David Halbe 
Cannibal Corpse has thrown me a lifeline more times than I care to admit. I even said that to Paul Mazurkiewicz when I interviewed him back in 2012 (Torture album). He was more than sympathetic, and I got the impression it wasn’t the first time he’d been told his band’s music was a lifeblood.
I believe there are times in everyone’s life when you just want to say, fuck it. Maybe you are tired of fighting, being under-appreciated, or even responsible when no one else seems to want to. Maybe you’re just sick of life. There was a time when I let the hard times rule my emotions and ruin my life. My thoughts entertained the most selfish of escapes. It was easier to feel sorry for myself than to stand up and face the situation. Music has been a backbone to me. When I’m down it lifts me up. A great song seems to articulate how we feel. Happy, mad or sad, they’re all good because they help channel emotions.
Cannibal Corpse has thrown me a lifeline more times than I care to admit. I even said that to Paul Mazurkiewicz when I interviewed him back in 2012 (Torture album). He was more than sympathetic, and I got the impression it wasn’t the first time he’d been told his band’s music was a lifeblood.
No Cannibal Corpse album has been more pivotal to my mental health than 1998’s Gallery Of Suicide. Gallery is one of the most experimental releases of Cannibal Corpse’s career. It holds a darkness the other efforts cannot duplicate.
Heavy on atmosphere and more technical than previous records, this is the album that allowed Cannibal with ‘Corpsegrinder’ to define their sound. If you know the band, then you know Chris Barnes left Cannibal Corpse in 1995 during the recording sessions for Vile (1996). His vocal recordings were re-recorded by George Fisher.
Gallery is the first Cannibal effort to feature George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher from conception to reality. It’s the work that solidified him as a premier death metal vocalist. Highlight tracks for me are: “I Will Kill You”, “Disposal Of A Body”, “Blood Drenched Execution”, “Sentenced To Burn”, “Gallery Of Suicide”, “Chambers Of Blood” and “Every Bone Broken”.
This offering also features a rare but wicked instrumental track called, “From Skin to Liquid”, a song about the decomposition of a cadaver. Brutality without relying on speed or gory lyrics is a formula seldomly executed by Cannibal Corpse. Aside from “Infinite Misery” off the Kill (2006) album, I can’t think another instance where they do it.
Gallery Of Suicide is a monumental album in the history of death metal. It offers proof to the world that a death metal band doesn’t need adhere to a particular speed or even lighten up in order to progress.
Next time you’re looking for salvation in the form of music, don’t forget, tickets to the gallery are always free. Maybe it’s time for you to give Cannibal Corpse a listen. \m/
CANNIBAL CORPSE (1998):
- George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – Vocals
- Pat O’Brien – Guitars
- Jack Owen – Guitars
- Alex Webster – Bass
- Paul Mazurkiewicz – Drums
