Cannibal Corpse needed George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. After The Bleeding, the band's fourth record, it was obvious that Chris Barnes' voice was absolutely shot. His pained rasps, especially on "Force Fed Broken Glass" and the classic "Stripped, Raped and Strangled" - although this could be considered 'more metal' by some - were so agonized and thin that the record suffered.On Vile, Fisher brought a dose of freshness to a band that was in danger of getting worn out; he was able to hold down the guttural low end while providing high shrieks, like on the opening of "Devoured by Vermin," the album's first track and still a staple in the band's live set. But it wasn't just the vocals - the band put together an excellent batch of songs, gets a better sense of groove, and still throws out crushers like "Mummified in Barbed Wire" and "Monolith," two of the album's better tracks. "Bloodlands" features an excellent breakdown that builds into yet another ferocious howl, not unlike a great Slayer song.
Cannibal Corpse wouldn't make an album this impressive until Kill, ten years later. But Vile staved off the fatigue that was undoubtedly imminent, as death metal would lose favor in the mid to late Nineties, as well as considering that it's hard to adhere so closely to one genre for so long without repeating things or getting uninspired. But Vile gave the band the momentum it would need for the latter half of the decade until metal would finally regain popularity.
"Devoured by Vermin" live
"Monolith" live - definitely the least frightening Cannibal Corpse song title ever
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