I find it to be an outrage that this great website, serving as a longtime resource of enlightenment in all things brutal for the masses, has had this album stricken from their ever growing library. The fact that this album hadn't been jumped at on week 1 by the first crop of reviewers shocks me. It's not an angry or dejected feeling but more of a surprise that this album is not amongst the first page of classics. This album is of course, Tomb of the Mutilated by Death Metal legends Cannibal Corpse.

Being a reviewer who wishes to provide more extreme metal reviews to this site, it is my privilege to present my opinion on this perfect slab of brutality to the masses. Featuring an extreme cover art by Vincent Locke, which pictures two bloodied zombies engaging in cunnilingus, this album is bound to shock you from the moment you see it on the shelves. While, 2006's Kill is my favorite, I can bet good money that a huge majority of Cannibal Corpse fans will find this to be their favorite album.

Upon first inserting this destructive disc into your cd player, what begins is the opening riff to Hammer Smashed Face, a song which many regard as the greatest Death Metal song ever. The riff machine pounds your head while the blast beats add to the havoc. You might take notice that, unlike other drummers, or extreme metal drummers before Paul Mazurkiewicz, Paul is playing his blast beats while rolling both feet on the double bass. This is called the Cannibal Blast. This is his greatest contribution and one of the most important additions to the extreme metal musical arsenal. Paul may be no George Kollias (or Derek Roddy and Tony Laureano if we want to talk about the outstanding drum performances that are regularities in Nile) but he surely plays his part in the band and nails everything to the finest degree. His impact on extreme metal drumming is made most evident during this album. What originally drew me to Cannibal Corpse was the fact that at the time in 5th grade I was interested in guitar shredding which I would start playing 2 years later. Cannibal Corpse are probably the only Death Metal band I can point to right away where the guitars (here played by Bob Rusay and Jack Owen) are the focus and drive of the album. Alex Webster and Chris Barnes can easily be considered at the top of their trade on their respective musical duties. This still doesn't take away from that first riff you hear in Hammer Smashed Face. The riffs on this album are like a nexus of energy balled within your chest, pounding from the inside. When Paul's drums and Alex's bass enter the picture, that concentrated energy explodes as you bang your head and try to mosh with anything near. Vocals provided by Chris Barnes are solid and punishing. They are often of the deepest register but he sometimes gravitates to a high pitched shriek that at first sounds strange but grows on the listener as they mature along with the sound.

Cannibal Corpse establish a new found sense of technicality about their string section. Paul's drumming has remained the same throughout, simply providing the extra heave to their onslaught. Here there are all kinds of new nuances added to the riffage that immediately make themselves known to the listener. Higher, slowed down riffs for choruses and well derived solos make this string section that much more improved. Different picking structures weaved around well placed syncopating rhythms drive this well oiled machine forward. After the first couple of songs, you're left flustered. The eerie voice of serial killer Albert Fish begins the next track: Addicted to Vaginal Skin this track has a lengthy intro before picking up the madness where it left off.

Anyways, sorry for the long, rambling, review. I am so passionate about Death Metal (as it is the pride of my native Florida) that there isn't a need to go through each and every song, but there was a need to clearly communicate the recurring elements that make Tomb of the Mutilated such a spectacular entity. What Cannibal Corpse capture on this disk is not all result of songwriting prowess and musicianship. These songs are also a result of the energy and aggression the listener and band felt in their hearts from the moment the tracks were laid down to the last leg of the tour.