Review Summary: Cannabis Corpse develops their sound, adding more technical elements to produce an absolute whirlwind of an album.
Considering the obvious shortcomings of a band that parodies Cannibal Corpse with various pot-themed song titles and lyrics, it's surprising to see how quickly Cannabis Corpse has developed, from the slightly muddy and messy
Blunted At Birth to the better rounded and produced
Tube of The Resinated. However,
Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise represents the band's biggest evolution yet (although they've unfortunately started parodying Morbid Angel and Deicide song titles as well), as the band applies more technical song elements and somewhat thrashier riffs to make an extremely dizzying and forceful album.
Technicality hasn't been out of the question in the band's past, but here it's more or less the forefront of the band's sound. The guitars wildly fly from black metal-ish chords to wild tremolo picked sections (a formula that's somewhat comparable to progressive thrash band Vektor), while slower sections are also applied, showing off the weightiness of their riffs; several sections are also much more thrashy than in previous works, such as the main riff of
Gateways To Inhalation. The bass is given much more of a role this time around, providing various fills and expanded riffs that demonstrate that it's just as involved as the guitar. The drums are less blast beat focused this time but an ever-present double bass provides intensity throughout, while sharp stops and more complex patterns are also applied often to sharpen the overall feel of the musical assault provided. The vocals are not exceptional in any real way but do reach impressive lows and are competent, not detracting anything from the band's sound. The production here is also a cut above, with Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal providing a well rounded mix with every instrument audible and clear.
After a brief intro, the album opens with
Lunatic Of Pot's Creation, which opens with a chord part that would be simple if it weren't for bizarre timings applied to the song, before delving into technical open tremolo picked riffs that are absolutely crushing.
Chapel Of Bowls is even more pulverizing, opening with a dissonant chords before moving into a series of brutal riffs that make it one of the better songs on the album.
Dead By Bong likewise provides crushing power with an intense blast beat section and some excellent riffs, while
Immortal Pipes is slower and groovier, though it still manages to be as frantic as the other tracks on the album at the right times.
Sworn To The Bag opens with a slow and set of harmonized lines before exploding into the album's usual frantic pace with some excellent riffs.
Where The Kind Lives features some entertaining bass tapping and groovy riffs mixed in with the usual whirlwind riffing, while a menacing solo punctuates the faster action as it plays over a slower riffs. The title track enters at full tempo before providing a menacing chorus, with good use of dissonant chords and riffs throughout, while the bass provides some added riff lines under several of the main sections of the song.
The album does have a few minor faults. The riffs don't stick around for long before they are replaced with another, which may reduce the feeling of groove on the album, though it also helps to keep things fresh throughout. The songs are also very consistent in length (around 2:40 to 3:40), and a longer or shorter track could help to provide a bit more variety to the album as a whole. Overall however, this album is a colossal achievement for a band that could once be labeled as simply a parody of greater bands, and such an act is no longer possible as this easily challenges their contemporaries and influences.
Recommended Tracks:
Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise
Chapel Of Bowls
Sworn To The Bag
Where The Kind Lives
Lunatic Of Bongs Creation
Gateway To Inhalation
Dead By Bong
