Cannibal Corpse
Hammer Smashed Face


4.0
excellent

Review

by rattlehead42147 USER (16 Reviews)
May 28th, 2007 | 50 replies


Release Date: 1993 | Tracklist

Review Summary: An excellent Cannibal Corpse release, suffering only from its brevity and lack of diversity throughout the songs.

On behalf of Cannibal Corpse, I present to you the Hammer Smashed Face EP. Seasoned fans of Cannibal Corpse should be aware just by the title track that this offering is sure to deliver an aggressive listening experience. Featuring the infamous tracks Meat Hook Sodomy and Shredded Humans, this is a nonstop death metal sonic assault. Because it is an Extended Play, it's of course destined to be short winded. That being said, brevity is seems to be the album's only affliction.

Hammer Smashed Face begins with its notorious title track. What more can be said that hasn't already been said about this track? The distinctive opening riff on top of the heavy layered bass is sure to inspire a bout of neck and head injuries. One thing undoubtedly can be said about this track, and I only know one way to put it: it's got chug. It crushes along furiously over the indecipherable lyrics, and if you can't see the beauty in that then you don't have the balls for the songs to follow.

The follow up to the band's most notorious song is The Exorcist, a Possessed cover taken from their legendary Seven Churches album. This one doesn't quite live up to its predecessor but it is excellent nonetheless, and it yields a short, somewhat uninspired solo. The vocals are a little bit more intelligible, but they are still next to impossible to separate clearly from the instruments.

After The Exorcist, we are greeted by a sinister fade-in intro featuring the whammy bar antics of Rob Barrett over the distorted power chords from the rhythm section. The aforementioned section is the intro to Zero The Hero another cover, this time courtesy of Black Sabbath. It's to be expected that Cannibal Corpse made the song noticeably heavier, but as a Black Sabbath fan I can sincerely say that 'Corpse did a good job on this one. The vocals are night and day, but if you like Chris Barnes you'll appreciate this.

That leads us to Meat Hook Sodomy. Second to Hammer Smashed Face, this song features the most infamous Cannibal Corpse lyrics. Although far from insightful, these lyrics are, to be honest, superb. The song is about a serial killer that experiences gruesome murder and gore as a kind of introspective therapy.

Obscene feelings deep inside me
Condemned to life of obscurity
Dismal dimensions of my being, I explore my thoughts through murder
Devoting my life to mutilation
Disgusting to the world
Beauty to my eyes
Invigorating while I kill, intoxicating
Invoking suffering on human beings
Grinding orifices my only therapy
Sculpting gore
Muscle tissue
Reshaping
Mounds of flesh, deformation
Skulls of victims stacked like trophies


The final track, Shredded Humans, is probably my all-time favorite Cannibal Corpse song. Of course this one wouldn't be complete without a gruesome storyline. This is about a family that goes on a road trip but is instead made the unfortunate victim of a murderous maniac.

Early hours, open road, family of five, on their way home
Having enjoyed a day in the sun, their encounter with gore has just begun
A homicidal fool not knowing left from right, now has the family in his sight
Trying to perceive if he's blind or insane, he steers his car into the other lane


This track yields two chaotic and of course amelodic solos courtesy of Bob Rusay and Rob Barrett. Both of these leads sustain the energy level and greatly add to the flow of the song. The vocals are top-notch, and the riffs are catchy and relentless.

Overall:
Don't expect stunning technicality from this EP. It has one purpose, and that is brutal delivery, plain and simple.

Pros:
Clean production, perfect for this EP
Great cover art
Alex Webster

Cons:
Lack of solos
Very short



Recent reviews by this author
Sleep Terror ParaphileForeign Objects The Undiscovered Numbers And Colors
Candlemass NightfallVader The Art Of War
Cannibal Corpse Gallery of SuicideObituary Cause of Death
user ratings (148)
3.8
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
Confessed2005
May 29th 2007


6009 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Nice review. I don't have this EP but I have heard most of the songs from it.



