore band, of course, that fuses elements of several genres into a hazy sonic brew that the band dubs: "Rocky Mountain Hydrogrind." And it's every bit as amusing and intense as the intentionally exaggerated name projects. Basically, they play a jazz/Southern rock/doom-influenced type of grind, with lyrics ranging from alien abductions, to ghost possession, ... To other things they think of when stoned.

The first track, "Scientific Remote Viewing," starts the album off with a bang, with flailing and frenetic riffs. Very infectious. "Wraith" is some sort of noodly math-metal experiment. The riffs seem to collapse onto one-another; very chaotic. It clicks after a few listens. "Counting The Days" is a well-paced death metal-ish track, with nice chemistry between the thrashier metallic onslaughts and slower grinding passages. The lyrics are basically a shout-out to the fans. "Will Or The Way" is the first Cephalic Carnage song that actually made me laugh out loud. The lyrics are of a serious, theological nature for the first 30 seconds or so... Suddenly, Barney of Napalm Death (One of the angriest-souding growlers out there) pipes out in his foundation-shaking voice, "KICKING PEOPLE IS BAD!!! NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO IT!!!" Well, I found it funny.

"Piecemaker" observes the band's Southern rock influences, and it works really well. Lenzig Leal's vocals shift away from his normal death metal grunts, to more of a comprehensible scream. The riffs are pure Black Sabbath. "Enviovore" is raging and schizophrenic, but more of a precursor to the album's final track than anything. Next up is the metalcore parody, "Dying Will Be The Death Of Me." The lyrics are intentionally overwrought, and the cleanly-sung part is hysterical. Not that the song is entirely a joke, though. It's catchy, and there's some memorable guitar-duelling in the middle.

"Inside Is Out" initiates with some clean electric guitar parts. The track slowly pulses with distortion and it launches into a demented grindcore barrage. "Sleeprace" Starts out pretty nondescript, but subtle Southern rock traces swell throughout the last minute. I think I heard organs, too. The amusingly named "Kill For Weed" is a brainstomping death metal track bearing battering riffs, and deranged lyrics-- Least of all, a violin outro.

Every album has some filler, and "Litany Of Failure" is what I'm talking about. After a massively eclectic offering, it strikes me as "eh." But it's basically the intro to "Ontogeny Of Behavior," a 10 minute track that more than makes up for any filler. It starts out with a calming, clean guitar intro. The riffs grow progressively darker and more distorted, then a bit more math-oriented and less conventional, until the song reaches a sprawling momentum that's truly accentuated by the epic buildup. There's something sufficiently unnerving about this track I can't really put my finger on. Cephalic Carnage prove that actual songwriting can cast a more sinister and uneasy atmosphere than grunting about Satan like some half-baked Morbid Angel clone. Maybe the metal community in general should take a few lessons from these guys.

Cephalic Carnage: Disorienting, dissonant, daring. Highly recommended.
- Thus Says the Pellington

I really don't have a clue what to even say or how to describle Cephalic Carnage. They are one of the most talented and unique extreme technical death/grind metal bands that I've ever heard in my life. I first got into them when I got their brand new album "Xenosapian" for Christmas just last year, and I was instantly hooked to this awesomely intense extreme band. That album would keep me occupied until just last month when I purchased "Anomalies" at FYE down in Eau Claire.

Upon purchasing "Anomalies", I didn't listen to it immediately, because I had Divine Heresy's "Bleed the Fifth" to listen to (awesome CD BTW). When I did listen to it, I loved it instantly. I also learned that Cephalic Carnage like dubbing themselves as "Rocky Mountain Hydrogrind" being that they're from Colorado of course, these guys incoporate every different style of music (mostly technical death and grindcore) but also sludge metal, metalcore/hardcore and jazz-fushion as well. Lenzig Leal's vocals are just absolutely insane on here alternating from wicked high pitched screams and shouts to low monstrous death bellows. The guitar riffs on here are dark, heavy, relentless and very technical and there's also some really awesome solos to boot as well. The bass is also audible and heavy, sludgey sounding too. The drumming by John Merryman is chaotic, fast and relentless with wild slamming blast beats and rattling double bass kicks all over the place. This album also features by Barney Greenway (Napalm Death), John Gallager (Dying Fetus), Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation), Dave Otero, Coporate Death (Macabre) and Brian Hegman (Black Limb) as well.

The first track "Scientific Remote Viewing" (my personal favorite song on here) is a fast wicked scorching opener that kicks "Anomalies" off with a vicious bang and it features wild violent screams, fast, frantic and violent riffage and fast chaotic drumming (including some blindingly wicked jackhammering Cryptopsy-esque blast beats). Track two "Wraith" is a very techy track that features some insane propulsive blast beats and machine gun like double bass kicks and grinding buzzsaw riffs. The third track "Counting the Days" is a bit more slower track that features some slow yet heavy gringing riffs as well as a few Dillinger Escape Plan-style tempo changes. The lyrics to this song are a shout-out to their fans. Another highlight on here "The Will or the Way" features a violent barrage of clobbering blast beats, raging grinding riffs, creepy death bellows, and I like the part where Barney Greenway of Napalm Death (who does guest vocals on here BTW) pipes out the line "KICKING PEOPLE IS BAD!!! NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO IT". Another one of my favorites on here, track five "Piecemaker" is very stoner/sludge metal influenced that features heavy sludgy grinding Black Sabbath-esque riffs and great vocals from Lenzig who shifts away from normal death metal roars, to more comprehensible screams, while track six "Enviovore" is another chaotic, schizo techy number that borderlines on wild schizophrenic like screams and shouts, crazy frantic blast beats and addicting heavy riffage. The seventh track as well as the Metalcore Parody track "Dying Will Be the Death of Me" features some wailing clean backing vocals by Dave Otero I believe as well as a pair of awesome back to back careening guitar solos. Track eight "Inside is Out" is another big highlight that features some wicked piercing jazzy guitar licks, torchering growls and some crazy tempo changes. "Sleeprace" is another stoner/sludge influenced track that features some great bluesy style guitar solos, while "Kill For Weed" (a jokingly amusing track) is an absolute romping stomping death metal assault that has mad battering riffs, maniacal blast beats and very derranged vocals and lyrics, and there's also a creepy violin outro too. The closing track "Ontogeny of Behavior" is an awesome near 10 minute epic that starts off very slowly with clean and calming guitars, until around the 4 minute mark the song garners up some momentum with heavier grinding riffs and moments later the song becomes almost blindingly fast with fast slamming drumwork, frantic riffage and deadly death growls.
Jeremy's song ratings:
1. Scientific Remote Viewing (2:18) - 5/5 I love this song
2. Wraith (2:50) - 5/5
3. Counting the Days (3:54) - 5/5
4. The Will or the Way (2:10) - 5/5
5. Piecemaker (5:35) - 5/5
6. Eviovore (3:01) - 5/5
7. Dying Will Be the Death of Me (4:41) - 5/5
8. Inside is Out (3:54) - 5/5
9. Sleeprace (2:45) - 5/5
10. Kill For Weed (2:17) - 5/5
11. Litany of Failure (2:25) - 5/5
12. Ontogeny of Behavior (9:49) - 5/5

Overall, this album is without question an absolute piece of pure ingenious work as well as a bludgeoning assault on your senses, beleive me, this is definately some great stuff, and boy did this Denver five-piece did such an extremely fantastic job at delivering a great ingenious work of art. So anyways if you're a fan of Cephalic Carnage, technical death metal, grindcore, or if you're just an open minded fan of extreme heavy music, this band is definately worth checking out, I'm sure glad I got into them. KEEP IT EXTREME!!