Artist: Corpus Offal
Country: USA
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2025
“Bring in that debut album”. With these words I closed my review on Corpus Offal’s 2-track demo tape that was released in the early months of 2024. That demo, although short, definitely tasted like more. The combination of classic Autopsy with a technical twist á la Demilich and a bit of a Grindcore touch felt like a good marriage and the band seemed destined to deliver a cracking album. Now, more or less a year later, the band showed up with this same-titled album, but, honestly… I expected a little more from it.
Perhaps Corpus Offal is just another example of a band that just comes out better on releases with a shorter playing time or it might also be the element of surprise that is obviously gone after having heard ‘Demo 2024’. Whatever it is, one thing is for certain: with 50 minutes ‘Corpus Offal’ is a rather long ride and the band simply isn’t able to keep you at the edge of your seat. So while the demo tape was nice and short, this album definitely is too long.
Still, if we are breaking the album down and go for the “deeper” analysis, not much has changed. Corpus Offal has more or less risen from the ashes of Cerebral Rot, and that, for those familiar with that band, is really quite obvious. Both guitarists of which Ian Schwab is also delivering his vocal performance are the musical architects of Corpus Offal, so the recognizability is quite easy to explain. But, it is not just the basis of Cerebral Rot that is easy to pick out, the band quite literally builds on the musical legacy of Autopsy and Demilich. That means that you are served with loads of twists and turns and some technical musicianship, but credits where credits are due: these guys do know their craft. Not only in terms of technical wizardry, but also when it comes to song writing they certainly know what they are doing.
So, what then makes ‘Corpus Offal’ a slight disappointment? First of all, almost an hour of challenging Death Metal is just too much. They might be good song writers, they are still no Chuck Schuldiners and Corpus Offal is still no Gorguts. But I think the overall lack of variety in the music and especially in Schwab’s vocal delivery is not helping matters. There is enough of dynamics in terms of changing rhythms and riffs, even before reaching the midpoint of the album it feels like as if they are repeating the same tricks over and over again. In this particular genre of technical Death Metal are so many better and more interesting bands to choose from, even from the stables of their own 20 Buck Spin label.