Cannibal Corpse may have been relying on the same style for an eternity but it works damn well.

Unreal
May 29th 2007


229 Comments


cannibal corpse scare me, ive never had enough courage to pick up one of their cds, i dont think ill be giving them a chance just yet.
good review btw

WARPATH_88
May 29th 2007


514 Comments


I love Cannibal Corpse. I havent heard the covers tho. But Im a big fan of Possessed and Black Sabbath.

kalkal50
May 29th 2007


2386 Comments


Thanks for, and I must say this is one of your best reviews, if not the best, to date :D Excellent wording, among other aspects.

Dethtrasher
May 29th 2007


2211 Comments


Cannibal Corpse makes laugh instead of scaring me. I think that they are a big joke, and I didn't say that to upset you fans. Just expressing my opinion.

CoRpSeSlAyEr
May 29th 2007


855 Comments


Really good review, especially for it only being an EP, but you should have done a review of Gallery of Suicide because that is the only LP that they have that isn't reviewed on this page. This Ep really has nothing new on it, outside of the 2 awesome covers.

kalkal50
May 29th 2007


2386 Comments


whats the difference between an EP and an LP? are they opposites?

WARPATH_88
May 29th 2007


514 Comments


Ive always wondered that too kalkal50.

And Deththrasher, yea they are kinda silly at times, but they still make kick ass music.

CoRpSeSlAyEr
May 29th 2007


855 Comments


An EP is obviously shorter than the LP. An EP is a cd or vinyl that has more than one single but are too short to qualify as an actual album. LP's are just full length (Long Playing) albums.

WARPATH_88
May 29th 2007


514 Comments


Thanks for the info!

kalkal50
May 29th 2007


2386 Comments


Oh ok thanks.

Monticello
May 29th 2007


805 Comments


The only song I've heard off this is Hammer Smashed Face.
It's overrated.

LifeInABox
May 29th 2007


3709 Comments


I was going to review Gallery, but I decided not to...it would take to long.

rattlehead42147
May 30th 2007


1345 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

To all: thanks for all the feedback, especially you kal (cool pic change btw, the master of horror) :p

now that i think about it, your reviews have been quite absent around here lately.... what's it been a week or two?

EP=Extended Play LP=Long Play

@corpseslayer: i don't think you want me to review that one, i give it a 2, its not great. the only song that stands out for me is from skin to liquid, i love that oneThis Message Edited On 05.29.07

Lunarfall
May 30th 2007


3178 Comments


I agree with Dethtrasher. I really can't take this band seriously at all, especially when they have songs named "Hammer Smashed Face" and "I Cum Blood".This Message Edited On 05.29.07

kalkal50
May 30th 2007


2386 Comments


True I hate exaggerated names like that.

Sorry rattle I have no feedback for you right now, but a brief intro to Cannibal Corpse and some history would be nice. Thanks bout the pic though, i have no idea who it is just your random el potato-chip juanito. I've winded down with the reviewing, its been like 2 weeks :P It feels unfulfilling. This Message Edited On 05.30.07

rattlehead42147
May 30th 2007


1345 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

yeah i felt the same way, but i don't know, for some reason i like this band when they had chris barnes as singer (first 4 albums). i recommend this album because it is so short, and the 3 non-cover songs are some of corpse's best.

but were you serious about not knowing who the pic was? It's Edgar Allan Poe.

Wizard
May 30th 2007


20564 Comments


Excellent review and album (or EP, whatever you want to call it). Some of my favourite Cannibal Corpse songs are on this album.

These guys are the definition of the phrase 'if aint broke, dont fix it'!

Confessed2005
May 30th 2007


6009 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

^^^ Amen to that statement wizard.

kalkal50
May 30th 2007


2386 Comments


Oooh haha, i thought it was some spanish guy. But cool. I'm gonna listen to this album now.



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