Cephalic Carnage have been around the block. For nearly twenty years they’ve been playing their unique blend of grindcore and technical death metal. When it comes to metal, these guys know what the fuck is up. Their previous album Xenosapien is one of my favorites from any genre to have been released in the past few years. That record was a huge step forward for the band, as it showed they are capable of evolving their sound and not sticking to the formula that so many deathgrind bands conform to. So it comes as no surprise that Cephalic Carnage have once again reinvented themselves with Misled by Certainty, their most mature, complex, and strange release yet.
The album opens with the first single, “The Incorrigible Flame”. This is easily the most accessible track on the album. The arrangement here is fairly standard for a CC song, with melodic yet complex guitar riffs, and a solo for good measure. In the middle of the song there is this neat dissonant duel-guitar riff that caught me by surprise. We’re only one track in and the band is already showcasing their immense songwriting capabilities. “Abraxas of Filth” is an early highlight, with a blistering bass line that will melt your face off, and some of the heaviest riffs the band has ever written. At the 2:20 mark, the track erupts into this incredible chaos. My note for the track at this point reads, “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON THIS IS INSANE!” Fans of the band are familiar with this feeling, and it’s a feeling you’re sure to experience dozens of times over the course of this record.
“Cordyceps Humanis” opens with one hell of a riff. The track chugs along until the midpoint, where everything slows down and the guitars ring out. This is our first relief from the constant barrage thus far, until suddenly we’re thrown back into the carnage. The entire album is this roller-coaster ride, where the band never lets us know where we’re going next. The arrangements are incredibly complex and diverse, not to mention some of the heaviest of the band’s entire career. “Ohrwurm”, the second single from the album, is the weirdest yet. The bass line in the opening is awesome, and then…a saxophone? This is yet another departure from the established sound, and to top it all off, is the craziest saxophone solo of all time. Only in a Cephalic Carnage record.
And then we have the closer, “Repangaea”. The most ambitious song the band has ever written. Coming in at nearly 12 minutes, this track wouldn’t sound out of place on a Mastodon record. Here, the band wanders into unexplored territory, with the final product being a prog metal masterpiece. They make Mastodon and Baroness look like chumps with this beast of a song. At times I was even reminded of Tool. Near the 9-minute mark, the guitars ring out and a piano comes in. I expected the song to slowly fade to its conclusion, but Cephalic Carnage surprise me once again by blasting out of the silence into the incredibly heavy climax. By the end of the song my jaw was on the floor.
Misled by Certainty is a contender for album of the year. The band is at the top of their game with new guitarist Brian Hopp, and bassist Nick Schendzielos continues to prove that he’s one of the best in all of metal. The production is top-notch, and the band as musicians are better than ever. If you’re a fan of metal, you need to purchase this record as soon as you finish reading this.
