The American way of life and economic culture is definitely not on my friends list. That is a widely acknowledged fact. As with every other thing in life, there are exceptions to the rule. And if there is one thing Americans are particularly good at, it is brutal Death Metal and Grindcore.
Some of the most influential DM bands come from the States (CANNIBAL CORPSE, NILE, ORIGIN, DEEDS OF FLESH, DYING FETUS, DISGORGE, etc. etc. etc.) and these bands include some of the best musicians out there. Complexity has always been a constant in these bands’ music and the bands they have influenced are as a tendency also conscious of this. They tend to do it too.
CEPHALIC CARNAGE belong in the above mentioned group of influential bands, although their style is not exactly brutal Death Metal. CC usually grind from beginning to end of songs and albums. Anomalies sets CEPHALIC CARNAGE in the throne of modern Grindcore for a number of reasons. Those who dislike Grind usually describe the genre as a bunch of noisy bands playing loud and inarticulately, with raw productions and a feeling for musical chaos only. As with every other generalisation, that opinion is wrong and applies not to the whole. Some bands fit in that profile like a glove, though.
It is not the case with CEPHALIC CARNAGE. With Anomalies, one sees immediately that the band’s aim is not only to play fast as fast can be. They do it with reason and a structure. When talented musicians set out to play grindcore (perhaps the most extreme genre within the extreme), GC becomes an orderly amalgamate of sound and complex writing (& playing).
Meaning: brutality abounds, but it has a structure. Even the wildest and most unexpected passages are mathematically controlled, with abrupt changes from up-tempo to low-tempo. Vocals, too, are varied, and the range is flexible. One minute you hear Barney Greenaway-ish vocals, the next minute you are assaulted with deep grunts, growls, even BM-ish shrieks. Surprisingly, you get to understand what the vocalist is singing from time to time.
With all of its undeniable quality, Anomalies is the result of 13 years of hard work, headquarters in Denver, Colorado. For praise or criticism, here are the authors: Lenzig Leal (vocals), Zac Joe (guitar), John Merryman (drums), Steve Goldberg (guitar) and Jawsh Mullen (bass).
Bandcamp Cephalic Carnage | Myspace Cephaliccarnage
Cover Cephalic Carnage – Anomalies Front
Cephalic Carnage – Inside Is Out