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The Bleeding

 
Album Review: The Bleeding

  • Artist: Cannibal Corpse
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1994
  • Type: Contains explicit content, Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

The final album of the Chris Barnes era, The Bleeding continues the trajectory Cannibal Corpse had established during their early-'90s heyday, that being a progressively over-the-top approach to gore-themed death metal that pushed the envelope in every imaginable way, from cover art to song titles to the music itself. The cover art here, as usual, speaks for itself, as do elaborate song titles like "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled," "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead," and "Force Fed Broken Glass." (Though it's probably obvious, it's worth noting for novices that this stuff isn't for the lighthearted and shouldn't be taken too seriously, even if songs titles like "She Was Asking for It" perhaps go too far, even for this genre.) However, it's the music itself that is perhaps most notable, or at least what should be, especially given the key addition of guitarist Rob Barrett (in place of Bob Rusay), who co-writes a number of songs and plays on all of them. Ace producer Scott Burns gives the album a wonderful sheen that instantly sets Cannibal Corpse apart from most of the other death metal bands out there in 1994. The riffs absolutely grind, just as the rhythms pulverize and the vocals thunder. And it's indeed the thundering vocals of Barnes that make The Bleeding so special, definitely one of the standout death metal albums of the mid-'90s -- he's one of the best growlers in the business, and his subsequent departure (to join Six Feet Under) would be a gaping one, albeit one that wouldn't prevent Cannibal Corpse from lumbering on for many more years with their colorful madness. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead (Lyrics) Jack Owen, Chris Barnes, Scott Burns, Alex Webster Cannibal Corpse (3:29)
Fucked with a Knife (Lyrics) Chris Barnes, Scott Burns, Alex Webster Cannibal Corpse (2:14)
Stripped, Raped and Strangled Rob Barrett, Scott Burns, Chris Barnes, Alex Webster, Jack Owen Cannibal Corpse (3:27)
Pulverized (Lyrics) Alex Webster, Jack Owen, Chris Barnes, Scott Burns Cannibal Corpse (3:31)
Return to Flesh (Lyrics) Alex Webster, Jack Owen, Chris Barnes, Scott Burns Cannibal Corpse (4:20)
The Pick-Axe Murders Scott Burns, Alex Webster, Chris Barnes Cannibal Corpse (3:04)
She Was Asking for It (Lyrics) Scott Burns, Rob Barrett, Alex Webster, Chris Barnes, Jack Owen Cannibal Corpse (4:33)
The Bleeding Jack Owen, Chris Barnes, Scott Burns Cannibal Corpse (4:20)
Force Fed Broken Glass (Lyrics) Alex Webster, Jack Owen, Scott Burns, Chris Barnes, Rob Barrett Cannibal Corpse (5:03)
An Experiment in Homicide Rob Barrett, Jack Owen, Chris Barnes, Alex Webster, Scott Burns Cannibal Corpse (2:38)
The Exorcist [*] Cannibal Corpse (7:08)
Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead [*][Multimedia Track] Cannibal Corpse

Credits

Scott Burns (Engineer), Paul Mazurkiewicz (Drums), Paul Mazurkiewicz (Group Member), Jack Owen (Group Member), Cannibal Corpse (Producer), Scott Burns (Mixing), Jack Owen (Guitar), Vincent Locke (Cover Art), Brian J. Ames (Design), Chris Barnes (Lyricist), Joe Giron (Photography), Alex Webster (Bass), Dennis Fura (Producer), Scott Burns (Mastering), Alex Webster (Group Member), Chris Barns (Vocals), Frank Anthone White (Photography), Chris Barnes (Group Member), Rob Barrett (Group Member), Rob Barrett (Guitar), Brad Vance (Remastering), Tob Barrett (Guitar), Scott Burns (Producer), Chris Barnes (Vocals)
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Wikipedia: The Bleeding
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The Bleeding
Studio album by Cannibal Corpse
Released April 12, 1994
Recorded November 12 – December 3, 1993 at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida
Genre Death metal
Length 36:54
Label Metal Blade
Producer Scott Burns
Professional reviews
Cannibal Corpse chronology
Hammer Smashed Face
(1993)
The Bleeding
(1994)
Vile
(1996)
Uncensored Cover
Uncensored Cover

