Death metal icons, Cannibal Corpse, will unleash their sixteenth studio album, Chaos Horrific, on September 22 via Metal Blade Records, today revealing the record's artwork, pulverizing first single, and pre-orders.
Since 1988, Cannibal Corpse have been at the forefront of death metal, shaping and defining the genre. In 2021, they raised the stakes again with Violence Unimagined. And in 2023, the band's thirty-fifth anniversary, they return with its successor, the equally monstrous Chaos Horrific, starting a new chapter in their storied legacy.
Written shortly after the conclusion of the Violence Unimagined sessions, echoes of that album exist in Chaos Horrific. "To me, this album feels sort of like a continuation of Violence Unimagined," says bassist Alex Webster.
The band have always been noted for technicality and complex songwriting, but that doesn't define where the writing process takes them. "I believe that our songwriting has progressed in a manner where every song paves its own path, whether it's a straightforward or technical song," notes guitarist Rob Barrett. "Sometimes it's a mix of both, so there's no preconceived idea that we want to be more technical. The music just sort of takes its own course."
Webster concurs, "I don't think there was any conscious effort to make things more technical, so if it wound up that way it would just be a natural result of us trying to write the heaviest songs we could."
Cannibal Corpse had no master plan, approaching each track with an open mind. "I never go into a record thinking about anything, I just let the writing flow freely with no limitations," says guitarist/producer Erik Rutan. "But this time, I knew I wanted to push the envelope a bit in a different direction than Violence Unimagined; expand the dynamics, explore new territory without departing from what Cannibal Corpse is and always shall be."
Rutan has now produced six Cannibal Corpse albums, starting with 2006's Kill, and this is Rutan's second release as a full-fledged member, since officially joining in 2020. Tracking at Rutan's Mana Studio in Florida, the band's home state, was comfortable for all involved, who were at the top of their game and ready to give it their all. Things went smoother than ever, particularly on the guitar front thanks to Barrett and Rutan having "custom guitars built with longer scale necks to hold the proper intonation necessary for lower tunings," says Barrett.
Drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz named the record and his cohorts felt it was a great representation of the band. Subjects covered include fighting off hordes of zombies ("Chaos Horrific"), the selection of a random individual to be dismembered and sacrificed ("Summoned For Sacrifice"), and the violent revenge of victims of human trafficking ("Vengeful Invasion"). The album artwork by longtime collaborator Vince Locke is also suitably Cannibal Corpse-esque, featuring a chaotic tangle of the living and the undead, evoking the lyrics of the title track.
In advance of the record's release, today the band unleashes their first single and accompanying video for "Blood Blind". Elaborates Mazurkiewicz, "'Blood Blind' is about mass mutilations to reset the human race in a genocide that was embraced by the masses."
Adds Rutan, "'Blood Blind' was the first song musically that I wrote for Chaos Horrific. It all started with that funeral march of a first riff floating around in my head and it took off from there. Heavy and disturbing, it worked its way into an aggressive smorgasbord of depth and swirling darkness! I thought it would be great to collaborate so I had Paul add his lyrical stamp to it…"
Watch Cannibal Corpse's "Blood Blind" video, directed by David Brodsky of My Good Eye, below.
Chaos Horrific will be available on digipak CD, deluxe box set (Dried Blood Marbled vinyl, 24p 12" booklet, puzzle, pin, poster and art print - limited to 1500 copies), cassette (limited to 500 copies), digitally, and on vinyl in the following variants:
- 180g Black (EU exclusive)
- Burned Flesh Marble (EU exclusive)
- Slate Blue Marble (PIAS exclusive - limited to 600 copies)
- Charcoal Brown Marble (Sound Polution exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- Pearl Violet Marble (EU exclusive - ltd. 500 copies)
- Bloodsun Marble (EU exclusive - ltd. 500 copies)
- Clear Red & Yellow Splatter (EMP exclusive - ltd. to 300 copies)
- Clear & White/Blue Splatter (EU exclusive - ltd. to 300 copies)
- Turquoise & White Splatter (Napalm exclusive - ltd. 300 copies)
- Clear Orange & Red Splatter (Nuclear Blast exclusive - ltd. 300 copies)
- Clear Blackdust (Eyesore exclusive - ltd. 300 copies)
- Red Blackdust (Metal Blade Shop exclusive - ltd. 300 copies)
- Fog Marbled (US exclusive)
- "Charred Remains" (US exclusive)
- Orange/Red Inkspots (US exclusive)
- Black & Brown Marble (US Band store exclusive)
- Silver w/ Red Streaks (US Band store exclusive)
- Electric Smoke (US tour exclusive)
Find pre-orders at the Cannibal Corpse store, here, and at Metal Blade, here.
Chaos Horrific tracklisting:
"Overlords Of Violence"
"Frenzied Feeding"
"Summoned For Sacrifice"
"Blood Blind"
"Vengeful Invasion"
"Chaos Horrific"
"Fracture And Refracture"
"Pitchfork Impalement"
"Pestilential Rictus"
"Drain You Empty"
"Blood Blind" video:
Coinciding with the release of Chaos Horrific, Cannibal Corpse will embark on a month-long North American co-headlining tour with Mayhem. The journey begins September 22 in Nashville, Tennessee and runs through October 21 in Louisville, Kentucky. Support will be provided by special guests, Gorguts and Blood Incantation. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 23 at 10 am, local time. See all confirmed dates below.
Tour dates:
September
22 - Marathon Music Hall - Nashville, TN
23 - The Fillmore - Charlotte, NC
24 - The Mill & Mine - Knoxville, TN
26 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
27 - Rebel - Toronto, ON
28 - L'Olympia - Montreal, QC
29 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
30 - Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY
October
2 - The Royal Oak - Detroit, MI
3 - Hard Rock Live - Gary, IN
04 - The Fillmore - Minneapolis, MN
6 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO
7 - The Depot - Lake City, UT
9 - Temple Theatre - Tacoma, WA
10 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
11 - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
13 - The Warfield - San Francisco, CA
14 - SOMA - San Diego, CA
17 - The Aztec Theatre - San Antonio, TX
18 - The Factory - Dallas, TX
20 - The Eastern - Atlanta, GA
121 - Paristown Hall - Louisville, KY
Cannibal Corpse:
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher - vocals
Erik Rutan - guitar
Rob Barrett - guitar
Alex Webster - bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz - drums
(Photo - Alex Morgan)