The Bleeding is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse, released in 1994 through Metal Blade Records. It is the last album featuring singer and founding member Chris Barnes and is the first album featuring guitarist Rob Barrett. According to Soundscan numbers, The Bleeding is the fifth top-selling death metal LP in the United States, amassing over 98,300 copies sold. The Bleeding is also Cannibal Corpse's most successful album to date, and their first entry on the Billboard charts.[1][2][3]

A video was made for the song "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead." A re-master of this album is available and features new cover art, a bonus track (The Exorcist, a Possessed cover) and the music video of "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead."

Contents

Musical style

This album signified a few changes for Cannibal Corpse, primarily the change in speed. The reason for this was because Barnes had decided he wanted to pursue a different musical angle. For this album, he chose a more "groove" style similar to what he was doing in Six Feet Under over Cannibal Corpse's previous material which focused more on blast beats and speed. Vocally on "The Bleeding" Chris had also decided to go for a more "decipherable" approach instead of his previously inhuman grunting he had executed on previous Cannibal Corpse albums.[4] The album is also notable for a much more technical approach for the guitar work.

Cover art

The original 1994 cover art, a departure for a Cannibal Corpse album, appeared to depict a tapestry of raw flesh and muscle, rather than it featuring graphic violence. The uncensored cover art for the 2006 reissue, however, reveals the original artwork was merely a part of a greater whole. In reissue artwork, a man is standing in an intimate gathering of zombies, with an expression of ecstasy on his face. The man has been stripped of skin from the chest down. The corpses are entwined with a veiny, blueish growth that is reminiscent of a root system. The exposed muscle and bone of the man's lower body exhibits a fresh growth of this ropey-material, suggesting he is becoming one of them. The original 1994 cover art was simply a closeup of the skinless ribcage and musculature of that man's midsection.

Reception

"Pushed the envelope in every imaginable way, from cover art to song titles to the music itself." "Scott Burns gives the album a wonderful sheen that instantly sets Cannibal Corpse apart from most of the other death metal bands out there" "The riffs absolutely grind, just as the rhythms pulverize and the vocals thunder." "one of the standout death metal albums of the mid-'90s".[1]

Track listing

  1. "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead" (Chris Barnes, Scott Burns, Jack Owen, Alex Webster) – 3:30
  2. "Fucked with a Knife" (Barnes, Burns, Webster) – 2:15
  3. "Stripped, Raped and Strangled" (Barnes, Rob Barrett, Burns, Owen, Webster) – 3:27
  4. "Pulverized" (Barnes, Burns, Owen, Webster) – 3:35
  5. "Return to Flesh" (Barnes, Burns, Owen, Webster) – 4:21
  6. "The Pick-Axe Murders" (Barnes, Burns, Webster) – 3:03
  7. "She Was Asking for It" (Barnes, Barrett, Burns, Owen, Webster) – 4:33
  8. "The Bleeding" (Barnes, Burns, Owen) – 4:20
  9. "Force Fed Broken Glass" (Barnes, Barrett, Burns, Owen, Webster) – 5:02
  10. "An Experiment in Homicide" (Barnes, Barrett, Burns, Owen, Webster) – 2:36
  11. "The Exorcist" (Mike Torrao) – 4:36

Personnel

References

  1. ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. "((( The Bleeding > Overview )))". allmusic.com. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:9yem97lkkrkt. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
  2. ^ "It's Official: CANNIBAL CORPSE Are The Top-Selling Death Metal Band Of The SoundScan Era". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 2003-11-17. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=16769. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
  3. ^ "Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales". Billboard Music Charts. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=294&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Heatseekers&ci=3017077&cdi=6820492&cid=04%2F30%2F1994. Retrieved 2008-10-13. 
  4. ^ Biography of Chris Barnes

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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